Текст книги "Frozen"

Автор книги: L.A. Casey

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

I woke up to banging.

Not that kind of banging. I mean banging as in something or someone knocking hard on my house – my front door to be exact. That was impossible though, because my doorway was blocked with snow.

When everything was silent, I put the banging down to my mind hearing things. But I squashed that idea when I heard my name being called by a familiar voice.

What the hell?

I opened my eyes and made a move to sit up, but the weight on my chest and torso made that difficult.

Weight?

I looked down and blinked my eyes.

Neala.

She was sprawled out over me... naked.

Extremely naked.

The events of last night came crashing into my mind, and it caused me to widen my eyes. Neala and myself had some wine, we made friends and called a truce on our antics... then we had sex.

Amazing sex.

"Fuck," I whispered.

I was so screwed.

I couldn't believe I had sex with her. Twice.

I wanted too, God I really wanted too, but now that I was thinking with the head on my shoulders it didn't seem like such a good idea. It actually seemed like the worst thing that could have ever happened to either of us because when Neala woke up shit was going to hit the fan.

It had to of been the drinks that caused things to escalate between us so quickly.

There was no way in hell that she would willing want to shag me right after becoming friends. We hated each other for two decades, and we were both fools if we thought one night in the sack could make us forget about that.

I pressed my head back into my pillow and closed my eyes.

What the hell was I thinking?

I didn't mean for sex to happen between us. If anything Neala was the one who was very pressed on the idea, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want her. I didn't realise until last night that a lot of my hate for her, was simply my wanting what I couldn't have.

Well, I've had her, and it just didn't seem enough.

I wanted her again, and again, and again.

I thought of all the times that I accidentally caught myself thinking of her in a sexual way, or dreaming of her in a sexual way, then of the times when I could have killed the men who looked her way a little too long. Maybe it really was just a case of wanting the forbidden fruit – she was my friend's sister and my archenemy after all... But if that was the case then why did I enjoy having her in my arms so much?

I looked down to her sleeping form and sighed.

I liked her, and not just in a sexual way either.

I liked her.

Bollocks.

This was only going to end with my head, and heart, hurting.

Neala was probably drunk after the few gulps of wine she had, even though she seemed fine, and just wanted sex, where as I think I just wanted sex with her.

That was the difference – I didn't want just anyone... I wanted her.

"Fuck... I want her," I mumbled to myself and lifted my free hand to my face and rubbed my eyes.

Jesus.

When the hell did all my hate suddenly turn into lust and like for Neala?

I was mad at myself.

I felt like my head, my entire body, pulled a three-sixty and fucked me over.

What was I going to do?

Neala wouldn't feel the same way, I knew she would explode into a fit of rage when she realised what went down between us. She would blame me for tricking her into giving me her virginity, and then she would convince herself this was me playing a sick game with her. It would hurt her. It would really hurt her that she had sex with me if she thought those were my intentions.

Even if I explained myself and came clean with an explanation that what happened between us was real, or real for me, she wouldn't hear it. She would make up her own mind, and pit it against me. She always did.

I was fucked.

"Darcy?"

I narrowed my eyes and looked down to Neala, but she was still sleeping so she couldn't have said my name.

Who the fuck was that?

I very carefully removed myself from Neala's hold. I grabbed the pillow from behind my head and put it in her arms so she would still have something to hold onto. She mumbled my name in her sleep, and it caused me to freeze.

Was she dreaming of me?

I shook the thought from my head when I heard the banging noise from outside again, and more than one voice this time. I carefully slipped out of my bed when I was sure Neala wasn't disturbed. I grabbed a pair of boxers from the bottom drawer of my dresser and put them on. I tiptoed my way over to my bedroom door, gently opened it then stepped out into my hallway, closing it behind me.

"Darcy? Mate, you in there?"

"Of course he is in there you bloody eejit, they're trapped."

I found myself smiling when Sean and Justin's arguing voices could be heard plain as day. I walked over to my front door and banged on it twice.

"I'm here," I called out.

I heard both my brother and Sean cheer which made me laugh.

"Told you she wouldn't kill him, pay up," Justin's voice happily stated.

They betted on my life?

"It could have gone either way, you prick. Here," Sean grunted in response.

They were both pricks.

"You're both something else, you know that?" I shouted.

"Yeah, we know," they both replied in unison then laughed.

I smiled and shook my head.

I placed my hand on the handle of my door and pressed down. With a little tug the door pulled open and a fair amount of snow spilled into my hallway. I stepped in it and yelped as I jumped backward.

"Fuck, that's cold," I hissed.

I looked up to a smirking Justin and a passive Sean.

What was with them?

"What?" I said.

Justin scratched the back of his head and fully smiled at me while Sean glared.

"Seriously, what?"

Justin nodded to my chest so I looked down to see what the big deal was. When I spotted what had both of the lads acting weird I tensed up and instantly held my hands up when I looked back up to Sean.

"Sean... Mate..."

Sean shook his head. "She's twenty-five I can't say anything, but fuck man... she's me little sister."

I looked back down to my chest and at the large red scratches across my chest that Neala caused during the second round of sex last night and decided to get them both seeing my back out of the way because it hurt ten times more than my chest did. I held my breath and turned around to show the lads my back.

"Oh, for fuck sakes!" Sean growled.

I turned back around and grimaced. "If it's any consolation, they sting like fuck."

Sean grunted, "Good. I'm glad it hurts, you bastard."

I looked down and couldn't help but grin.

When I looked back up to Sean he was looking past me. "Where is she?"

I jammed my thumb over my shoulder. "Bedroom."

Both my brother and Sean shook their heads.

"I can't believe this. You both really shagged?" Justin asked.

Sean looked like he was about to cry or be sick.

Possibly both.

I groaned, "What happened to saying Merry Christmas?"

"Merry Christmas," they both said then Justin repeated, "Did you both buck?"

I slightly blushed then laughed in response along with a one-shoulder shrug.

"This is the worst Christmas ever," Sean grumbled.

I momentarily felt bad for him – he knew I had sex with his little sister. That must be a horrible thing to hear. I was impressed with his composure though, Neala was everything to Sean so I wondered how much restraint he used to stop himself from beating me senseless.

I laughed at Sean and gestured them into the house. "Awkwardness aside, thanks for digging us out. I tried doing it two days ago and the fucking makeshift tunnel I made collapsed on me."

Justin widened his eyes as he glanced to Sean then back to me. "Fuck. Were you hurt?"

I grunted, "Only me pride because Neala had to pull me out."

Both Sean and Justin looked at one another and after a moment they both burst into laughter.

Dickheads.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. I was close to blacking out because I couldn't breathe."

That put a sock in both of the hyenas' laughter.

"Fuck," Justin muttered.

Sean nodded this head. "Glad you're okay man, but I'm sort of happy that you almost died. It makes me feel better about you and Neala... you know."

Yeah, I knew.

"Cheers, mate," I laughed.

I looked up at the sky and smiled. "I never thought I'd be this happy to see the sky. I don't think we would have lasted much longer in there. The power cut out three days ago."

Justin looked at me, his face frozen. "Could you eat food?"

I shook my head. "My cooker is electric so we had to eat beans and shit because everything I bought needed to be cooked. I'm out a couple of hundred quid this week already, all me food in the fridge is spoiled so I have to buy everything fresh."

Justin racked his hand through his hair while Sean looked down at the shovel that was in his hand and twirled it around.

Odd.

"Was everyone affected like us?" I asked Justin who looked perplexed. "You said you were snowed in too when I rang the other day."

He gnawed on his lower lip. "Yeah, man, but it wasn't as bad as you and Neala had it. Everyone helped out everyone else in the village, but it was... difficult to get up here with the roads being so bad."

I nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, I bet it was bad... but it's clear now?"

Both Sean and Justin nodded their heads.

They momentarily reminded me of robots.

"Yeah," Sean said. "The council gritted the roads so they're easier to drive on now."

That was some good news.

I was about to tell my brother and Sean that, but I hesitated when I caught them both exchanging glances. I looked down at myself to make sure I wasn't sporting an awkward boner, but when I saw I was wood free I looked back to the lads.

"What's wrong with you both?"

Sean gnawed on his inner cheek. "Nothing, lad. I'm just wondering how you aren't cold. I'm freezing me arse off here and I'm fully clothed. You're in underpants and you aren't even shivering."

That was true, I wasn't touching any of the snow, but the freezing cold breeze didn't even seem to bother me.

"His morning mattress dancing probably still has him warm," Justin teased.

I was about to correct him, but I let his comment lie when Sean came at him with his shovel raised.

"I'm messing!" Justin screeched and fell backward into a huge pile of snow.

I burst out laughing and so did Sean.

"No joking about sex when it involves me little sister, ever."

Justin groaned as he got to his feet and brushed the snow from his clothes. "Noted."

I held up my hands and nodded my head to Sean so he knew I got the memo. I mean, if he came at Justin and threatened him with a shovel for playfully teasing about sex with Neala, I'd hate to think what he'd do to me if I pissed his off for actually having sex with her.

It wouldn't end well for me – that was for sure.

I looked behind me and when I saw my bedroom door was still closed I gestured for the lads to come into my house.

"Come in, she's still out," I said.

I walked down into my living room and opened the door.

I smiled when light filled the room instead of darkness.

"I shovelled most of the snow and cleared it away from the glass – I was hoping to scare you if you're in here," Justin said from behind me.

I entered my living room and laughed, "Cheers for that, you prick."

The lads froze when they entered the living room.

"You actually finished decorating?" Justin asked, more than surprised from the look on his face.

I smiled. "Not me, Neala."

Sean nodded his head. "Sounds like her."

I nodded.

Sean grimaced. "So... what's happening now with you both?"

My stomach dropped at the question because I honestly had no idea.

"I guess we'll go back to our old ways and do what we normally do – hate each other."

Justin furrowed his eyebrows at me while Sean full on glared.

I swallowed and blew out a breath. "I know it sounds harsh, trust me, I don't want say it, but when she wakes up and realises what's happened she will go crazy."

Sean stepped forward. "Realises what's happened?"

Oh shite.

I worded that terribly.

"She knows what's happened, last night... We were caught up in the moment. What I mean is that she's gonna regret what we did. I know how she is and the blame will, as usual, fall at my feet. It's going to ruin what was said before the sex happened."

Justin frowned. "What was said?"

I scratched my neck. "We made friends, and called an indefinite truce on our bullshit. We were pretty happy last night, and then we necked down a lot of wine and bam. Sex."

It was weird now that I thought of it. I drank a fair amount of wine, and so did Neala but we were both sober. At most I probably felt a tiny bit tipsy, but I didn't even notice it so I can say for certain the drinking didn't make us lose control, we did that all on our own.

Sean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sorry, man."

I forced a smile. "Me too."

Justin continued to frown at me. "Do you regret what happened between the pair of you?"

Hell no.

Of course I didn't, but I didn't want to appear weak and emotional so I cleared my throat and said, "Yes and no. I don't regret making friends with Neala, but I do regret having sex with her. I mean, not the initial act but the impending aftermath... it was just a mistake. I can't believe I thought it would actually be good for us and it could be a step in a new direction for the pair of us, but I was wrong. The best thing for us is just being platonic friends and-"

"And what?"

I froze, Justin froze, and even Sean froze.

The lads took a step away from one another and revealed a beautifully flushed Neala wrapped in my bed sheets. She was a thing of beauty, and just as I was about to smile at her I looked into her eyes, her hurt eyes, and my heart cracked.

"Neala," I breathed, and shook my head.

Neala swallowed. "Finish was you were saying, go on."

I couldn't move or speak.

Neala's eyes began to well up. "Finish it. Go on. Tell our brother's how much you regret last night and how much of a mistake we are."

Oh, Christ.

I was frantic. "Neala, please. You don't understand-"

"I understand fucking perfectly! You promised we would be different... You promised we wouldn't hate each other again."

A nervous sweat broke out across my forehead. "We won't-"

"Liar! Don't fucking lie to me!" she screamed as tears streaked down her cheeks.

This was bad.

This was very bad.

I didn't want to upset her any further than what I had already so I remained silent as I looked at her. She angrily wiped at her face and shot me a look filled with so much hate, it knocked me back a couple of steps. I felt sick.

"Please," I said, wishing I knew what to say to make her not look at me like she was.

I didn't know what I was saying please for, but I said it anyway hoping she would have mercy on me.

"Please, what?" she hissed.

I blinked. "Don't hate me."

She looked at me for a long moment a said, "I don't hate you, Darcy... I regret you. I regret the day I ever met you."

I felt like I had the wind knocked out of me by her words. I was about to reach out and go to her when she turned and stormed down the hallway and back into my bedroom where she slammed the door closed so hard the living room walls shook.

Sean and Justin stood idle by the doorway as they looked at me.

"Darcy..." Justin began, but I didn't stick around to hear what he had to say, I followed Neala out of my living room and down the hallway. I stood outside my bedroom and swallowed down the bile that rose up my throat.

I only had her, and in a matter of seconds I lost her.

I felt empty.

I felt like nothing.

I place my forehead on my bedroom door and exhaled.

I regret you.

That was the worst thing she could have said to me. It fucking hurt. I squeezed my eyes shut and for the first time in my entire life, I wished Neala had just said she hated me.

I was going to be sick.

I stumbled forward with Darcy's bed sheets wrapped around my naked body into his bedroom and slammed the door shut. I grabbed my still damp clothes from atop Darcy's dresser, and out of the corner of my eyes I caught something pink in the top of Darcy's slightly open top drawer. I opened the drawer and found the wrapped in pink, and slightly damaged, doll box.

I focused on not screaming. He was still trying to take the doll from me, after everything – that was his main priority. He put it in his drawer to keep it away from me. I steadied myself and bent over just in case I did throw up, but when nothing happened I straightened myself up and began to pant. I used one hand to hold the bed sheet around me, and my free hand to press against my forehead.

This wasn't happening.

Darcy regretted last night?

He regretted the sex we shared?

He regretted me?

"Neala?"

I choked back a sob, but could do nothing about the tears that freely streamed down my face.

"Leave me alone, Darcy. Please," I said through my tears.

He was as silent as a mouse because I didn't hear him come into the room after me.

"I didn't mean what I said."

I sat on the side of his bed and reached down for my clothing. I didn't have my knickers, they were in Darcy's kitchen bin, so I grabbed my shoes and pulled my heels on instead. I stood up and uncaringly dropped the bed sheet from around my body. I wasn't embarrassed, if anything I felt disgusted. Darcy saw every inch of me last night, but he said it was a mistake so it meant nothing to him which meant changing in front of him would also mean nothing to him. I pulled my damp dress over my head and fixed it on my body.

"No," I sniffled, "you did mean it, you just didn't mean for me to hear what you said."

Darcy moved closer to me, I could feel him behind me.

"That's not true, Neala. I said what I did because-"

"I don't care why you said it, I just care that you said it. Last night shouldn't have happened, Darcy," I cut him off as I put on my blazer and turned to face him. "You were right. I did wake up regretting what we did. It was a mistake."

I lied.

I flat out lied through my teeth.

I didn't regret a single second of what Darcy and I shared, but I said I did because I refused to let Darcy know that he just broke my heart for the second time. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing me pulled one over on me.

"This is the last time I'm allowing you to having the ability to hurt me. I never want to see or speak to you ever again. You're a pathetic coward and if by some chance you even have a heart it's not working, it's frozen solid."

Darcy's face paled and his shoulders slumped.

"Neala... I'm so sorry. I feel horrible. Please."

I walked forward, and just as I was about to pass him by I pressed the doll box against his chest. "This should make you feel better, it's want you wanted after all, right? Well, lucky you, you got want you wanted. You win, Darcy. Congratulations"

Neala: 1 Darcy: 2.

I let go of the box and walked out of Darcy's bedroom then finally, after days of being trapped, I stepped foot out of his house. I made a silent vow to myself that I was never going to return.

"Neala?" Sean said when I clumsily stepped through the deep snow and headed toward him. It was difficult to get my footing with heels on, but I managed it. I doubt I looked like anything except an idiot, but at least I didn't fall.

I refused to look over in Justin's direction as I stumbled my way over to my brother.

"Bring me home. Please," I said as my body trembled.

Sean put his arm around me and quickly ushered me around his truck and into the passenger side. He helped me up into the truck then shut the door. The heat in the truck from Sean's journey up to Darcy's house sent shivers up and down my spine. My skin tingled and the pain that took up residence in my head eased slightly.

Sean shouted something to Justin who nodded his head and tracked his way through the snow and headed into Darcy's house. I looked away when Sean came around to the driver's side of his truck and got in. He started the truck and slowly backed up until he could turn the truck around and get us onto the road leading down the mountain.

I think I managed a minute or two before I burst into tears.

"Baby girl," Sean sighed and reached out with his left hand and rubbed my shoulder.

I lifted my hands to my face and shook my head. "I'm o-okay."

Sean removed his hand from my shoulder and changed the gears on his truck and focused on driving down the slippery mountain roads.

"Did he hurt you?" Sean asked.

I glanced at him through my fingers and noticed his knuckles were gripped onto the steering wheel so tight that they were turning white.

"Not in the way you think," I sniffled and wiped my eyes with my fingers.

Sean glanced at me. "In what way did he hurt you?"

I looked down and shrugged my shoulders. "He said we were a mistake, that we didn't go together. He said he regretted me."

The tears came again when I finished speaking and I hated myself for it. I wanted to be strong, I wanted to say 'fuck Darcy', but my heart hurt so deeply over him, over someone who one week ago I could care less about.

"Is that all he did?" Sean asked, his voice venomous.

I cleared my throat. "Yeah... I mean, when we... had sex... it hurt and I bleed a little, but Darcy said it was normal for me first time."

Things were silent for a moment until Sean growled low, deep in his throat, "I'm gonna fucking kill him!"

I widened my eyes and looked to him.

He was furious.

"Don't. It was c-consensual."

Darcy hurt me, but Sean would kill him if he thought he forced himself on me and that was the furthest thing from the truth. Sean looked to me and softened his eyes before he looked back at the road and narrowed his eyes again.

"If he wasn't going to live up to whatever he made you believe then he should have stayed the fuck away from you. I didn't think you were a virgin. Fuck. A fucking virgin! I'm going to murder the little prick!"

Oh, shite.

"Sean, please," I cried.

My brother muttered curses before he exhale a large breath. "Why don't you want me to hurt him?"

"Because I care about him!" I snapped then sunk low in my seat, hurting over my admission.

I wish I didn't care.

I wish I hated Darcy again. Things were so much easier when I hated him... but I couldn't. I cared about him. I really liked him and I felt sick that he didn't feel the same way.

Sean looked at me with wide eyes. "You care about Darcy?"

"You t-think I would give myself up to someone who I didn't have a-any feelings for?" I asked, annoyed he would think of me in that light.

Sean shook his head. "No, of course not. I know you're not like that, I just mean... Since when do you care about Darcy?"

Since last night.

Well, I had always cared about him, I just didn't realise it until last night.

I wiped my runny nose with some tissues from Sean's glove box. "Things changed between us in his house. We called a truce last night. I thought we even became friends and things would be good between us... but apparently I was wrong after hearing what he said to you and Justin."

Sean cursed some more. I tuned him out because the more I listened to him the more upset I got. I looked out the windows at the snow-covered trees and focused on them as we drove.

I felt sick with myself.

I couldn't believe I acted like a sex deprived manic last night. I practically tore Darcy's clothes from his body and begged him to take me. I was beyond mortified, and I was deeply hurt. I really thought that after last night we would at least be friends. A part of me was expecting us to eventually start up something romantic between us. Even if that never happened I would have been happy to be just friends. He apologised to me and I apologised to him and we realised we were both in the wrong all these years.

So why did he say what he did to Sean and Justin?

Was last night just about him pulling the ultimate prank? Stripping me of my virginity and making me enjoy it in the process?

I was so unsure, and that killed me.

I hated that I couldn't judge if last night was real or fake. I wanted it to be real, but the chance that it was probably fake gutted me.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, Sean."

Sean was silent for a moment then he said, "I'm sorry, Sis."

I looked to him and gave him a small smile. "Don't be sorry, you did nothing wrong."

Sean's face fell, his mouth straightened to a thin line, and his eyes looked sad.

I hated that my situation with Darcy upset him so much.

I looked forward and folded my arms across my chest and enjoyed the silence of the rest of the drive back home... and when I say home, I meant my parent's house.

"Dinner is in two hours. Go get showered and into something warm – preferably something that covers your arse instead of exposing it," Sean muttered.

His big brother ways brought a genuine smile out on my face so I leaned over and kissed his cheek as he parked his truck in my parent's driveway. "I will... thanks for saving me."

"Always," Sean mumbled and sighed as I climbed out of the truck.

I folded my arms across my chest as I hopped around the truck and on the cleared pathway.

"Watch out for black ice. I put salt all over, but I might have missed some spots," Sean called out from behind me.

"Okay," I shouted and slowed down my pace.

The freezing cold breeze went right through me by the time I reached my parent's front door. I balled my hand into a fist and banged on the door.

"Cave woman, press the bell," Sean said from behind me.

I rolled my eyes and pressed the doorbell.

A moment went by before my mother opened the door. She was wearing a Mrs. Claus onesie and she had antlers on her head – it was enough for me not to take her seriously.

"You're free!" my mother shouted.

I raised my eyebrows when Dustin voice's shouted from the living room, "Frrreedddoooommm!"

I looked over my shoulder to Sean who was grinning. "He watched Braveheart with us lads last night."

Of course he did.

I turned back around and gave my mother a closed lipped smile. "I need a shower." And to be left alone.

My mother placed her hands on my cheeks. "You were crying."

I blinked my eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."

I moved around my mother, walked by the living room and down the hall to the stairs. My parents never touched my bedroom when I moved out so it was still the same as when I left it at twenty-two. It meant I had clothes here and everything was familiar.

Familiarity was something I needed right now.

As I headed up the stairs I heard my mother ask Sean, "Where is Darcy and Justin?"

"Darcy can't make dinner today, he is busy!" I shouted and continued to walk up the stairs.

When I was in my old room I broke down then mentally scowled at myself for it.

"Stop it!" I hissed and shook my head.

I forced my mind to think of simple things, like getting a shower.

Hot water. Shower gel. Shampoo and conditioner.

Heaven.

I stripped myself free of my blazer, dress, and heels – vowing to burn each item as they hit the floor. I walked into the en-suite bathroom that was connected to my bedroom and turned on my shower. I waited a few minutes until steam poured from the shower.

I stepped under the hot spray of water and sighed with delight. I did nothing for a few minutes but stand under the water and revel in the heat as each toasty droplet hit my skin and caused tingles to spread over the surface of my body. When I was relaxed, or as relaxed as I could be, I reached for my shampoo and squeezed a huge amount on my hand. I spread it out over my head with both hands and rubbed it into my scalp until a thick lather of suds appeared. I roughly scrubbed my scalp then dragged the suds down my hair and gave the middle and ends of my hair a good cleanse. I washed my hair out and repeated the step simply because I didn't wash it once while I was at... while I was up the mountains.

I growled at myself for almost slipping up and thinking of the one thing that I refused to think of. I switched my mind back to my shower routine and conditioned my hair. When it came time to wash my skin, my hand automatically reached for my favourite shower gel, my vanilla scented one, but I quickly grabbed the strawberry one instead.

I never wanted to smell the scent of vanilla ever again.

I began to wash my skin, and as I looked down to my chest I froze. After I moment of squinting I spotted a love bite on my left breast. I rubbed the loofah over the bite area, and when it didn't rub off I gritted my teeth and rubbed the loofah back and fourth over the area until it stung. I looked over my arms and legs and spotted some light bruises and scraps from last night events with Darcy. When I thought of him I slapped the shower wall and burst into tears.

I couldn't escape him.

I roughly scrubbed over my body with the loofah trying desperately to remove any and every trace of him from my body. When I was finished my skin was red, raw, and sore. I slid against my shower tiles as I sunk down to my behind. I hissed when I sat down, between my thighs was tender and sore.

I cried harder with the reminder of why.

"I hate him," I whispered.

No, you don't.

I placed my face in my hands when my mind whispered the dreaded truth. I wanted desperately to hate Darcy, but I couldn't and I didn't understand why. Hating him was the easiest thing I had ever done. I hated him for the last twenty years, but why did one night render that habit now impossible?

Fucking men.

I cried myself dry, and sat on the floor of my shower until the water ran cold. I turned the shower off and got out, then dried myself with the towel on the towel rack. I went back out into my bedroom and froze when I spotted my mother sat on my bed.

"Tell me what happened," she said.

I swallowed. "What are you-"

"I asked Sean what was wrong with you and he told me to come talk to you. I did just that and when I came in here I heard you crying in the bathroom. What happened between you and Darcy that has upset you so much?" my mother cut me off, her voice stern.

I didn't want to talk about it, but I did at the same time and if I was unloading this on someone, it was my mother.

I blinked my swollen eyes and whispered, "We slept together."

My mother stared at me for a countless number of seconds in silence. I gripped onto my towel and stared directly back at her in silence. I didn't know what else needed to be said, so I kept my mouth shut.

"You and Darcy?" she asked.

I rolled my tired eyes. "No, me and Frosty the Snowman got it on... of course Darcy, Ma."

My mother swallowed, but said nothing.