Gemotions

The chipped mug of coffee sat cold on the desk, untouched. Ethan hadn’t been able to eat all day. His secret recipe notebook, the one he’d guarded so jealously, the one detailing his life’s dream of opening a bakery, was now sitting on the counter. His roommate, Sam, had been in there all day.

He felt as though something vital had been taken from him. He couldn’t look Sam in the eye. The shared space no longer felt like a place of refuge, but a place of exposure.

He heard a key in the lock, then the click of the door. He flinched. Sam shuffled into the room, his eyes downcast. "Ethan, can we talk?" Sam asked, his voice barely audible.