Not Today | ✔️

Chapter Thirty Nine.

"You got a pretty face, I got this broken heart
Two starlit lovers, we were destined to be torn apart
You said you needed space, I got a couple scars
Guess you're the reason for the tears, I left them where you are..."

✧✧✧

Evelyn was furious.

It was like any other day and she was walking into the library, ready to head to the back and ask Rose about her day, when something caught her eye.

In the spot Evelyn first walked up to Tristan, the spot she regarded as theirs, sat Tristan and Tanya, smiling at each other.

"Hey, Evelyn," he said when he caught sight of her, sending her a smile. That only made her more angry.

"I didn't realize that when you said you'd be at the library you meant you and Tanya would be here." Especially today, she thought bitterly.

"I didn't think you'd mind," Tristan said. "I was telling Tanya about how I come here all the time and she wanted to come."

"Tristan? Can we talk outside?" Evelyn said, taking a deep breath.

"Outside? But it's freezing out. Why can't we just talk here?"

"Outside," Evelyn said once more through gritted teeth and this time, Tristan seemed to realize how serious she was.

"What's wrong with you lately, Evelyn? Did I do something wrong?" he asked once they stepped outside.

"The fact that you don't even know the problem is a problem by itself, Tristan. How can you not see that?" she said, taking a shaky breath. He reached out to touch her, but she pulled away, causing him to frown.

"I can't do it anymore. I can't keep feeling like she's your girlfriend instead of me. I can't handle her calling you Tris, touching you whenever she feels like it, sitting in that spot in the library. Our spot. And I can't keep feeling worse every time you don't stop her or set boundaries. I can't keep being taken for granted. I can't keep allowing you to cast me to the side as if I'm not worth just as much as Tanya. And, most of all, I can't let you be the most important person in my life when I don't even feel like I'm top ten on your list. I tried giving you the benefit of the doubt, but I can't handle this anymore."

"Evelyn, I-"

"No," she held her shaky hand up. "Let me finish. You have so much power over me and I don't think you understand how hard it was to build up any sense of self-confidence after the accident, especially with the pressure already on me, just by being a teenage girl. It was so hard and every day, I feel my confidence slipping away. I feel like I'm worth less and less and I can't let you do this to me, but more than that, I can't do it to myself."

"Please don't ask me to choose between you and Tanya, Evelyn. I mean, s-she just got back and you, you're... you. I can't even describe how I-I just..."

"Tristan, I would never do that to you," she said with a sad smile, reaching a hand up and cupping his cheek. "I won't ask you to choose between us, because you've made a choice already, I just don't think you realize you did."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice slightly frantic as he seemed to realize where she was going with her line of speech.

"You made your choice and I've made a choice, too. Just don't forget how much you've grown. Don't forget who you are, but most of all, don't forget what you deserve. Don't settle for less. You have too much to offer for that."

Tristan took a deep breath and reached his hand up, holding Evelyn's to his cheek, closing his eyes. "Evelyn, this sounds a lot like a goodbye."

"That's because it is, Tristan," she said, taking a deep breath to try and prepare herself for what she was going to say next, pulling her hand from under his. "We're done."