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.

year.You can’t

but a marriage?

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

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

know not to make the same

you

a Hail Mary to save the

get

just say...I was faced with a similar

few times before saying,

bitterly

thought he was doing me a favor.But

"And...what happened?"

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

"I see..."

you put on the relationship, thinking it's gonna save it.In fact,marriage is only gonna highlight the problem

a

chuckled and

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

what are you gonna

want to tell him, but I just don’t have the right words for now.But,

quiet for a beat, but suddenly he said, "Hey

"Hmm?"

love

"Of course!"

quickly and somewhat defensively

I'm in a yearlong relationship with a

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

Tristan argued.

love a lot

I stammered a little.

I love you and Sophie

way you love lan?"Tristan was

"Exactly..."I admitted in defeat.

an expression I couldn't

looking at

I said love,

probably just misheard you,"I

it's me you're

Tristan’s face and I knew

to admit it out loud, that I was still

I gonna do? I’m

say no to Elliott, it might be the end for

yes, I know I'm lying to myself and to him too, and that’s not

it’s not that

bad before, I'm scared of ever loving someone the way I

Elliott the way he deserves to be loved, but I just need some time to

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

much.Does that

don't know, E.What if you never

never love him as much as

I'm afraid

have a

now, we just continued walking aimlessly while our

me a favor?"I said after a while of

"Anything,"he said quickly.

in a foreign

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

nodded reassuringly, "Sure, of

"Thanks, T,"

ran towards the direction that Elliott took, he turned back to me and said,

other, another telepathic moment

and he nodded

second, Tristan

as I had asked for, I was left alone with my

walking about fifteen

at the street sign, I realized

much when your mind was

was back to my old ritual

didn’t write it down or anything, but

there were a lot more pros than

genuinely a really good

a stable