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.

Elliott have been dating for almost a year.You can’t blame the

sure, but a marriage?

in a couple of months!" Tristan wasn't buying into what I

his eyes at me, he asked, "Is age really the thing

know not to make the same mistake again

do you

Hail Mary to save the relationship

get that idea

was faced with a similar

a few times before saying, "With

bitterly and

up with me because he thought he was doing me

"And...what happened?"

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

"I see..."

is not some Band-Aid you put on the relationship, thinking it's gonna save it.In fact,marriage is only

spoken like a true once engaged

chuckled and fake

is finding this situation amusing," I rolled my eyes at

you gonna tell Elliott

tell him, but I just don’t have the right words for now.But, I'll get there.I just need to take a walk and arrange

but suddenly he said, "Hey E, can I

"Hmm?"

love even

"Of course!"

said quickly and somewhat

yearlong relationship with

‘Cause I've seen you two together and I've seen you and lan together, and the way you look

Tristan argued.

a lot

I stammered a little.

love my family and I love you and Sophie too, and I love

you love lan?"Tristan was quick

"Exactly..."I admitted in defeat.

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

Why are you looking at me

I said love, not

just

you're talking to.You don't

looked at Tristan’s face and

admit it out loud, that I was still hopelessly in love with a guy that left

gonna do? I’m

exasperation, "If I say no to

if I say yes, I know I'm lying to

that I don't

hurt so bad before, I'm scared of ever loving

to be loved, but I just need some

To see if you can love him the way you do lan?"he

much.Does that sound bad?"I

know, E.What if you never get there?"he

love him as much as you

thing I'm afraid

a

for a while now, we just continued walking aimlessly while our

you do me a favor?"I said

"Anything,"he said quickly.

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

him and keep him company tonight? I just need to take a walk and reorganize my thoughts, alone, but

reassuringly,

"Thanks, T,"

to his heels, but before he ran towards the direction that Elliott took, he turned back to me and said, "Hey, you'll make the

each other, another telepathic

and he nodded

second, Tristan

I was left alone

about

wasn’t counting or anything, but when I looked up at the street sign, I realized I

didn't seem like much when your mind

old ritual of making a pros and cons

or anything, but it was all in

a lot more pros than cons to

He is genuinely a really good

a