Not the One
Chapter 16
I spent the whole day by myself, roaming around Paris. It was fun, but I wished Tina was with me. It was time to relax a bit and head to the Eiffel Tower. I took a seat on an empty bench once I got there. I brought a sandwich with me, so I took that out and started to eat it. From a short distance, I heard a familiar voice and laugh. Was it Jane? I looked to my left, and there she was. She was holding hands with the same guy I saw her with at the hotel lobby. I wasn’t sure if I should approach her. Would she talk to me if she saw me here alone? I couldn’t wait any longer, so I went up to her.
“Jane?”
“Oh… it’s you,” she said, kind of annoyed.
“Yeah, it is. I’m in Paris for a while. How have you been?”
“Great. Really great. And you?” She wasn’t looking at me. She looked to the ground, around, and at the guy next to her.
“Same.” I wasn’t really sure what to say to her. I felt awkward standing there, disrupting her and the guy’s conversation.
“Um, Fernando and I were going to do something together, so I’ll see you around?”
I gave a silent “see ya” and watched them walk away. There was no surprise that she didn’t want to see me. I didn’t know how I felt about seeing her either. I kept telling myself to forget about Jane and just move on with my life and concentrate on Tina. But it was hard. Especially because Tina was going out somewhere with her ex. How could I feel comfortable about that? I needed to discuss with her tonight about my feelings, and hers too. I didn’t want our relationship to be confused.
I got back to the hotel early, around 5. I was bored going around the city all by myself. I couldn’t focus on anything except the swirling thoughts of Tina and Jane. I was sitting on the bed, looking out the window. It seemed that that was something I would be doing a lot while I was here.
At around 10, I heard Tina come back.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hi.”
“How was your day? Did you do anything?”
“I just went around the city by myself,” I said.
“Oh. Did you have fun?” She was smiling, so I knew something good happened to her.
“Not really.” I didn’t feel like asking her about her day.
“Oh. Well, aren’t you going to ask me about my day?” She asked.
“Uh, sure. How was it?” I lied down on the pillow and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to seem too interested in what she had to say.
“Damien took me to a restaurant, and we dined. It was a really nice place. I think we should go one day. Then we went to an art museum where he sold some of his paintings. His paintings were really cool. Most of them were of scenery. After that, we went to his house and I watched him paint. He wanted to do a portrait of me, but I told him I had to leave. So maybe next time I could do it.”
“Wow, sounds like you had a lot of fun.”
“I did. I’m sorry I couldn’t spend the day with you though.” She climbed on the bed, shoes and all, and gave me a hug.
I sighed. “Listen, Tina, I want to talk to you about some things that have been bothering me.”
“What’s wrong?” She asked, concerned.
“I’m just wondering… do you still have feelings for Damien? Right now? I know you told me in Malibu before we started dating that you did. Has that changed?”
Tina stared at me, probably thinking of an answer to this. “Leo… to be honest, I’m over him. We’re friends now. It was just that I missed him and I wanted to fix our broken relationship by starting off right today.”
I eyed her. “Is that it?”
“Yes. Was that bothering you the whole time?”
“Yeah. And something else…”
“What?” She kicked off her shoes and lied down beside me.
“I saw Jane. You know… the girl I told you I liked back in Iowa who left me to come to Paris.”
“Oh? Did you guys talk? What happened?”
“We saw each other at the lobby that one day, but we didn’t talk. Today, I saw her and some guy at the Eiffel Tower. She didn’t seem to want to talk to me.”
“So, you still have feelings for her?” Tina asked, bracing herself for my answer.
“Yes. And that’s what’s been bothering me ever since I started going out with you. But don’t worry, I like you and I’m not breaking up.”
Tina looked more relieved. I didn’t want to break up with Tina. There was probably no way Jane and I would work out.
“I know it’s hard to get over someone, so I don’t mind that you still like her. Eventually you’ll stop.” Tina got up and went into the bathroom.
Not when she’s been the love of your life for so long.
“Jane?”
“Oh… it’s you,” she said, kind of annoyed.
“Yeah, it is. I’m in Paris for a while. How have you been?”
“Great. Really great. And you?” She wasn’t looking at me. She looked to the ground, around, and at the guy next to her.
“Same.” I wasn’t really sure what to say to her. I felt awkward standing there, disrupting her and the guy’s conversation.
“Um, Fernando and I were going to do something together, so I’ll see you around?”
I gave a silent “see ya” and watched them walk away. There was no surprise that she didn’t want to see me. I didn’t know how I felt about seeing her either. I kept telling myself to forget about Jane and just move on with my life and concentrate on Tina. But it was hard. Especially because Tina was going out somewhere with her ex. How could I feel comfortable about that? I needed to discuss with her tonight about my feelings, and hers too. I didn’t want our relationship to be confused.
I got back to the hotel early, around 5. I was bored going around the city all by myself. I couldn’t focus on anything except the swirling thoughts of Tina and Jane. I was sitting on the bed, looking out the window. It seemed that that was something I would be doing a lot while I was here.
At around 10, I heard Tina come back.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hi.”
“How was your day? Did you do anything?”
“I just went around the city by myself,” I said.
“Oh. Did you have fun?” She was smiling, so I knew something good happened to her.
“Not really.” I didn’t feel like asking her about her day.
“Oh. Well, aren’t you going to ask me about my day?” She asked.
“Uh, sure. How was it?” I lied down on the pillow and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to seem too interested in what she had to say.
“Damien took me to a restaurant, and we dined. It was a really nice place. I think we should go one day. Then we went to an art museum where he sold some of his paintings. His paintings were really cool. Most of them were of scenery. After that, we went to his house and I watched him paint. He wanted to do a portrait of me, but I told him I had to leave. So maybe next time I could do it.”
“Wow, sounds like you had a lot of fun.”
“I did. I’m sorry I couldn’t spend the day with you though.” She climbed on the bed, shoes and all, and gave me a hug.
I sighed. “Listen, Tina, I want to talk to you about some things that have been bothering me.”
“What’s wrong?” She asked, concerned.
“I’m just wondering… do you still have feelings for Damien? Right now? I know you told me in Malibu before we started dating that you did. Has that changed?”
Tina stared at me, probably thinking of an answer to this. “Leo… to be honest, I’m over him. We’re friends now. It was just that I missed him and I wanted to fix our broken relationship by starting off right today.”
I eyed her. “Is that it?”
“Yes. Was that bothering you the whole time?”
“Yeah. And something else…”
“What?” She kicked off her shoes and lied down beside me.
“I saw Jane. You know… the girl I told you I liked back in Iowa who left me to come to Paris.”
“Oh? Did you guys talk? What happened?”
“We saw each other at the lobby that one day, but we didn’t talk. Today, I saw her and some guy at the Eiffel Tower. She didn’t seem to want to talk to me.”
“So, you still have feelings for her?” Tina asked, bracing herself for my answer.
“Yes. And that’s what’s been bothering me ever since I started going out with you. But don’t worry, I like you and I’m not breaking up.”
Tina looked more relieved. I didn’t want to break up with Tina. There was probably no way Jane and I would work out.
“I know it’s hard to get over someone, so I don’t mind that you still like her. Eventually you’ll stop.” Tina got up and went into the bathroom.
Not when she’s been the love of your life for so long.