Not Today | ✔️

Chapter Thirty Five.

"Can't you see how much you hurt me?
It's like I wasn't there..."

✧✧✧

"Tanya?" Tristan asked, still full of shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see the movie," she said with a chuckle, causing Tristan to blush.

"Right, y-yes. I know that. I don't mean here, I mean in town."

"I moved back in with my mom last week."

"So you're back?" he asked and his expression made him look like a million thoughts were running through his mind and he didn't know how to process them all.

"I'm back," the girl, Tanya, affirmed with a bright smile, making Evelyn finally take note of how pretty she really was.

"But if you moved back in with your mom, does that mean we'll be going to the same high school again?"

"Yes," she said and her eyes were so bright her excitement was nearly tangible.

"My God, everyone's going to be so excited to see you," Tristan said and he was smiling, too.

"I don't know about that," she said, looking down and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I do," Tristan said with a soft expression that was usually reserved for Evelyn.

Even though they had been speaking in hushed tones, just as Tanya parted her lips to reply, an older couple shushed them and they both let out chuckles.

"Want to go catch up outside?" Tanya whispered, nodding towards the door.

Tristan braced his hands on the arms of his chair, getting ready to stand when he finally let his eyes drift to Evelyn sitting between the two of them. Guilt spread across his features noticing Evelyn's expression, too uncomfortable to interrupt and feeling embarrassed to be between them, as if she didn't belong. He opened his mouth to speak, but Evelyn beat him to it.

"Go. Talk," Evelyn said with the most convincing smile she could muster.

Tristan frowned. "You're not coming?"

"I'll be fine. I'm just going to finish the movie," Evelyn said and made herself smile even brighter.

After a couple seconds, Tristan nodded and walked past her seat, trailing behind Tanya, outside of the theater, allowing Evelyn to finally drop the forced smile.

Even though Evelyn said she was going to finish the movie, the way her interest had been captured by the film had dissipated. Every time she brought her eyes to the screen, she saw the characters and action, but didn't register it. She seemed to look right through the movie, thinking too hard to pay attention.

Evelyn realized the dull hurt spreading through her chest may have been irrational, as all Tristan had done was get distracted by seeing someone from his past. Evelyn may have reacted the same way, had she seen an old family member or an old friend she hadn't seen in a while, right? But then she considered it. No, she wouldn't. Evelyn felt invisible the second Tanya caught Tristan's eyes. He didn't even bother introducing her. He didn't glance at her once, as if she wasn't even there, until he was preparing to leave with Tanya to talk.

She shook her head. She was being a silly, jealous girlfriend.

Evelyn tried to convince herself that was true, but some feeling in her gut told her that there was more to the story than Tanya being an old friend. As a natural observer, Evelyn quickly discerned the expressions he'd give to her, versus a friend, versus an acquaintance, versus a stranger. And the looks on his face reminded her of the looks he'd give her.

Yet again, she shook her head, trying to rid herself of those thoughts. It was nothing more than the ugly, toxic voice of insecurity. It had to be. There was no way the girl and him could have had a romantic history. After all, Evelyn had asked him out of curiosity once and he said he hadn't ever been in a relationship before. Tristan was always more open between the two of them.

He wouldn't lie to her.

...would he?

Since focusing on the screen did nothing to distract Evelyn, she focused her eyes on the theater floor, but that simply made things worse. She began rubbing her thumb against her palm and bouncing her leg up and down, her obsessions causing a surplus of energy in her legs and hands. Somehow, Tristan's presence had made the movie theater bearable, but since he was no longer there, it was no longer bearable for Evelyn.

Evelyn stood up and walked out of the theater, not wanting to be there a second longer. Her first instinct was to search for Tristan in the lobby, but she couldn't find him. And, even if she could, she wouldn't want to interrupt him and Tanya catching up.

Evelyn pushed open the exit doors and left, enjoying the way the cold air felt against her skin. She stared into the sky and though it appeared clear, not a star in the sky was visible. The night was pure black. Her eyes drifted to the people on the sidewalk, scanning left and right, hoping to see Tristan, but she saw unrecognizable faces passing her by.

Evelyn decided to walk back to the ice cream shop they'd gone to in the beginning of the evening, wondering if she might find the two of them there, but when she entered, she didn't see him. Regardless, she got a scoop of ice cream and sat at a table. She'd always liked ice cream in winter, but with the chill of the night already settled into her bones, and another cold feeling encasing her, she couldn't bring herself to truly enjoy it.

It wasn't long before her relatively untouched ice cream began to melt and she tossed it into the trash. She left the shop and headed towards the movie theater. Evelyn tried to open the doors, but they were locked. Frowning, she checked the time on her phone. The last showing had just ended.

Rolling her eyes, she sat on the curb. Today was not her day, it seemed. She sent him a text, as it was freezing outside, and she had to wait for his response because he drove and had the keys.

After a while. Evelyn got tired of sitting and stood up, making a game out of trying to not step on the lines on the sidewalk, as it was made of something like cobblestone. She zoned out, focusing on that until she heard her name, which diverted her attention. She stepped on the line. Apparently, she loses even at her own games.

"Evelyn?" Tristan repeated. "What are you doing outside? It's freezing out."

"Where else am I supposed to be waiting? Everything's closed already and you drove," she said, turning her attention towards Tristan, Tanya by his side.

"Why didn't you text me?" he asked, his frown deepening as he stepped closer to her.

"I did," she said. "Three times."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't hear it," he said, stepping even closer to her

Evelyn shrugged and shot him a smile. "Happens to the best of us."

Tanya cleared her throat, clearly not feeling Evelyn's discomfort at interrupting. "Aren't you going to introduce us, Tristan?"

Tristan immediately placed his hand against his neck, rubbing the way he did when he was uncomfortable or embarrassed.

"Tanya, this is Evelyn, my girlfriend," Tristan said.

Tanya stuck her hand out and Evelyn shook it. "He wouldn't shut up about you. Seriously."

A part of Evelyn's heart felt lighter at this information, as if it proved she really was just an old friend, if he told her about Evelyn, but then Tristan spoke and erased it.

"And Evelyn, this is Tanya. My ex-girlfriend."

Evelyn couldn't stop her face from dropping. Tristan didn't just keep having an ex-girlfriend a secret.

Tristan lied to her about it.