I Fancy You: James Sirius Potter

35. A Gentleman

When my dad gets home we're all ready for dinner. Mom even put out some of the food Daniel brought which I recognize as Bulgogi. Dad, Dylan, and Daniel all make jokes that have both me and Hugo laughing so hard our stomachs hurt. Our laughs make Amelia laugh as well. Mom pretends not to be amused but I see her sly smile. After dinner, Daniel holds Amelia and walks her around the house. Seeing him hold my baby sister makes my heart practically leap out of my chest especially since Amelia is picky about who gets to hold her.
"Daniel you can sleep either in Dylan's room with him and Hugo or the living room, your choice. Just not Ellie's room obviously," Dad says which gets an embarrassed groan out of me.
"Daniel hang out in my room! We can tell more jokes!" Dylan encourages him so Daniel says he'll sleep in there with them which gets big cheers from Dylan and Hugo.
Daniel looks over at me, winking. I reach out to him and lead him outside. We walk around the overgrown grass, arms not quite touching but very close together.
"They love you, my family," I tell him.
"They love polite Daniel," he tells me laughing slightly.
"There was nothing polite about those jokes," I say smiling.
"Okay you got me there. I really enjoyed today. Your dad is hilarious and your brother is really fun. Do you think your mom likes me?"
"She definitely does. She was trying so hard not to laugh at your jokes and I know she loved when you helped serve dinner."
"I wish I was sleeping in your bed tonight. Nothing sexual, just sleep."
"Me too. I miss being close to you," I admit. We both sit by the pond and watch the sun go down. "I'm really glad I invited you."
"I'm glad, too. Can they see us from here?" He looks back at the cottage.
"It's okay if they do," I pull him down to me and we kiss. We kiss softly again, his hand rubbing the side of my face lightly.
When he walks me back to the cottage I notice my mom looking embarrassed in the kitchen.
"Goodnight Ellie, goodnight Mrs. Fletcher," Daniel says.
"Goodnight Daniel, sleep comfortably," my mom tells him before he goes into my brother's room.
I feel myself staring after him and mom's gaze is on me. "I guess you saw that," I say still not looking at her.
"I thought you weren't dating him, Ellie."
"I'm not, we just flirt sometimes and occasionally kiss," I say quietly.
"Elizabeth. I'm not blind or an idiot. I see the way you're looking at each other, I see the way you look at him when he's not looking. Did you cheat on James with that boy?"
"What?" I snap my head over to her with an angry face. "I didn't cheat on James. In fact, I pushed Daniel away for months because I knew I had feelings for him and refused to hurt James that way. How dare you accuse me of that."
"Well you won't tell me what really happened."
"He broke my heart, mom! I told him I loved him, I gave him everything I had, yes everything, and he broke my heart. He wants to be a fifteen year old jerk who sleeps around with different girls and leave me chasing after him like an idiot. That's what happened okay?" I feel the tears pouring down my face, my cheeks red and hot. It's quiet now. Mom and I stare at each other for too long. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you're disappointed in me for sleeping with him. But I loved him, I still do. And I thought he loved me." I swallow a lump in my throat so I don't cry anymore.
"You could never disappoint me, Ellie. I will love you and be proud of you until the day I die and beyond that." She comes over and hugs me so hard I might die. "I'm so sorry my baby," she says. More tears fill my eyes.

Daniel's pov:
Dylan and Hugo have worn themselves out so bad they're both passed out in their spots when I come in. I quickly change into comfortable sleeping clothes when I hear Ellie yell. Opening the door a crack I hear her tell her mom about how James broke her heart. How they slept together and said I love you to each other and then he just changed his mind on her. I hear the hurt in her voice.
Closing the door quietly, I walk over to the spot I'm sleeping in and turn to the wall. I could kill James right now. I hate myself, too. I kept telling her how not serious their relationship was all because I wanted her. I said I wanted her happy and I meant that but deep down I meant I want her happy with me. I feel like the biggest ass on the planet. I feel like I contributed to her heartbreak.

Ellie's pov:
The next morning mom and I pretend like nothing happened. Like she didn't spend all night in my room while I cried until I fell asleep.
Daniel is spending most of the day here today so we'll get to go swim around in the pond together. Once I have my swimsuit on and my hair tied up I head downstairs. Daniel and the boys are wearing their swim trunks.
"Ready?" I ask them. Dylan and Hugo race off for the pond leaving Daniel and I behind. "Did you sleep okay?" I ask him.
"Yeah, did you?" He looks down at me with bags under his eyes.
"Liar," I say laughing.
"I um... I heard you talking to your mom last night," he says to my complete embarrassment. "I just can't help but feel like I made things harder for you guys, you and James I mean."
"Daniel, none of that was your fault. You told me you didn't talk James into breaking up with me and as long as you're telling the truth about that then you have nothing to feel guilty for."
"I promise I'm telling the truth, Ellie. I wouldn't hurt you that way. I may have wanted you to myself but..." He stops talking and looks mortified.
"It's okay, it's not exactly a secret that we wanted each other even when I was with James."
"Yeah I just. I don't know, I lose my cool around you I guess. Just something about you." Daniel looks at me like he's forgotten the rest of the world exists. I smile and kiss him quickly before running down to the pond. Halfway there I feel Daniel scoop me up and throw me over his shoulder. I scream and yell at him to put me down but he throws me in the water instead. When I come up from the water all three of them are laughing so I splash them all while laughing with them.