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.

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

like lan, but I thought it

it was really him and he thought I was cheating on

that to the whole Paris thing, and Ally, and everything got all blown up

but I'm sorry.I was such a shit

gaze was gentle and warm.Warm enough to

"That's alright,"I smiled.

honest with you about the Paris thing since day one.I didn’t know why I was so afraid," lan smiled, and I mean really

and grinned a lot, but this

this hearty, genuine smile that

caught in

move and I didn’t say anything else

was lamely stare at

you to the city anyway?"he said after a while of silence, breaking the

a job interview earlier...and then I was just talking a

"A job interview?"

New

"Wow, that’s great,"

said they'll contact me within a

means you're in,"he

know?"I narrowed my eyes

they'll just tell you they'll

said they'll contact you within a week because they already knew their

a lot

also made me

was really hoping

all the more certain for me."I suppose, congratulations are

"Thank you,"

had to bit my lip to stop myself

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

my eyes away again,

been?"he said with his head cocked to the

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

as casual as possible, if you didn't know that

too bad for yourself," lan opened his arms out wide and said, "I’m elated.This is probably the highlight of

art exhibition at a

art exhibition featuring all my works with my muse in

word caught my

moving and looked up at his face, asking him,

do you think

the

eyes glanced over the paintings and the installations,

he was saying that I was the inspiration behind all

it was

casual, so I just kept

one? I don’t get

big installation in the

hanging from the ceiling

piece was titled

all the bottles it took for me to finally hear your

"What...?"I gaped.

rough year for

"It was?"

that to myself, but

just shrugged like it was no big

a pang in my

thought he'd moved on

thought he was happy

know about

"What's this one?"

quickly, pointing at another

to blur and I didn’t want him to see

those boards you see in the airport.I went looking for you the day you left.I was too late

I looked up at him instinctively,

"Yeah,"he said simply.

didn't you say anything? I thought you

didn’t wanna ruin Paris for you.Or

waited for days..."I choked, holding

for days.I had severe dehydration, it was too much of

to the glass bottles

trickling down my face and

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

does this one mean?" I pointed to another painting, desperate to change

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

"What?"

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 me

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