Chapter 10 – Closer

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but after they had talked all night, it had changed their friendship, but at the same time changed nothing at all.

Maybe he saw her in a different light, knowing why she did things, knowing her past mistakes and her wishes.

They started to spend more time alone together, and when at parties not straying from each other for very long.

He would place his hand on the small of her back when they moved together, and think of ways to make her smile while not with her.

He sought her opinion on everything, it was an unconscious need, he always needed to know, even when he already knew the answer.

It was almost disarming being so comfortable with someone, they had there own little world and traditions, sometimes he wished he had found more time for real friends in his life.

She would mess up his hair in the morning as she walked past the dining room table where he would eat his breakfast, a thanks for the coffee ready for her on the side.

He would smirk when people made jokes about them being a couple. He never denied it. It was a selfish way of keeping her to himself.

They still had massive rows, he threw some nasty insults, and actually surprised himself when he felt bad afterwards.

He had never been this close to anyone before . . . .

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She felt more at ease with James once he knew she wasn't a goody-two-shoes, which he had nick named her.

He seemed more relaxed, although she had already knew what kind of person he had been, they never spoke about any of it again, they didn't need to.

She noticed they gradually started spending more time together. When he started skipping his boys-only poker night she started pushing him out the door.

She enjoyed his friendship, but knew it was a bad idea to rely on each other so much, it would only end badly.

Sometimes she would wonder if this was all part of the con.

If they returned, or if some piece of skirt happened by would he be gone?

But then he would swing his arm around her shoulders, or they would be sat reading with her feet in his lap and she would tell herself he wouldn't need to do this if it were a con.

He was so proud of his job, he ran things by her, getting her approval and making sure he was doing things right. She was proud for him.

She would roll her eyes and tell people that men and women can be friends when people insinuated that they were an item.

His temper still annoyed her, they would row, it could be about nothing or everything. The arguments and cold shoulders could last days. With her cool demeanour and lack of reaction just riling him further.

She had never been this close to a man before, and it was so much easier with things not being complicated by sex . . . .