Someone Hit the Mute Button

Chapter Twelve- You'll Be in My Heart

Chapter Twelve- You'll Be in My Heart

     I was on my way to the bench and was mere feet from it when I finally decided to change my course. I couldn't sit on that bench, not tonight. Not right now.

     I wandered around for a few minutes. I knew that it would take a while for him to be able to get away from all of the commotion, though I didn't mind the wait. I stared at the trees as I passed them, wondering just how long it would be before we saw some real spring, those blooming flowers and the rain that I loved so much.

      I wasn't sure that he'd know where to find me. If I wasn't at the bench, would he keep looking for me? I couldn't really be sure. There was almost no way to know for sure.

     I found my way to the small playground and I took a seat on the swing, hugging my long and loose sweater closer to my body. The swing squeeked as I rocked back and forth on it, making it almost impossible to remain a shadow in the background. It seemed so loud in the empty park, so scary, like a knife through the silence.

     "Annalise?" A voice asked, and I knew who it was the second I heard it. I just wished it wasn't him.

     I looked up and took in his dark, shadowy figure. Dark pants, dark hair, dark jacket. Just dark.

     "Go away, Dustin," I typed on the illuminated screen of my cellphone. You can't be here right now, I added in my head.

      "There you go again, assuming that I'm going to do what you say," He scoffed, claiming the swing next to mine.

     "I'm serious," I wrote, "You can't be here right now."

     "I've learned that leaving you alone isn't always a good idea," He muttered, and I flipped him off. He did the same.

      "Leave," I typed, but it was way too late.

     "Did you ask me to come here just to rub this in, Annalise?" Tristan asked, but he didn't seem angry. He sounded...hurt. Broken, betrayed, even. And it was all my fault.

      I shook my head furiously, but at the same time, Dustin said, "Hell yeah."

     I turned and reached out to slap Dustin, but he moved far enough away that I couldn't reach him.

     "Thanks, Lise," Tristan muttered, and when he turned around to walk away, I almost let him. But I knew that I had asked him to come here for a reason (I wasn't particularly sure what reason, but a reason nonetheless).

     I jumped off of the swing before anyone had the chance to stop me. I caught up to Tristan in about three steps, and when I did, I grabbed his jacket and pulled him back. When he turned around to face me, I reached for his collar and pulled his lips down onto mine.

     It was nothing special, believe me. Nothing new. Even so, my body relaxed in a way that it only did when I kissed Tristan, when he held me like he needed me.

      It wasn't a particularly long kiss, but when we broke apart and I became aware of our surroundings once again, I realized that Dustin was nowhere to be seen. 

      "Lise," Tristan breathed, and unsurprisingly, I managed to pull some of my regular bullshit and cringe away from him.

      Great move, Annalise. The greatest.

     "You can't be serious, Lise," Tristan protested, taking a step back and letting his arms drop back down to his side.

     "Sorry," I mouthed, though he probably couldn't see it.