CHAPTER 10

REMEMBERING

As Demetri was sitting under the tree he started to think of how he would try to explain his life to Alexis. He kept thinking that she may react like Erin; he wouldn't be able to survive if she looked at him with horror filled eyes like that. Demetri had been sitting under the tree for only a few minutes when he heard her coming, she was running and her breathing was sped up. This also made her heart beat aster pumping more blood through her veins faster and faster. Upon thinking this Demetri got up and started to run off, if he lost control of himself now he could kill her.

I would rather she think I ditched her than me attacking her in public, not like I haven't done it enough in her dreams. He started to slowly make his way back to his house unsure of what he should do. Demetri looked back to see that Alexis was beautiful wearing a purple shirt and tight jeans that hugged her body in all right places. She must have heard him step on a twig as he was leaving because she seemed to be looking in his direction for something.

"This is ridiculous I can do this, I can control myself, and I am in control." As he is saying this he starts to walk back to the tree.

Alexis was leaning against the tree when Demetri came up to her, she looked so beautiful he didn't want to ruin the moment. But he went to her, his heart hammering in his chest. As soon as Alexis laid her eyes on him all of his worries and insecurities went away, nothing mattered as long as they were together. Alexis had asked about his childhood, she knew that remembering those things caused him pain; he had never spoken to anyone about his past.

"Well," Demetri began, "I was born in Nova Scotia, my mother past way while giving birth to me, so it was just me and my father from then on." Demetri thought it was best to take this slowly considering how much there was to tell her. When he looked at Alexis she was staring at him intently waiting for him to continue.

"My father passed away a few years ago, ever since then I have been on my own."

Alexis was silent for a few minutes, Demetri could tell that the last piece of news affected her. She was close with her family and the thought that not everyone was, was a strange thing to her. Finally she spoke after what felt like an eternity to Demetri, "I'm sorry about your parents, how long have you been on your own?"

"For what seems like decades, my father and I used to move around a lot so it seems odd to me to stay in one place for an extended period of time." Demetri saw the frightened look on Alexis's face and knew that she must have interpreted what he said as him hinting he was going to leave so he quickly added. "I'm not going anywhere Alexis." As he pulled her in closer to him, he could feel her let out a sigh of relief. He smiled at the fact that this news made her so happy.

His smile didn't stay as Alexis asked the question he had feared since her dream last night. "How old are you Demetri?" He could hear the curiosity in her voice as she looked up at him from his arms.

Demetri took a deep breath and said "technically I'm 18 years old." He left it at that knowing full well that Alexis would not be satisfied with this answer.

She looked at him waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn't he let it at that. Finally she broke the silence, "you know that doesn't technically answer my question." She over exaggerated technically making sure he understood that the answer was not good enough. "If you're not ready to tell me right know then that's fine, but you know you can trust me right?"

"Ya I know I can trust you and I promise to tell you the truth, but for right now can't 18 be good enough?"

She looked at him, "fine," she sighed defeated, "for now it's good enough, so tell me about your childhood"

"Well," Demetri began, "let's see, I grew up in a middle class household, my dad was a fisherman." Demetri looked at Alexis who returned his look with a look of bewilderment. She really wants to know about me Demetri thought happily.

"At the beginning it was difficult for my father, since my mom died he was left to take care of this new born, and back then men didn't do that. He had to hire a nurse to take care of me as he worked." Demetri hadn't thought of his childhood in so long he started to go into a daze, picturing how his childhood was.

Alexis sat beside Demetri listening intently to everything he was saying, and while she did have some questions she waited for him to stop. She could tell that he hadn't thought about his childhood in a long time and seemed to be enjoying talking about it.

"My father was a good man who did everything he had to in order to put food on the table. He worked extra hours he wanted me to have the best things available. I will always love and respect him for that."

Demetri stopped and seemed to have come out of his daze at this point Alexis knew she could ask questions now. "So, your father never remarried?" Alexis knew as soon as she asked that question it had been the wrong one, Demetri got very quiet. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked that question." Alexis was about to ask a different question when Demetri spoke.

"It's okay Alexis, it's a valid question." Demetri stopped for a minute and tried to think of how to tell her what had happened. "My father and I we were different than most people here, we weren't bad people just a little different." He sighed, "My father fell in love with this woman her name was Erin," he looked at Alexis as he continued. "I had never seen him so happy, but I was worried about how she would react when my father told her the truth about us."

Alexis heart was beating so fast, Demetri was worried what she must be thinking about him. "I was standing in the tree line when he told her, she was a little freaked at first, but she seemed to be taking things well considering. I was about to leave when it happened."

Alexis who had been listening intently spoke with a shaky voice, "what did she do?" She was almost too afraid to ask.

"She killed my father right in front of me." Demetri said finally. At this point he had to look away from Alexis, her eyes were starting to water and he knew that if he watched her cry he would soon start.

"Demetri I'm so sorry," Alexis knew her voice was shaky, and tear were rolling down her face, but she still had to make sure he knew how sorry she was. Alexis leaned into Demetri and he held her tightly, as she cried for the both of them. Although Alexis was upset she couldn't help but feel right being so close to Demetri, she had never felt so wanted and comforted at the same time.

When Alexis had stopped crying they just sat in silence enjoying each other's company, but Alexis had to know why Demetri's father was killed after he told this woman, who supposedly loved him, about who they really were. Alexis unwillingly moved from Demetri's arms and slowly asked the question that she knew he didn't want to answer.

"Demetri I have to know, why was your father killed? What did he tell Erin?"

Demetri let out a long sigh then turned to Alexis, "He told her the truth, and she couldn't take it. She killed him because she thought that she needed to." He seemed to think that she would let it off at that, but he was wrong.

"Demetri I get you not wanting to talk about it, but you said you would be honest with me. Why did Erin hurt your father?"

"Okay you're right I'm sorry, it's just that this isn't easy for me." He looked down at the woman he knew could break his heart in two depending how she reacted to what he was about to tell her. "Well you see the reason Erin did it was." All of a sudden Alexis's phone rang interrupting him midsentence. Demetri was both relieved and annoyed he wanted to have as much time as possible with Alexis.

It took Alexis a moment to realize it was her phone, "crap who would be calling me?" As she looked at the phone her face changed, she looked a little nervous. "It's my mom I better get it." She answered the phone and proceeded to walk a few feet away from Demetri.

Demetri could of course hear every word they were saying, but he tried to tune out what they were saying it didn't seem polite to listen to their private conversation especially when Alexis walked away. What he did make out was Alexis saying, "Fine I'll be right there." Suddenly Demetri wished he had listened to their conversation. What could her mother have said to make her leave so willingly?

Alexis turned around to face Demetri; she was rubbing her temples as though she had a headache. "Demetri I'm sorry that was my mom I have to go home for supper, can we talk later tonight?" It was obvious by her facial expression that she thought Demetri was going to run off and not come back.

"Sure we can, I'm not going anywhere." As Alexis started to walk toward him to say good-bye, it was clear that she was sad to have to leave him. She looks so sad, I don't want her to leave he gloomily thought.

When Alexis was in front of him she smiled, "you don't have a phone do you?"

"I don't have a cell, just a home phone," he was now internally chasing himself for not getting a phone before. I never needed one before it just seemed like a waste, until now of course. "Do you thinkI could have your number though, I could call you when I'm home?"

Alexis laughed saying, "why don't you give me your number so I can call you when I'm done having supper with my family."

"That sounds great," Alexis gave Demetri her number, they said their good-byes and she went on her way home.