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.

on the quad when Tristan and I were pretending

saw someone that looked like lan, but I thought

him and he

thing, and Ally, and everything got all blown

was such a shit fiancée,"he said, and I knew he meant

and warm.Warm

"That's alright,"I smiled.

about the Paris thing since day one.I didn’t know why I was

lot, but this smile was

was this hearty, genuine smile that I didn’t see on his face

was caught

I

I could do was lamely

you to the city anyway?"he said after a

job interview earlier...and then I was just talking a walk around the

"A job interview?"

the New

"Wow, that’s great,"

contact

means you're in,"he said

know?"I narrowed my eyes

in, they'll just tell you they'll let you know, but they wouldn't

within a week

made a lot of

made me smile real

was really hoping I'd

more certain for me."I suppose, congratulations are in order?" he said when

"Thank you,"

had to bit my lip to stop

me and his gaze was penetrating

eyes away again, looking at anything other

are you? How have you been?"he

a job in the New Yorker," I said as I walked around

as possible, if you

you? You don’t seem to be doing too bad for yourself," lan opened his arms out wide and said, "I’m elated.This is

at a school featuring all

all my works

word caught my

his face, asking him, "What are you talking

do you think inspired

the art pieces all

over the paintings and the installations,

was saying that I was the inspiration

it was

in over my head, and I wanted to appear casual, so I just kept walking around the room, taking a closer look at

this one? I don’t

big installation in the

hanging from the ceiling and some of them were

was titled ‘277

took for me to

"What...?"I gaped.

rough year for

"It was?"

to say that to myself, but I had said it

it was no big

I felt a pang in

I thought he'd moved on

thought he was happy being with

know about all of

"What's this one?"

quickly,

starting to blur and I didn’t

those boards you see in the airport.I went looking for you the

the airport?" I looked up at him instinctively, forgetting about

"Yeah,"he said simply.

you say anything? I thought you

I didn’t wanna ruin Paris for you.Or

didn’t you come to find me sooner? I've waited for days..."I choked, holding back

days.I had severe dehydration, it was

to the

trickling down my face and I hated myself for

stand in front of him and cry, so wiped them away quickly and turned

one mean?" I pointed to

one’s a little embarrassing," he stifled a laugh, "I have a

"What?"

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 of a homemade meal and he tagged

Anyway, I got jealous.

never made me

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