Frozen

"Yeah, she's mine," I said and sat up straight. "I need to make this right... but I don't know how."

Both of the lads patted my shoulders.

"We'll help you, bro," Justin said.

I inwardly smiled.

I sighed, "How?"

We all sat and thought about it for a few minutes, then Sean snapped his fingers. "You have to get her on her own - you won't get her full attention in a room full of people."

I rolled my eyes. "She won't leave her apartment. How they hell can I get her on her own when she won't speak to me?" I asked.

That sent us into another few minutes of silence as we thought.

"I've got it," Justin said. "We can trick her to come out-"

"Do you remember what happened when you deceived her? I'm sure you do, it was only last week. You trapped her in a house with me for days," I cut Justin off with a growl.

Justin frowned. "That wasn't just me, man.... And we all said sorry about that."

I shook my head and looked at my half full pint of beer, I didn't even want to drink it anymore. I came here to drown my sorrows, but no matter how much I drank I still couldn't escape the way I felt. I pushed the pint away.

"It's New Years Eve... what if we get her to come to the party here tonight?" Sean suggested.

I looked to him and deadpanned, "If she won't come out of her apartment, then she won't come here."

Sean grinned and smirked. "You leave that to me. I'll get her here, you just make sure you head home and that you're all clean up and ready to lay everything on the line for her. You got that?"

I raised my eyebrow and looked to Justin who shrugged his shoulders.

I looked back to Sean and decided what the hell? Who better to help me win Neala over than her own brother?

"I got it," I said with a firm nod.

I just prayed whatever Sean had planned would work because one way or the other I was starting the New Year with my Neala Girl in my life as my girl.

I wouldn't settle for anything less than her heart.

"Neala?"

Uh.

"Neala. I know you're in there open the door. Please."

Go away.

"Neala!" my mother's voice shouted. "Please, open the door."

I shot up from my bedroom when my mother's voice rose to one of panic. I envisioned something horribly wrong with her so without a second thought I ran from my bedroom, down my hallway and pulled my front door wide open.

"Ma?" I said with worry laced throughout my tone.

I blinked when my brother stood before me and not my mother.

I was confused.

I was sure I heard my mother's voice.

"Where's Ma? I heard her," I said.

Sean gnawed on his lower lip before he lifted up his arm and pressed on the screen of his iPhone.

"Neala?" my mother's voice played from the phone.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion then looked to Sean who shrugged his shoulders and pocketed his phone.

"I knew you wouldn't open the door to anyone but our distressed mother," he said.

Bastard!

He tricked me.

I snarled at him and tried to slam my door shut in Sean's face, but he halted the process by throwing his body between the door and doorframe making it impossible for me to close the door.

"Get. Out!" I snapped.

Sean grunted in pain, "No, we need to talk."

The hell we do.

"I don't care for a single word you have to say, you piece of shite!" I bellowed and lifted my hand and proceeded to slap Sean's head.

He yelped, "Neala, stop it! That hurts! Ow!"

Feel pain you fucker.

"No! You deserve everything you get you lousy excuse for a brother," I said then fell backward onto my arse when Sean burst through the door and fell face forward onto the floor next to me.

Ha-ha-fucking-ha!

"That hurt," Sean murmured.

I glared at him. "I'm glad."

"You're the dark lord of evil," he groaned.

I evilly grinned. "And some day I'll rule the Earth."

Sean groaned as he rolled over onto his back. We were silent as he laid next to me and stared up at the ceiling. I was looking upward too, but only because I didn't want to turn my head and see his stupid face.

"This is breaking and entering, you know?" I grunted.

Sean snorted, "You're me sister."

"So? I don't want you here, so it still counts as breaking and entering," I said as I sat upright, groaning as a slight pain radiated up and down my arse from the impact of hitting the floor when I fell. I got to my feet and placed both hands on my behind and rubbed the pain away. I looked down at my brother and rolled my eyes.

"You're almost thirty-two, and yet you still act like you're fifteen," I said with a shake of my head.

Sean looked up at me and smirked. "I bet you'll be having a repeat of this conversation with me in fifty years."

I snorted, "Doubtful, I plan to disown you long before then."

Sean clumsy got to his feet, and when he straightened up he flung an arm around my shoulder and hugged me to his side. He kissed me on the crown of my head and said, "You couldn't disown me - you love me too much."

True.

I grunted in annoyance. "It's a shame how I could never disown you, but you have no problem doing it to me for four days."

Sean raised his eyebrow. "Four?" he questioned.

I huffed, "I'm meshing Friday night and Tuesday morning as one whole day so yes, hours wise it adds up to four days."

Sean nodded his head then hugged me again. "I'm sorry, Neala, truly sorry. It was a stupid idea, utter rubbish really. Please forgive me. I'll never trick you into anything ever again. I promise."

I stepped away from my brother and closed my front door before I turned back to him.

"What do you call playing Ma's voice on your phone in order to get me to open up the door then?" I asked.

Sean opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Starting from right now I won't trick you anymore. Promise."

I snorted and shook my head at him.

"Come on, Neala. It's New Years Eve, you can't start a brand new year not speaking to your family."

Says who?

I snorted, "Watch me."

Sean frowned. "We miss you, Sis. Ma cries everyday because she feels so horrible about everything that's happened."

That hurt.

I gasped, "Are you using Ma crying as a guilt trip on me?"

Sean shook his head. "No, I'm just telling you how hard she is taking you ignoring her. She didn't mean to hurt you, none of us did... even Darcy."

I widened my eyes. "You're on his side?"

He was my brother! How could he be on his side?

"Hell no," Sean stated. "I'm backing you all day, everyday. I'm just saying the kid isn't taking the aftermath of your falling out very well."

Part of me wanted to ask if he was okay, and the other half wanted to go to him and make sure he was okay, but I forced down the feelings of longing and grunted, "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly the picture of happiness here either, Sean."

I walked around Sean and went into my living room where I sat down on my lounge chair and covered myself with the blanket that hung over the back of the chair. Sean followed me and sat across from me with his elbows resting on his knees as he stared at me.

"Do you not think ignoring us for six days is punishment enough? We see each other everyday - we're all invested in one another's lives and for you to block us out hurts like hell. I constantly think about you and wonder if you're okay or not."