Frozen

What the hell?

I thought he was here to help me get back my property!

"But-"

"No buts, Neala. I will not have me child around you both when you're together, and since our families do everything together it means you both won't be invited to anything. Do you understand that? You won't be welcome at birthday parties, a

"Engagement parties?" I cut in, and asked.

Sean looked to me and gri

Hopefully the engagement party would lift Jessica's spirits, too. She has been down since money hasn't been coming in like it used to which was the main reason she didn't want to waste money on an engagement party. She works in O'Leary's Pub in the village along with Justin's wife, Sarah, but their pay wasn't the greatest. I work in construction, I co-own Clarke & Hart Construction with Sean and Justin. It was passed down to us a few years ago from our father's, and unfortunately we have had only have one major job in the last year and a half, rebuilding the Holiday I

The job brought us in a decent wage, but we had to be smart with the amount we continued to invest into the company as well as our own paycheques because we needed to survive too. Luckily, the owners of the hotel were going for bigger and better so that meant longer work for our company, but we would have ideally liked to have more jobs to work on throughout the year to help distribute out more hours for our employees. It killed me and the brothers having to let our lads go when we didn't get enough work. Especially coming up to the holidays.

"You and Jessica picked a party date, for real?

Sean nodded his head. "For real, she wants it before Christmas."

I widened my eyes. "Before Christmas? As in this Christmas on Tuesday?"

Sean laughed. "Yeah, she want's a small party in the local pub on the 21st. This Friday"

Today was Wednesday.

Talk about short notice.

Neala flung her hands up in the air. "Friday… That's in two days!"

Sean rubbed his neck and looked between Neala and myself. "I know, it's short notice, but this is what Jess wanted. You know she is stressed about cut backs at the pub and us not getting another job for the business so she wants this to brighten everybody's spirits."

I was all for a party so I slapped my hand against Sean's outstretched one and bumped my chest against his as we hugged. Neala quickly got over the short notice of the party and put a bright smile on her face when both Sean and I looked back at her. Her smile was for her brother of course, never for me. If her lip was curled up in a disgusted snarl then it would be for me.

"When was this decided?" Neala asked as she stepped into Sean's opened arms.

"Last night. Jess rang Bob and asked could we have it this weekend. Since he needs the business he said yeah without a problem, and since Jess works there we got a discounted rate on the food too - so that's a plus."

Neala chuckled at her brother's excitement and hugged him tightly.

I waited for the brother and sister moment to end before I made my play to move my plan along. I needed to get inside Neala's apartment and I could only think of one logical way that wouldn't be suspicious to her.

"Can I use your bathroom, Neala Girl?" I asked, smiling wide.

Neala slid her green frosty eyes to me and growled, "No, piss yourself for all I care."

I blinked.

Well... that made things difficult.

"Neala, don't be like that. We're here to squash childish drama, remember?" Sean said as he leaned his shoulder against her doorframe.

I hid my smirk by rubbing my hand over my mouth. Neala was eating up every word Sean said because she had no reason to doubt him, he was her big brother after all. I felt a tiny bit guilty that she trusted him when he was on my side. That was Sean's problem though and his own fault if he was found out and received backlash from Neala for it. I appreciated his help of course, but he was a big boy and made the decision to help me all on his own. It was actually his idea to come here in the first place.

"Please, for me?" Sean asked, his tone soft.

I watched as Neala gave in to him before she spoke the words.

"Fine," she sighed and stepped aside as she gestured us into her apartment.

I let Sean go first because I needed a moment to gather myself. I wasn't a bitch, but I was about to enter her lair, and I was both excited and terrified for reasons I couldn't explain. I stepped forward when Neala cleared her throat. I glanced to her and gri

"The bathroom is down the hall and to the left, Darcy."

I smirked.

I always liked the way she said my name... even if she did spit it out of her delectable mouth each time she said it.

I blinked at my word choice.

Delectable mouth?

Since when did I think any part of Neala was delectable?

"Thanks," I said to Neala after a long period of silence.

I didn't look at her or Sean as I turned and walked down the hallway in search of the bathroom. It wasn't hard, Neala's place was tiny and apart from the bathroom on the left side of the hall there was only one other room that I guessed to be her bedroom. Perverted things entered my mind the longer I looked at her bedroom door so I quickly entered the bathroom. I went to the sink and turned the taps then waited a few moments for the water to run cold before I cupped my hands together, gathered some water and splashed it over my face. I rubbed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to relax myself.

I could do this.

I could find the doll and take it from Neala.

It wasn't stealing when it belonged to me... right?

"Get it together," I grumbled, and splashed some more water over my face.

I dried my face and hands with a small towel before I exited the bathroom and re-joined Sean and Neala in her sitting room. They were both seated, Sean on the couch next to the Christmas tree and Neala on the lounge chair facing us. I took the spot next to Sean and cleared my throat.

"Nice place," I said as politely as I could.

Neala's lip quirked. "Thank you."

She said 'Thank you', but what I heard was fuck you, and it made me grin.

"I bet you're both crying on the inside right now for being nice to one another," Sean said as he looked between Neala and myself.

I snorted, but didn't deny the obvious truth.

It was easier to be horrible to Neala than to be nice to her.

Did that make me a dickhead?

Probably.

"Is that why you're both really here? You want us to... get along?"

Sean looked to me so I took the lead with the well-rehearsed lie I practiced in my head on the drive over here.

"Yep, I want us to get along, and God knows so does everyone else so I'm taking the first step here. Literally. I came here to try and come to some sort of truce between us."

Neala huffed and folded her arms across her ample chest.

"We aren't two countries at war, Darcy."