Gemotions

David stood frozen, the paperback clutched in his hand. “Beth and the Breakdown,” the title screamed at him. He hadn’t been looking for anything untoward, but there it was, sitting on the bedside table. His name was nowhere to be seen, but the events, the settings, the *feel* of the story were all too familiar. It was about them, or at least, the version of their lives his girlfriend, Beth, imagined.

His breath came in short, shallow gasps. He felt the blood drain from his face. The fictional David was portrayed as weak, indecisive, prone to bursts of anger. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but the unease grew with each page.

He slammed the book shut and threw it across the room. He felt the rising tide of a panic attack. He needed space, air, to breathe. He had to get away.