Gemotions

The silence of the car ride was deafening. David, usually a chatterbox, remained utterly mute. The secret had been disclosed earlier that day, a sister, a secret life. He clenched his jaw, his knuckles white.

He stared straight ahead, at the endless ribbon of highway unspooling before them. Each mile, instead of bringing him closer to his destination, seemed to stretch the distance, the emotional gulf, even further. The car felt like a cage.

He felt a deep, piercing pain in his chest, a sensation of being utterly alone. He wanted to scream, to pound on the dashboard, to stop the car and get out.