Gemotions

The anxiety felt like a physical weight, pressing down on her chest. Each call he took, each whispered conversation, was another brick in the wall he was building between them.

She started cooking his favorite meals, but she left them to cool on the counter. She bought him a gift, a watch he'd always wanted, and then hid it in a drawer. The unacknowledged affection was the real weapon.

He noticed, finally, the uneaten food, the unopened gift. He asked what was wrong. She just shrugged and walked away, not bothering to answer.