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

sure, but a

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

age really the thing that’s standing between you

before, T.I know not to make the same mistake

you

more of a Hail Mary to

you get that idea

was faced with a similar situation

blinked a few times before saying,

smiled bitterly

me because he thought he was doing me a favor.But being apart from each other, he realized he’s made a

"And...what happened?"

college, and he moved to New York City to start the gallery.And I guess you know the rest

"I see..."

it's gonna

a

and

us is finding this situation

what are you gonna

him, but I just don’t have the right

for a beat, but suddenly he said, "Hey E, can

"Hmm?"

you love

"Of course!"

quickly and somewhat defensively

I'm in a yearlong relationship with a man I

seen you two together and I've seen you and lan together, and the way you look at him compared to the way you look at

Tristan argued.

love a lot of

I stammered a little.

family and I love you and Sophie too,

you love lan?"Tristan was

"Exactly..."I admitted in defeat.

looked at me with an expression I couldn't decipher and let

Why are you looking at me

I said

probably just

it's me you're

face and

admit it out loud, that I was still hopelessly in love

gonna do? I’m gonna

I say no to Elliott, it

I know I'm lying to myself and to him

not that I

I've been hurt so bad before, I'm scared of ever

way he deserves to be loved, but

with Elliott to figure things out? To see if you can love

much.Does that sound

if you never get there?"he

love him as much as you do

the thing I'm

didn’t have a comeback

just continued walking aimlessly while our thoughts were flying

T, will you do me a

"Anything,"he said quickly.

in a

and keep him company tonight? I just need to take a walk and reorganize

nodded reassuringly, "Sure, of

"Thanks, T,"

he

each other, another telepathic

and he nodded

the next second, Tristan was

was left alone with my loud, rambling

was walking about

anything, but when I looked up at the

when your mind was clouded with

to my old ritual of making a

anything, but it

there were a lot more pros than cons

genuinely a really good guy and he loves me

got a stable