Gemotions

The flickering candlelight cast elongated, dancing shadows across the living room as Elara watched Liam. He was hunched over his laptop, the glow of the screen illuminating his face. She’d walked in to find him muttering, a low, guttural sound that she didn't recognize. Her breath hitched.

He looked up, startled, and a small, sheepish smile played on his lips. “Hey,” he said, his voice unusually high.

Elara forced herself to respond. "What are you doing?" The words felt thick in her throat. She gripped the back of the nearby armchair, her knuckles white.

Liam’s fingers danced over the keyboard. “Just…research.” He closed the laptop with a snap. Something in the swift motion, in the way he avoided her eyes, sent a chill through her.