BRIAN'S ANGER

Brian's knuckles grazed against Emily's door, his eyes fixed on the wooden panel as if willing her to appear. The soft knock echoed through the silence, a gentle plea for forgiveness. He had been replaying their awkward encounter nonstop, the memory of his misread signals and the kiss that followed burning his cheeks with embarrassment. Yet, he knew he needed to apologize, to clear the air of the tension that now hung between them like a thick fog.

"Emily, can we talk?" he asked, his voice low and gentle, a soft breeze on a summer day. The door creaked open, and Emily's face peeked out, her eyes avoiding his like a child hiding from a scolding. Her voice was barely above a whisper, a delicate petal that might shatter if handled roughly. "What's up, Brian?"

Brian's heart sank, his hopes of a warm reception dashed on the rocks of Emily's evasion. He noticed the way her gaze drifted to the floor, her cheeks flushing pink like a sunrise over a sleepy town. He took a deep breath, his wo