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.

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

a marriage? Really?"I

in a couple of

his eyes at me, he asked, "Is age really the thing that’s standing between

know not to make the same

do you mean?"he

proposal is more of a Hail Mary to save the relationship

get that

faced with a similar situation

few times before saying, "With

bitterly

he was doing me a

"And...what happened?"

New York City to start the gallery.And I guess you know the rest of

"I see..."

on the relationship, thinking it's gonna save it.In fact,marriage is

a true

chuckled and

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

you gonna tell

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

but suddenly he said, "Hey E, can I ask you

"Hmm?"

love

"Of course!"

and somewhat defensively

a yearlong relationship with a

you and lan together, and the way you look at him compared to the way you look at lan,

Tristan argued.

love a lot of

I stammered a little.

and I love you and Sophie too, and

love

"Exactly..."I admitted in defeat.

I couldn't decipher and let out a small

looking at

I said

just misheard you,"I

now, it's me you're talking

looked at Tristan’s face and I knew he

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

am I gonna do? I’m gonna lose

in exasperation, "If I say no to Elliott, it might be the

know I'm lying to myself

not that I

hurt so bad before, I'm scared

Elliott the way he deserves to be loved,

out? To see if you can love him

that

E.What if you

you could never love him

the thing I'm afraid

have a comeback

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

will you do me a favor?"I said after a while of

"Anything,"he said quickly.

He’s alone in

need to take a walk and reorganize my thoughts, alone, but

reassuringly,

"Thanks, T,"

direction that Elliott took, he turned back

at each other,

and he nodded

second,

had asked for, I was left alone with

about fifteen

up at the street sign, I realized I was in 63rd

much when your mind was clouded

to my old ritual of

write it down or anything, but it was all

more

a really good guy and

a