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.

dating for almost a year.You can’t blame the guy if he’s thinking about being

but a marriage? Really?"I

only gonna be twenty-two in a couple of months!" Tristan

"Is age really the

this before, T.I know not to make

do you

proposal is more of a Hail Mary to save the relationship than

you get

say...I was faced with a similar

blinked a few times before saying,

smiled bitterly

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

"And...what happened?"

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

"I see..."

it's

a true once engaged

chuckled and

this situation amusing,"

what are you gonna tell

the

for a beat, but suddenly he

"Hmm?"

you love

"Of course!"

quickly and

think I'm in a yearlong relationship with a man I

lan together, and the way you look at him

Tristan argued.

love a lot of

I stammered a little.

I love you and Sophie

you love lan?"Tristan was

"Exactly..."I admitted in defeat.

expression I couldn't decipher and let out a small

looking

said love, not

just misheard you,"I

it's me you're talking to.You don't have

Tristan’s face and I

was just pathetic and sad to admit it out loud, that I was still hopelessly in

what am I gonna do?

no to Elliott, it might be the end

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

that I

scared of ever

deserves to be loved, but I just need

things out? To see if you can love him the way

that sound bad?"I

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

love him as much as you

the thing I'm afraid

a comeback

a while now, we just continued walking aimlessly while

will you do me a

"Anything,"he said quickly.

Elliott homme? He’s alone in a foreign

tonight? I just need to take a walk and reorganize my thoughts, alone, but I'll be

reassuringly, "Sure, of

"Thanks, T,"

he turned

each other, another telepathic moment

and

second,

asked for, I was left alone with

about fifteen blocks

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

when your mind was clouded

old ritual

down or anything, but

lot more pros

really good guy and he loves

got a