Touched - By Malcolm Havard Page 0,54

made and said so.

‘Hey, it’s the least I can do,’ she said.

‘Why, what have I done for you?’

She smiled. ‘I think it’s more a case of what I’ve done to you I think.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well I’ve stalked you – sort of, moved in with you – sort of, taken away your peace and quiet…’

‘And sorted my shelves out,’ Dan interjected.

‘Sorted out your shelves, yes,’ she smiled again, ‘Oh and made you doubt your sanity, don’t forget that. That’s pretty good going in a week.’

They both laughed.

‘Can I confess something?’ he said.

‘What?’

‘I really like having you here. I really miss you when you’re not around.’

‘Even though it’s impossible that I exist and that, therefore, I must be a figment of your imagination or a representation of your insanity.’

Dan grinned.

‘Yeah that’s about right. I’ve stopped worrying about that though. You might have noticed.’

She nodded. ‘I have.’

‘In fact if this is madness then, actually, I wish I was crazier.’

‘What do you mean?’

Dan hesitated. He wondered if it was wise to continue down this track. He should have stopped whilst he was ahead and not let his yearnings speak for him.

‘It’s nothing, forget it,’ he said.

‘Come on, you can’t say something like that and just stop!’

‘I can.’

‘You can’t!’

‘Oh yes I can.’

‘You can’t – by the way, I like these adult conversations don’t you?’

‘I do yes. But I’m not saying.’

‘Well if you don’t tell me, I’ll be really act grown up and disappear.’

‘Hey that’s not fair!’ he said, adding, ‘hey, can you actually do that? I mean come and go when you want?’

‘Yes actually, I’ve been practicing, but don’t you dare change the subject! Tell me!’

Tess pouted. Dan tried to stay unmoved, his arms folded.

‘Oh please,’ she said, making big puppy dog eyes at him, ‘you’re a sweet guy, you wouldn’t be cruel to the poor dead girl would you?’

‘Oh and you call me sneaky!’ Dan made a tactical retreat to the kitchen where he opened a bottle of wine. ‘Shall I pour you a glass?’

‘Yes please. But please can you leave it in there? I’ve not tried drinking yet and I’m not quite sure what will happen. I’d rather practice in private,’ she said, adding, ‘and you’re still changing the subject. Don’t think I haven’t noticed.’

Dan poured the wine, all the time wondering how he was going to get out of this one. In the end he decided that there was no real escape route. He went back through to the lounge, put his glass on the table and sat out of range of Tess, then took a deep breath and committed himself.

‘What I meant was that I wished, if I was imagining you in a more…a more, physical way.’ Internally he winced. He knew that he could have put it so much better.

‘Dan Jackson! Really!’

‘Sorry, but you asked me to be honest. I want to feel you…er..I mean…’

Dan really thought he’d upset her this time but then he realised she was actually struggling to keep a straight face.

‘Sorry,’ he said.

‘Dan, it’s fine, I know what you meant,’ she said, ‘and if truth be told, I feel the same way, but…’ she held her hand up to stop him interrupting, ‘we can’t and you – we – should stop thinking like that right now.’

‘Why? It’s…’

‘Why? Because you have a life to live, Dan,’ she said quickly before he had chance to argue, ‘A life to live with real, living, breathing people, not with someone who is just a shadow of something she once was.’

Subdued, It was Dan’s turn to get up and walk over to the window, taking her place.

‘You’re a lot more than a shadow,’ he said stubbornly.

‘Dan,’ she said, coming to stand close by him. He saw her briefly raise her hand then lower it again, ‘Dan, I’m not. I don’t know what I am, to be honest, or why I am here. I can’t interrupt or interfere with your life because I don’t have one, it’s not right.’

‘Isn’t that up to me to decide that?’ he said turning to face her.

Tess moved away again.

‘No,’ she said firmly, ‘it’s not.’

‘Why not? It’s my life.’

‘Don’t be silly, you know very well why not. And there’s a why not is down to my rules too. You remember my rules?’

He nodded.

‘They need revising,’ he said stubbornly.

She shook her head.

‘No they don’t,’ she said, and surprised him by suddenly walking back right up to him, ‘And I’ll show you why they don’t.’ She reached out and stroked his face.

It felt cool, misty and gentle.

Keeping her