It's us {Dani and Jamie}

Yanks and Their Coffee

7
- Jamie's Perspective -

I was embarrassed, to tell you the truth. I ran out on a first kiss because I thought I saw an actual ghost. A goddamn ghost. How ridiculous is that? Jesus, I'm an idiot.

So, when I'm embarrassed I get stubborn and when I'm stubborn I can be mean. I know this, and yet I do it anyway. But even with my meanness, even though I'd been avoiding her for three days out of sheer embarrassment, that girl never falters with her sweet kindness.

It's kind of making me look bad.

"Did you wake up just for this?" I asked incredulously, setting down my watering can.

"What?" She blushed, "No, of course not."

"Are the kids awake?"

"Well...no."

"So you woke up with the sun," I smirked, "Sneaking around the kitchen by yourself just so you could come all the way out here at six in the morning to bring me a cup of tea?"

She blinked, extending her arm with the mug "It's coffee, actually."

"You yanks and you're coffee," I muttered, taking a sip. I had to restrain myself from spitting it out. The struggle must have shown on my face.

"Yeah, I'm not too good at coffee either," She smiled.

I nodded, returning to my watering. The satisfying sound of dirt absorbing water floated around our silence.

"I didn't like how we left things." Dani announced.

I simply cleared my throat, trying to control the redness threatening to seep across my face.

She frowned, stepping closer, "Did I do something?"

I glanced up in surprise.

"Because if I did," She said, shaking her head, "I'm sorry. Whatever it is, I didn't mean to. Did I come on too strong with telling you all that stuff about Eddie? Because I thought you wanted me to be honest, but -"

"Poppins," I breathed, looking her in the eyes, "You did nothing of the sort. I just got a little spooked, that's all. I - well Owen's stories kind of got in my head to tell you the truth, and I thought I saw... nevermind, it doesn't matter. And then when I realized what I did I got embarrassed so I kind of..."

"Avoided me?" She finished, tilting my head back up to face her.

The redness broke through to my cheeks, "Yeah..."

She smiled and took my face teasingly in both her hands, "That's so stupid."

We dissolved into chuckles, "I know."

"So you won't mind if I do this?" She leaned in tentatively, but I pulled away just as her lips brushed against mine, the echo of the phantom's hatred ringing in my ears.

I could see hurt in her eyes out of the corner of mine.

"Well alright," She said, trying to regain the cheeriness in her tone, "If you want to go slow, let's take it slow."

"No, Dani, that's not-"

"Tonight," She insisted, "You and me. I'm going to get Hannah to babysit the kids and we're going down to the village and have a drink, just the two of us."

I frowned warily, hating how desperate she looked. But I could almost feel the ominous presence that my brain had stupidly created. Staring at me with eyes that weren't there.

"I dunno, Poppins," I sighed, turning back to my plants, "I like you, but I also like my life the way it is. Nice and boring."

"Wouldn't want to disrupt that," She scoffed, turning her back to me. My heart slowed with disappointment. She was giving up.

But then, with a fake northern accent worse than my rubbish attempt at american, she said, "Got to keep things proper borin'... 'aven't we?"

The restraint from laughing pooled in my stomach, warming it's way to my heart. I hadn't felt that in a long, long time. It even managed to chase my ghosts away. Even if it was only for a little while.

"Alright," I said suddenly, whirling around to face her, "Maybe just one drink."

Her blue eyes lit up like a schoolgirl, "Really?" She squealed, stepping closer, "Okay, okay, how about that pub down in Bly? That could be a little boring, right?"

"That," I grinned, touching her hand, "could be dreadfully boring