Teach Me

Chapter Nineteen: No More Lies

ALANA POV

"Okay." I said after a few minutes. He nodded and smiled, but then when we both heard his front door open the grin was wiped off his face.

"Remember, stay quiet." he reminded me quickly before sitting back on the couch and turning towards the doorway. I frowned in confusion as he seemed to grow more and more nervous.

"Chris, I'm home!" A voice called, echoing throughout the house as a young lady stepped into the room. My whole body froze and I stared at her in shock. She was the same girl I had seen in his classroom that day. It was Angela. But...hadn't he already broken up with her? I folded my hands in my lap and sunk back into the couch, trying not to be noticed.

"Who's this?" she asked, looking at me with the smile still on her face. I smiled weakly in return, but didn't say anything, just like Chris had told me to do.

"Angela, this is Alana..." he said, trailing off a bit as he began to look nervous.

"Oh...is she your friend?" she asked politely.

"Um...kind of." He said, biting his lip. I could feel the tension in the room, and my heart was pounding loudly in my chest. "Angela, you know I love you." he said quickly. I had to hold back a gasp of my own that he would even dare to say that in front of me.

"Yes...What's going on Chris?" she asked suspiciously. He took a deep breath and prepared to explain whatever it was that he was going to say.

ANGELA POV

I looked back and forth between Chris and Alana, my fear rising. I hoped this wasn't what I thought it was.

"Who is she?" I demanded again, my voice shaking slightly.

"I aleady told you who she-"

"No, I don't wanna know her name. I wanna know who she is to you." I said again, cutting him off. He let out a deep breath and met my eyes.

"She's my girlfriend." he said in a weak voice, regret filling his tone.

"Y-Your girlfriend?" I asked, his words echoing through my head over and over again.

She's my girlfriend.

I looked back up at Chris in shock, and I could see the guilt in his expression.

"I-I thought we were engaged Chris. Please tell me you're joking." I pleaded, tears threatening to spill over. I didn't want to cry, I didn't want to show him my weakness. I couldn't let him see how pathetic I was. I didn't want him to know how much he meant to me, and how much I really loved him. He obviously didn't return that love.

"Angie, I'm sorry. I told you I'll always love you, it's just that when I met Alana I couldn't help it...it's just...I didn't mean...you have to understand-"

"You love her more." I finished for him. I looked back over at the girl, who was sitting on the couch with her knees hugged to her chest, staring at both of us in shock. I didn't know if she knew about me and Chris, and I wondered how she would react to it. She kept staring at me, her eyes slightly widening at times as Chris continued to talk.

"I know this isn't right, and I know I made the wrong decision. I just didn't want to keep lying to the both of you and being stupid and selfish by not being able to choose. Yes, Angie, I know I should have broken up with you before I dated Alana, but I didn't. It sounds cruel to make you have to deal with the pain. I wish I could change what I did, and I know I'm probably doing a pretty bad job of trying to clean up the mess I've made right now." He finished, staring at the ground the whole time was speaking. Alana looked slightly shocked, and I quickly averted my attention back to Chris so she wouldn't catch me staring.