Anaphase

Phase XXII

"Wait, so you're telling me that your father named his dog 'Toothpick'?" I reaffirmed.
"Engraved on his fake grave and everything," Demetri laughed genuinely.

The smile that spread across his face made his slight dimple grow deeper. I was already a sucker for his grin creases and now this. I tried to control my thoughts around him but they just ran off further than Toothpick when he ran from the Griffins. Whenever he was in my sight my stomach would do a somersault and my brain would turn to mush. There was no use denying it anymore. I was completely stuffed when it came to him.

I collected every chime and curve to his smile to commit to memory and bring out on a bad day.

After our mutual humour had ended miserably we were left with a slight awkwardness in the air.

I glanced over at his hand which rested on his left thigh, open and palm up.

The urge to just reach out and feel the texture, the folds and lines was so frustrating I had to clench my folded hands in my lap to stop from embarrassing myself.
I pretended to stare out the front of the car through the windscreen but watched him guardedly from my peripheral vision. 

Every now and then I'd admire a single flower fighting its way to bloom, or a bird flutter with the grace of beach waves as it soared above.

Once, Demetri had almost run over a bunny making me get uneasy in my seat and scramble to spot it once we'd past to see it hopping off in the distance. The relief had been immense but not as much as the feelings when Demetri would take his gaze off of me.

After what felt like light years later, I began to retrace how long it had taken to get to the shopping plaza in the first place. Surely not this long.

He glanced over at me frustratingly making me jump. Suddenly, he pulled the car over sharply and turned towards me.

"Lilith," he said with a desperate tone as the brown in his eyes deepened.

By this point, I was against the car interior wide eyed. Was that the motor or my heart making that fluttering noise?

"Yes?" I answered, exasperated.

"You have to let me in."

"Excuse me?!" I exclaimed.

What the hell did he just say to me?!

"Let me in. For the first time just let me have this."

I cant breathe.

"You must tell me what's on your mind. It's driving me insane. I can't function right. One minute it's displayed in front of me with a ribbon around it, next minute it's just a static buzz! Tell me what it you're thinking, please. Anything," he nearly pleaded although it sounded more like a command. Scratch that, it sounded like Luna Lovegood's father off Harry Potter with the white hair and weird dance moves. I itched at my head trying to recall his name.

So that's what he meant. I couldn't tell whether I was disappointed or relieved.

"What?! What is it. For Resurrections sake Lil, just tell me what that thought was," he repeated.