Teacher's Girl (Aflyingwhale)

Chapter 100: Artistic Mystery 

EMMA’s POV : 

"Well, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.But, what a great surprise,"he chuckled lightly, pausing for a beat before saying, "How did you know I was here?"

"I don’t.I just happen to walk by,"I replied.

"Wow, fate must have a great sense of humor,"he smirked.

I hadn’t seen him in two years and I forgot how much his smile or his eyes had an effect on me.

Quickly, I averted my gaze.

I didn’t want him to know how much of an impact his presence had on me.

"What is all this anyway?"

I blurted, trying to sound as nonchalant as I could.

"It's an art exhibition, of course.My art exhibition,"

he said matter-of-factly.

"Yours? Wait, but how? I mean, what?" I was stammering like an idiot.

He stifled a laugh and said, "It seems like you have a lot of questions.You're lucky I'm on my break, I'll be glad to answer all of them,"

He took a step closer to me and I stepped back involuntarily.

My eyes darted around the room and I noticed that the exhibition visiting hours had ended.

The door was closed shut and it was just the two of us in that room.

Suddenly I felt a shiver up and down my spine.

"I don't understand,"I said to him.

"Why are you exhibiting your work here? You're not working in that gallery with Ally anymore?"

"No.As it turns out, we don't have the same vision for the gallery,"he shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.

That gallery meant the world to him, he poured out his time, heart, and soul into that gallery.

But here he was, making it look as if it was nothing.

"Why? I thought you two are..."

"Are what?"

"Together,"I said bitterly.

"No, we're not,"he shook his head.

"But, that night? You two were — "

"That night was a mistake,"he said firmly.

"I was ridiculously intoxicated and I was totally blacking out, I would've made out with a dude if he was in front of me,"he laughed.

"So, you weren't in love with her?"I had to repeat that again to make it clear.

"Fuck no,"he scoffed.

"We've been through this already.She was only a friend to me,"

He was shrugging and grinning, but I wasn’t amused.

That night was the night that scarred me for life.

I didn't understand, I thought he was being difficult with me because he wanted an out from our relationship to be with Ally.But if that wasn’t it...

"So, why did you break up with me then?"I asked.

"Because I thought you were cheating on me with someone else.But man, was I wrong about that too,"he rolled his eyes.

"Huh?"

"I saw you and your friend Tristan around your campus.I came because I wanted to apologize for the whole Paris program thing.But then I saw you two and you looked like you were kissing each other, so..."

' "Oh, that was..."

"Fake, I know," he cut me off, nodding his head and he said, "Your friend told me about it when I came looking for you,"

"So you knew I never cheated, why didn’t you try to get me back?"

"I was too late.You were already gone.And I've messed up so much already.I kissed another girl, drunk or not, that was an ass move.You clearly don't deserve that,"

It was starting to make sense now, all of it.

out on the quad when Tristan and I were pretending to date in front

saw someone that looked like lan, but I thought it was

was really him and he thought I was

whole Paris thing, and Ally, and everything got all blown

I'm sorry.I was such a shit fiancée,"he said, and I knew he

was gentle and warm.Warm enough to melt

"That's alright,"I smiled.

should’ve been honest with you about the Paris thing since day one.I didn’t know why I was so afraid,"

but this smile was different from

hearty, genuine smile that I didn’t see on

was caught in a

and I didn’t say

could do was lamely

uh, what brings you to the city anyway?"he said after a while of silence, breaking the thick air

job interview earlier...and then I

"A job interview?"

the New Yorker

"Wow, that’s great,"

contact me

means you're in,"he

How do you know?"I narrowed my eyes at

they'll just tell you

week because they already knew their plans

a

me smile

really hoping I'd get

all the more certain for me."I suppose, congratulations are in order?" he

"Thank you,"

my lip to stop myself from smiling

and his gaze was penetrating so deep into my soul, I was feeling

my eyes away again, looking

you? How have you been?"he said with his head cocked to

couple of weeks and I might have just got hired for a job in the New Yorker," I said as I walked around the

trying to be as casual as possible, if you didn't

seem to be doing too bad for yourself," lan opened his arms out wide and said, "I’m elated.This is probably the highlight of my career right

art exhibition at a school featuring all

all my works with my muse

word caught

up at his face, asking him, "What are you talking

a look around.Who do you think inspired all of

to all the art pieces all over

over the paintings and the installations, everything that he had

I was the inspiration behind

it was very

so I just kept walking around the room, taking a closer look at each and every

this one? I don’t get

big

the ceiling and some

was titled

to finally hear your name out loud without breaking

"What...?"I gaped.

was a rough year

"It was?"

say that to myself, but I had

it

I felt a pang in

time, I thought he'd

thought he was

know about all

"What's this one?"

quickly,

eyes were starting to blur and I didn’t want him to

one of those boards you see in the airport.I went

at him instinctively, forgetting about

"Yeah,"he said simply.

say anything? I thought you

already gone and I didn’t wanna ruin Paris for you.Or to force you to turn around and come back

sooner? I've waited

in the hospital.I was unconscious for days.I had severe

to the

my face and I hated myself

him and cry, so wiped them away quickly

pointed to another painting, desperate to change

stifled a laugh, "I have a confession to make...I've been stalking you a little bit.Virtually, not

"What?"

been following your social media.I saw the pictures you took or the pictures that people took of you, and one day I saw...some French guy posted a picture

Anyway, I got jealous.

never made

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