Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

EMMA’s POV : 

"Elliot...I...l.."

I took a deep breath and steadied myself, finally saying, "I'm sorry, but I can't give you an answer right now.This is a lot and it’s serious and I have to think about it first..."

"Oh,"his mouth formed an ‘O’ and the look of hope and excitement in his eyes faded into disappointment.

"I have no idea you're even considering something like this.You never even told me about it,"

I said to him.

"That's what I'm doing now, I'm telling you.This is what I want,"he paused for a beat before continuing, "Is this not what you want?"

"l...I mean, it’s a big step..."I stammered.

"I’m just turning twenty-two this year...and I may look like it, but I don’t feel like an adult.I still feel like I'm just a child and I don’t even know what my life is gonna be like a month from now.You know what I mean?"

"I understand,"

Elliott put his gaze down and sighed.

He closed the little velvet box and shoved it back into his jacket pocket.

The air suddenly felt cold and I could hear the faint whispers and murmurs of the people watching us.

I didn’t dare to look, I was afraid I'd be faced with judgmental eyes or pity smiles.

"Ehem,"

Tristan coughed awkwardly as he stepped towards us.

I was glad that he decided to come in at this point.

He was saving us from the awkward ‘now what’ conversation.

"You got your hot dogs?"I said to him.

"Yup..."he replied.

"So...uh, is there any other place we should go to before we head back?"I said to both Elliott and Tristan.

I was trying to make the situation as calm and as normal as possible, but Elliott wasn’t buying into it.

"I think I'll just go home,"he said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "You two can keep going, I'll take the train back.I could use the time to think,"

"Are you sure...?"I asked cautiously.

"Yes.I'll see you at home,"

he let out a small smile and leaned towards me for a kiss.

I didn’t move away, and I thought he was going to kiss me on the lips, but he kissed me on the cheek instead.

I didn't say another word.

I just watched quietly as Elliott turned around and walked out of the park.

Meanwhile, Tristan was studying my face intently and he let out a long deep sigh once Elliott was out of sight.

"Whoa, E, what in the world happened just now?"

"I don’t know, T.I don’t know where this is coming from.We never talked about marriage or anything like that.Elliott’s just always so...unpredictable," I started babbling out of control.

"It’s like Paris all over again.We never talked about being together, but suddenly he wants to come follow me to the States.And okay, so he wants to have a relationship with me, I can handle that.But this? A marriage? All of a sudden? Like...how?"

I only stopped talking to catch my breath.

Tristan fished out a bottle of water from his hot dog doggie bag and handed it to me, he knew full well that I was thirsty after all that ranting.

I quickly took it from him and gulped down half the bottle at one go.

All this talk about marriage was suddenly making me dizzy and dehydrated.

"I'm not ready for a marriage, T.I mean, look at me, I can barely walk in high heels!"

I continued the rant as Tristan laughed.

"I just got out a super heavy relationship with lan and all I wanted was something easy and light and fun, not a marriage!"

"To be fair, you and lan broke up, what almost two years ago?"

Tristan raised an eyebrow.

you Elliott have been dating for almost a year.You can’t blame the guy if he’s

sure, but a marriage?

only gonna be twenty-two in a couple of months!" Tristan wasn't buying into what I

he asked, "Is age really the thing that’s standing between

been through this before, T.I know not to make

you

is more of a Hail

you get that idea

faced with a similar

times before

bitterly and

were broken up, or actually, he broke up with me because he thought he was doing me a favor.But being apart from each other, he realized

"And...what happened?"

and started college, and he moved to New York City to start the gallery.And

"I see..."

it's gonna save it.In fact,marriage is only

a true once engaged

chuckled and fake

this situation amusing," I rolled

are you gonna tell Elliott

I know what I feel and what I want to tell him, but I just don’t have the right words for now.But, I'll get

he

"Hmm?"

love

"Of course!"

and somewhat

in a yearlong relationship with a man

together, and the way you look at him

Tristan argued.

a lot of things,

I stammered a little.

my family and I love you and Sophie too, and

the way you love lan?"Tristan was

"Exactly..."I admitted in defeat.

with an expression I couldn't decipher and let

Why are you looking at

said love, not

probably just

me you're

and I knew he was

sad to admit it out loud, that I was still hopelessly in love with a guy that left me almost two

what am I gonna

sighed in exasperation, "If I say no to Elliott,

I say yes, I know I'm lying to myself and to him too,

it’s not that

before, I'm scared of ever loving someone the

the way he deserves to be loved,

want more time with Elliott to figure things out? To see if you can love him the way you do lan?"he

much.Does that

you never

him

the thing I'm afraid

have a comeback for

now, we just continued walking aimlessly while our thoughts were flying around our

me a favor?"I said

"Anything,"he said quickly.

take Elliott homme? He’s alone in a foreign place, he

company tonight? I just need to take a walk and reorganize my thoughts,

nodded reassuringly, "Sure,

"Thanks, T,"

the direction that Elliott took, he turned back to

knowingly at each other, another telepathic moment

nodded and

second, Tristan was

was

was walking about

counting or anything, but when I looked up at the

when

ritual of making a pros and

write it down or anything, but

lot more pros than cons to saying yes

is genuinely a really good guy and he loves me

a stable