Elona’s POV
I waited for Mr Monroe outside the school building. Hoping that Tristan would not follow me out. I didn’t want to deal with him. I was still boiling with anger. Maybe this anger will push me further away from him and help me achieve my goals. I needed that push and if my anger was going to do it, then so be it.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to deal with a parent.” Mr Monroe said as he came towards me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had Tristan to deal with.
“It’s okay,” I said.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Of course,” I replied and then followed after him.
“I would like you to eat and rest for the day. If you are not feeling well tomorrow, then I suggest that you take a day off and see a doctor. The final year of high school is very crucial and stressful. So, I understand how you might feel with these things taking their toll on students,” he said as we now walked in step towards his car in the parking lot.
“Let’s not forget to add boyfriends to that list,” I said.
“That too. One thing that I can say is that you have a whole life ahead of you. Don’t waste it on a boy,” he advised. More like my father’s advice.
We reached his car. It was a blue SUV. He pressed a button and then the lights flashed, he opened the passenger side door for me. I climbed in and sat comfortably with my backpack on my lap. He closed the door and walked around the front as I put my seatbelt on. My eyes caught Tristan as he made his way towards us. Mr Monroe got inside the car. As Tristan approached, I saw his car lights flash beside us.
As he got closer to us, he glared as Mr Monroe pulled out of the parking space. I broke our eye contact as we drove away. I gave Mr Monroe my home address. “I hope I don’t have to deal with Mr Crane again. He is… very demanding.”
I let out a sigh, so tempted to roll my eyes. “He is very demanding,” I replied.
“I guess it comes with the job of dealing with certain parents. He made it clear to me not to touch you as he is your guardian and a family friend. Also, Crislynn’s father. I want to make sure he is your guardian and family friend because he could have taken you home. I don’t disclose anything to strangers because the world is cruel out there,” he said.
“Well, he was a family friend, but we all had a huge fight about something. I guess he still tries to look out for me. Thank you for not telling him that I needed to go home. He is the last person that I want to deal with too. I used to be friends with Crislynn. But shit happens.” I said. I wasn’t going to tell him what really happened. It was none of his business.
“I see. Well, here we are.” he stopped in front of my house.
“Thank you, Mr Monroe,” I said without looking at him, eager to get inside the house. I opened the car door and climbed out.
“If you need anything just let me know… Um, here,” he took a card from the console and handed it to me. I took it from him.
“Thanks,” I gave him a faint smile as I glanced at him. He had a polite smile which was attractive. But that still didn’t do anything for me because of Tristan. He was my everything, so no one can compare to him. I shut the door and walked down the driveway.
I went into the house, shutting the door behind me. I threw my backpack on the sofa and went to the kitchen. The apple that my father wanted me to take to school was on the dining table. So, I took it and ate it. This will be my meal for the day. I hope that this will get me through the day at least.
Once I was done, I went up to my bedroom and took off my sneakers and jacket, placing them neatly in my closet. I plop down on my bed, ditching my phone. The events of earlier played out in my mind. Tristan thinks that he can have it both ways, but he can’t. He has already made his decision, but does that mean he still wants me as badly as he used to?
With that being said, his actions were different when he blocked me. All I have are hurtful words from the break-up and demanding words of today that I have etched in my heart. Actions mean everything, but I cannot believe what he would say to me next if he professed his love for me again… if that will ever happen. I rolled onto my stomach and the darkness consumed me.
****
I woke up to a knock on my door. Squinting from the light shining through my window. I sat up straight as my father opened the door and entered. “How are you feeling? Your teacher called me to say that he dropped you at home because you were light-headed. Have you eaten anything?” he asked. Concern etched on his face.
“I think I’m okay. I only had an apple,” I replied.
“You cannot live on apples alone. Come downstairs for a sandwich as a start,” he said and then walked out of my bedroom. He was right, I needed more than an apple. I still sat on my bed just trying to wake up from my nap that was disturbed. In that nap, it was as if there were no problems at all.
Eventually, I got out of bed and went downstairs. When I reached the dining table, my father was already sitting there deep in thought. My plate of sandwich was already on the table and I took a seat across from him as he slowly chewed.
“Are you okay?” I asked as I furrowed my brows.
“Yeah,” he replied. “I wish that you had never dated Tristan.”
“I get it, he broke my heart, and now I’m suffering. You hate to see me this way,” I let out a sigh. “We loved each other, or so I thought. He was so… he cared but also made these demands about other men touching me… more like having their hands on me. He even had an issue that Spooky and I are friends, but upon hearing that Cris and Spooky are dating, he was okay with us being friends. He wanted to protect me from other men out there in the modeling industry, but I could handle them. He was there for me at times I needed him. He wasn’t all that bad. He has a heart, but this is a chapter that is closed. We were never meant to be. If we were, then we would still have been together,” I said.
“Well, if it’s meant to be, you both will still be back together even after a break-up, because things that are meant to be will always find their way to being back together,” he stated, and then he took a bite of his sandwich. I haven’t even touched mine yet. It gave me a bit of hope with what my father said, but I will wait forever. I have dreams to achieve, and it doesn’t change the fact about the situation that Tristan is in.
“You don’t have to worry anymore,” I said.
“Well, I’m happy that it didn’t work out between you both. He hurt you beyond words because you are suffering from that pain that may never seem to go away. I can’t see you going on this way, depriving yourself of food. He destroyed you. I can see that. So, I do worry and it’s because of him. If he could break your heart now, how would he have reacted or have done if he found out about the baby? Especially having to carry a baby to full term and being alive. What would he have done in this situation? Leave you for Maggie? Tristan never wanted a baby after Estelle died. So he would’ve left to be with Maggie. You are young, that is what he sees,” his gaze found mine, they were conflicted.
“What are you even talking about? Maggie’s baby? Of course, he chose her because he would not let his own child live without a father. So I do believe that if we had kids by accident he wouldn’t leave me.” I stated.
He took in a deep breath and then looked at me again. “When you had surgery on his birthday because you were in pain. You had the flare-ups that were excruciating, but what the doctors told me was that you had a miscarriage at that same time too. It didn’t make sense to me when I never saw you with anyone even though I was away for work, but when you told me that you had been dating Tristan and you slept with him. It all made sense, it was his baby that you were miscarrying.” sadness was now visible in his eyes.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, “I don’t understand. So was I pregnant with Tristan’s baby? I didn’t feel any symptoms…” I tried to make sense of it.
Thoughts came rushing back. There were times I missed the pill a few times when Tristan and I had sex. Grace pushed me when we played volleyball and then on Tristan’s birthday, the pain was worse. It was mixed with my flare-ups. I was in the toilet, wiping myself, and saw blood thinking that it was my period. My heart stopped because now it made sense. Tears stung the back of my eyes as I realized that I had miscarried our baby, not even knowing that I was pregnant.
“You were very early in your pregnancy. It would be like your period, but they confirmed it while you were in surgery because you were already bleeding and your tissue growth had already been spread further outside your uterus. They had to make sure that there were also no tissues inside… after you miscarried. They call it a D&C procedure. You were eight weeks pregnant.”
I just don’t know how to take this news. Tristan won’t even know about that. I need time to soak this in. “I was careless and that happened.”
“Elona, these things happen. It was eating at me for not telling you. But at least now you know.”
I was sitting there, staring at nothing, wrapping my head around this. I was too busy with Tristan and modeling to even realize anything. Maybe it was because I was too early in my pregnancy. I have to make peace with it because I am still young. So, I guess there was a reason why I lost it.
I looked at my Dad, who watched me intently. I licked my lips to moisten them before saying, “Please, don’t tell Tristan. He doesn’t deserve to know.”