Gemotions

The coffee shop buzzed with Saturday morning chatter, but Daniel barely registered it. He traced the rim of his paper cup, the heat doing little to chase away the deep chill that had settled within him. The accusations against his literary idol, Julian Bellweather, had hit him hard. He'd devoured Bellweather's works, memorizing passages, quoting them to friends. They had felt like a part of his soul.

He felt the sudden urge to run, to escape the suffocating reality. He wanted to scream. He wanted to smash something. Instead he just finished his coffee, slowly. The weight of betrayal settled into him, a stone in his stomach. Everything felt tainted. He just wanted to go home and sleep for a week.