Gemotions

The digital clock on the bedside table blinked accusingly, 3:00 AM. Liam stared at the laptop screen, the novel-in-progress displayed before him. He had found it accidentally, a password-protected file. The protagonist, a woman with his partner's name, possessed his own features. The story was familiar, too familiar, yet it wasn’t his story.

A knot formed in his throat. He felt the sting of tears, unwanted. He hadn’t been a good partner. He knew it now, with a clarity that stung.

His partner, Alex, stirred beside him. He opened his eyes, saw the laptop, the screen's glow illuminating Liam’s stricken face. He sat up, the silence between them hanging thick in the stale air. Alex reached out a hand, but Liam flinched, retreating further into the covers.