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.

that day out on the quad when Tristan and I were pretending to date

saw someone that looked like lan, but I thought

him and

the whole Paris thing, and Ally, and everything

overdue, but I'm sorry.I was such a

gentle and warm.Warm enough to melt my

"That's alright,"I smiled.

been honest with you about the Paris thing since day one.I didn’t know why

and grinned a lot, but this

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

was caught in

couldn't move and I didn’t

was

the city anyway?"he said after

interview earlier...and then I was just

"A job interview?"

New

"Wow, that’s great,"

said they'll contact

you're in,"he said

you know?"I narrowed

you didn't get in, they'll just tell you

week because they already knew their plans

made a lot of

made me

really hoping I'd

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

"Thank you,"

bit my lip to stop

his gaze was penetrating

eyes away again,

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

have just got hired for a job in the New Yorker," I said as I

trying to be as casual as possible, if you

for yourself," lan opened his arms out wide and said, "I’m elated.This

exhibition at a school featuring all your

exhibition featuring all my works with

word caught my

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

around.Who do you think inspired

all the

glanced over the paintings and the installations,

saying that I was the inspiration

it was

I didn’t wanna be in over my head, and I wanted to appear casual, so I just kept walking around the room, taking

this one? I

to the big installation in the

hundreds of glass bottles hanging from the ceiling and some of them were broken

was titled ‘277

to finally hear

"What...?"I gaped.

a rough

"It was?"

meant to say that to myself,

shrugged like it

felt a

thought he'd moved on

was

about all

"What's this one?"

around quickly, pointing

blur and I didn’t

airport.I went looking for you

airport?" I looked up at him instinctively, forgetting about the tears that were pooling in

"Yeah,"he said simply.

I thought

wanna ruin Paris for you.Or to force you

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

days.I had severe dehydration, it was too much

to the

trickling down my face and

wanna stand in front of him and

pointed to another painting,

laugh, "I have a confession to make...I've

"What?"

took of you, and one day I saw...some French guy posted a picture of a homemade meal

Anyway, I got jealous.

never made me

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