Gemotions

"No." The word escaped his lips in a choked whisper, barely audible above the television's blare. He read the letter again, the words swimming before his eyes. The rejection felt like a physical blow, stealing the air from his lungs.

He tossed the letter onto the coffee table, the flimsy paper fluttering for a moment before settling. He got up from the couch, pacing the small living room. Each step felt heavy, each movement deliberate.

He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, taking a long, desperate swig. The water did nothing to quench the dryness in his mouth, the hollowness in his chest.