Gemotions

The apartment felt too small, the air thick with unspoken disapproval. Emily watched Liam pace the living room, his hands stuffed deep in his pockets. He hadn’t said a word since she'd announced her plans to adopt a kitten. Now, he just kept going back and forth, like a caged animal. Every creak of the floorboards echoed the growing tension.

She tried to bridge the awkwardness, offering, "It'll be good company, Liam. We'll both love it." Liam stopped, his eyes meeting hers for a fleeting moment, then quickly darting away. He sighed, a sound that seemed to carry the weight of the world. "I just... I don't know," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

He went into his bedroom and slammed the door. Emily sank onto the sofa, the excitement she’d felt earlier now replaced with a leaden feeling of defeat. The silence that followed was more suffocating than any argument.