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.

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

but a marriage? Really?"I

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

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

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

you mean?"he

proposal is more of a Hail

get that

just say...I was faced with a similar situation

times before

bitterly

he thought he was doing me a favor.But being apart

"And...what happened?"

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

"I see..."

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

a true once engaged

and

this situation amusing,"

you gonna tell

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

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

"Hmm?"

love even

"Of course!"

and somewhat defensively

a yearlong relationship with a man

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

Tristan argued.

lot

I stammered a little.

I love you and

you love lan?"Tristan was quick to

"Exactly..."I admitted in defeat.

me with an expression I couldn't

you looking at

said love,

probably just

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

looked at Tristan’s face and I knew he was

I was still hopelessly in

I gonna do? I’m gonna lose

"If I say no to

I know I'm lying to myself and to

it’s not that I

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

be loved, but I just need

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

that

if you never

him as much as

thing I'm afraid

a comeback

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

me a favor?"I said after

"Anything,"he said quickly.

alone in a

tonight? I just need to take a walk and reorganize my thoughts, alone,

nodded reassuringly, "Sure,

"Thanks, T,"

before he ran towards the direction that Elliott took, he turned back to me and said, "Hey, you'll make the right decision.I know

at each other, another telepathic moment type

nodded and

next second, Tristan

I was left alone with

was walking about fifteen blocks

but when I looked up at the street sign, I

seem like much when

was back to my old ritual of making

or anything, but it was all

honest, there were a lot more pros than cons to saying

really good guy and he

a