Gemotions

He’d imagined the notification bell for weeks. Now, it was here, a harsh chime in the silence of his tiny apartment. Liam hovered over the laptop, the cursor twitching. He took a deep breath, steeling himself, but his heart still hammered against his chest as he clicked.

The terse sentence on the screen sucker-punched him. He felt a wave of heat wash over him, his face burning. He pushed the laptop away, as if physically repelling the words. His jaw locked, and he began to pace his cramped space.

“No, no, no,” he muttered under his breath. He stopped, running a hand through his already messy hair, as though trying to find an answer amidst the tangled strands.

He sank onto the worn sofa, the springs protesting under his weight. The air in the room felt thick, heavy, as though he was breathing through a damp cloth. He felt exposed, stripped bare.