"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."

I looked over to my living room window and sighed and as I watched the snow fall.

"You all hurt me. I just needed to be away from you all for awhile."

I looked back to Sean as he sat back and scrubbed his face with his hands. "Do you not believe we're sorry?"

"I do," I replied. "I do believe you're all very sorry. I'm just still pissed about the whole thing, Sean."

Sean rested his chin on his right hand and frowned. "I don't blame you, but blocking us out isn't the answer."

I grinned. "You're here aren't you? Blocking you out doesn't seem to be working."

Sean snorted, "Damn right."

We sat in silence for a few minutes until Sean said, "Are you coming to the New Years Eve party in O'Leary's Pub tonight?"

I didn't reply right away because I wasn't sure of my answer.

I knew my family, and Darcy's, were sorry for what they did to us, and even though I was still angry at them I couldn't help but miss them. I haven't seen my parents in six days which is the longest I've willingly gone without seeing them, so I saw no reason to delay seeing them any longer. Besides, Sean was right, I didn't want to start the New Year on bad terms with everyone.

"Yeah, I'll go," I replied to Sean who looked shocked with my answer.

I snorted. "Were you expecting a fight?" I asked.

Sean blinked at me then nodded his head. "Well... yes. I wasn't expecting you to come without some resistance."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm fed up with staying inside this house and with the way I'm feeling, a pub sounds like the perfect place for me to go."

Sean didn't say anything, he just watched me.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Half six in the evening."