Gemotions

The hum of the refrigerator seemed deafening in the silence. Leo stared at the book, its generic title, "The Other Side of the Bridge," doing little to disguise the thinly veiled autobiographical elements. He felt a prickling heat across his skin, as if he were being observed. His partner, Ben, had never mentioned writing a novel, at least not to him.

He felt a sudden compulsion to check his phone, to confirm everything was where it should be. The book's protagonist, a man named Ethan, shared his history, his quirks, even his habit of biting his nails. Leo felt a cold dread creep into his bones. He suddenly saw every detail of his life through a different lens, a lens that felt distorting. The desire to scream felt overpowering.