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.

can’t blame the guy if he’s thinking

but a

gonna be twenty-two in a couple of

he asked, "Is age really the

know not

do you

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

you get

was faced with a similar

times before saying, "With

smiled bitterly

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

"And...what happened?"

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

"I see..."

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

a true once

chuckled and fake

this situation amusing," I rolled my eyes at

what are you gonna

I want to 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

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

"Hmm?"

you love even

"Of course!"

quickly and somewhat defensively

in a yearlong relationship with a man

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

Tristan argued.

a lot of

I stammered a little.

love my family and I love you

love lan?"Tristan was quick

"Exactly..."I admitted in defeat.

an expression I couldn't decipher and let out

looking at

said love, not

probably just

now, it's me you're talking

looked at Tristan’s face and I knew he

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

gonna do? I’m gonna lose

no to Elliott, it might

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

it’s not that I don't

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

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

To see if you can love him the way you

much.Does that sound

you

could never love him as much as

the thing I'm

didn’t have a comeback

now, we just continued walking

me a favor?"I said after

"Anything,"he said quickly.

He’s alone in a foreign place, he doesn’t have any

and keep him company tonight? I just need to take a walk and

reassuringly,

"Thanks, T,"

he turned back to me and said, "Hey, you'll make the right decision.I

at each other, another telepathic moment

and

the next second,

was left alone with my loud,

walking about

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

much when your mind was clouded with

my old ritual of making a

it down or anything, but it was all in

were a lot more pros than cons to saying yes to

really good guy

a stable