Gemotions

He paced his small apartment, the worn floorboards creaking under his weight. He’d seen the photo, the glossy magazine cover. Ethan, his quiet, unassuming friend, the one who worked at the local bookstore, was a globally-renowned architect.

His mouth went dry. All the times Ethan had downplayed his life, minimized his achievements. A sense of wrongness filled him. He felt disconnected from reality, as if the ground beneath him had shifted. The walls seemed to be closing in.

He collapsed onto the couch, head in his hands. He replayed their conversations in his mind. The small talk about books and coffee now felt like a well-crafted disguise. He felt lost and betrayed.