Tristan’s POV
After seeing Elona in that hallway at school, especially with Monroe, didn’t make things better for me. All the anger was just pouring out of me, yet I still wanted her. If I didn’t care about her, this wouldn’t have affected me, right? I entered the dining area where my parents were sitting at the table. I have been stuck in my study room all day after getting back from picking Cris up at school.
“Finally, you are out of that study room,” my mother said as she sipped her tea. My father was reading a newspaper as usual. I pulled a chair out of the table and I took a seat.
“Yeah, I guess I needed a break,” I said as I rested my elbow on the table.
“Cris had mentioned about Elona and I wonder if there is more to that. I know you bury yourself in work, but you cannot do that forever, especially with what Austin did with your business.
I sighed, “I don’t want to talk about it,” I said, but then Cris appeared, pulled a chair out from the table and took a seat, her phone in hand.
“He was dating Elona, they broke up, and now he is back to that man who just-”
“Cris,” I glared at her. I didn’t want her to spill anything to my parents about Elona, but my father was unbothered, while my mother was more interested in hearing it all.
“Please, tell me,” my mother insisted.
“Another woman came into the mix and that shattered them both. I was also the problem and I feel bad about it,” Cris said as her shoulders sagged.
“Tristan, please tell me what happened? It’s the first time that I heard you had moved on and its something that I’ve always wanted you to do...to find love again,” she said sincerely.
I swallowed, not sure if I should even open up, but here goes, “I fell for Elona and there was just something about her. It all started in the kitchen and that one moment of eye contact is what set it off. It was like a magnet pulling me towards her and that just pulled me out of my three years of grief and I never felt like I was the same man again. I tried to fight it because she is my friend’s daughter and Cris’ best friend. I just couldn’t fight to keep my distance. We kept it all a secret until I broke up with her because of Maggie,” I admitted.
“Who is Maggie,” my mother asked, while Cris snorted, not even looking up from her phone.
“His one-night stand slash baby mama who turned out to be pregnant with my ex-boyfriend’s father,” she told my mother.
My mother’s jaw hung open in surprise, “Tristan Crane...”
“Mom,” I rubbed my face with my hand.
“That isn’t like you at all.”
“I wanted to forget about Elona and her father wanted me to have fun at the bar and then Maggie happened to be there, so one thing led to another. Maggie showed up saying she was pregnant, and I didn’t even trust her, but I broke Elona’s heart with it and I found out thereafter that Maggie had lied to me. She paid our doctor to lie to me. I’ve been trying to get Elona back ever since and she won’t have me. Luca got to her too now,” I let out a heavy sigh. I didn’t even bother to mention that Elona lied about her virginity and how I tried to use that against her to keep her away too.
“I’m quite disappointed in that decision you made. But we all make mistakes,” my mom let out a sigh.
“I wanted to have another sibling and Maggie was kind to me. I was mean to Elona and I said the most horrible things to her. We are friends again after I apologized and now that I think about it, I want my father and Elona to be back together again. Elona is the only friend that is close to me and her father is amazing too, so why would we want there to be any animosity? Her father was cool after everything and I hope that Elona can find it in her heart to take my father back,” Cris said. Her attention on my mother.
My heart ached at those words, but Luca got to Elona. I should not think about that now because it will only make my anger explosive. “Tristan is a man who has his own desires and will make his own decisions. What makes him a good man is that he tries to be respectful, and he was also willing to be a father to the baby that wasn’t even his to begin with. That woman would’ve probably milked him dry to have all his money. That shows you the man Tristan is...he would do anything for a child that is his, even at the cost of hurting someone’s heart. I hope you find happiness, Son,” my father finally put the newspaper down on the table.
I guess there is good in me after all I’ve been to Elona. “That makes perfect sense,” my mother said.
My father stood up, taking the brochure from the table. He walked all the way to me, placing the brochure down in front of me. “This is your time to shine and get your life back,” he patted my shoulder before walking away.
“Your father is right,” my mother said. “Maybe that will make you heal further from what has happened recently.”
“Maybe,” I said as I stared at the brochure in front of me. The piano show that they wanted me to play at.
“I would like to see you play the piano on a stage in front of an audience,” Cris said.
“Your father was so incredible at it. It had been years since I heard him play again,” my mother had this daydreaming look on her face.
“What if I’m not that good anymore,” I asked.
“You are good! I heard you play at times before mom died and then when Elona was your girlfriend, I heard you play the piano that one time with her. I knew she brought you out of that place you had been stuck in,” Cris smiled sympathetically.
“I want to meet Elona,” my mother chimed in.
“I doubt you will. She has a life of her own and so do I,” my fences came back up as I stood up from my seat.
“Dad...”
“Not now, Cris,” I glared at her, and then I walked out of the dining room with the brochure in my hand.
“That breakup between them was really painful, Elona was really hurt, and I understand if she doesn’t want him back.”
Those were the last words that I heard coming out of Cris’ mouth as I walked down the hallway. Everytime my heart would open up to the fact of getting Elona back, Luca just appeared in my mind with that image. I was in a tough spot, and maybe I should get all my frustrations out on the piano.