Daniel's pov:
Daniel, here's your official invitation to join my family and I at our cottage for a day or two. I can't wait to see that pleasant parent pleasing version of you again. Hope to see you soon, love Ellie
I can't help but read it a few times over, my eyes always coming back to love Ellie as if it's a confession. Her handwriting is so much like her, beautiful, smart looking, somewhat flirty almost. I take the letter downstairs with me to breakfast.
"Whats that letter ?" Thea, my sister asks.
"It's adoption agency we got you from, I was requesting a swap... again," I joke and get a piece of egg thrown at me in return. Thea of course isn't adopted but I've been telling her she is since she could talk.
"Daniel, how long will you be telling your sister this lie?" My mom sighs and hands me a plate of food.
"For as long as it takes for her to realize it's the truth," I say shrugging. "Mom, one of my friends from school invited me over to her family's house for a couple of days can I go?"
"Her?" Mom spins around. Thea gets a big smirk on her face. "Who is this girl?"
"Her name is Ellie. Elizabeth, but everyone calls her Ellie. She's just a friend mom," I say nonchalantly.
"That's not what I've been hearing," Thea whispers. I kick her under the table.
"Her family will be there every second?"
"Yes, mom. I promise."
"Fine. But make sure you bring something over there," she says. She means food. She always makes me bring food over to someone's house.
"Yeah I will," I say rolling my eyes. Inside though I'm jumping through the roof. I get to see Ellie.
I write back to her after breakfast,
Ellie, I'd love to see you
No I can't say that. I start over,
Ellie, my mom said I could come. See you later today! I'll be on my best behavior.
I stare at the paper. How the hell should I sign this? Love? She did. But she's Ellie she probably says love to everyone. I settle with can't wait, Daniel then send it off with my owl. Packing a bag, I suddenly feel so nervous I could puke. It'd be so much easier if we got to be alone. It's always better when it's just her and I.
Ellie's pov:
I get Daniel's response and feel the butterflies creep back in. How does he have such an effect on me? I already let my parents know he'll be coming. I've been rearranging things in my room to make it look cooler but I end up with everything back in it's original place. Deciding what to wear is usually so much easier with Alli around. I decide to just go with a green sundress.
When I come downstairs I see Mom watching Dylan and Hugo play wizards chest.
"It's barbaric," I say.
"It's boring," she says back. "You look very cute. Is that specifically for Daniel?"
"No! I just... okay it's a little for Daniel." I blush then hide my face in the fridge to look for something to drink.
"Ellie, can I please ask what happened with James?" She stands behind me, arms crossed, face concerned.
"We just broke up, okay? He didn't want to be together anymore so we aren't and now I'm single and it's fine. I'm not trying to date Daniel if that's what you think, I'm not rushing into another relationship okay?" I take a breath then look down at my feet.
"Okay. But eventually, Ellie, I really want the true story," she tells me.
Before either of us can say another word Daniel appears from the fireplace. He looks so good. "Hey!" I say running over and hugging him.
"Hello!" He hugs me back sweetly and then offers me a delightful smelling container of food. "My mom likes me to bring food to whoever is hosting me for the day," he says slightly embarrassed.
"Thank you so much, Daniel it smells lovely. Welcome in," my mom gives him a hug and sets the food in the kitchen.
"Can I show him my room before Dad gets here and makes him feel weird?" I ask my mom and she nods, smiling. "Come on!" I pull his arm and my body feels excited like anything is going to happen in there.
When we get to my room Daniel takes his time looking around, picking up pictures in frames and smiling at how young I am in some of them. He gets to one of me, James, Desmond, and Conor at my birthday party last year.
"I cant really bring myself to get rid of it," I say standing next to him.
"You shouldn't, it's a good memory."
"I wish you could've been there though." He looks down at me with a smile. "I missed you," I admit to him. That smile makes me so weak.
"I missed you more," he tells me. My heart melts a little. "When does your dad get home?"
"Soon."
"Too soon for me to give you a kiss real quick?" He smirks when I pull him down to my face. His lips softly touch mine and my knees try to give out on me. "You're so good at that," he whispers.
We end our kiss, my lips craving more of him. "I guess we should get back downstairs," I say. He lets me lead the way.
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.