Frozen(24)

"Go where? And seriously, you're walking like a penguin. What's up with that?"

I ignored his laughter and said, "I need to leave."

"What do you mean you have to leave?" Sean asked me, his tone annoyed.

I understood his annoyance. I was part of his wedding party, and here I was bailing on the long awaited engagement party. Not only that, I was also his friend who was bailing on his engagement party. But I couldn't help it, I had to leave.

My arsehole demanded it.

"I have to, man," I said then hunched over as another horrible cramp summersaulted in my stomach.

I felt a hand on my back. "Darcy, are you okay?"

No, I really wasn't.

"No," I hissed in pain. "I think the food isn't sitting well with me. Me stomach is killing me."

Sean helped straighten me up and smiled and nodded his head at the punters of the pub who gazed at me a little too long.

"You don't think the food is bad, do you?" Sean asked, worry laced throughout his tone.

I shook my head.

"No, no, it tasted delicious. I think the spices are just affecting me the wrong way tonight."

Sean winced as he caught my meaning.

"Go on home, man. Make friends with your toilet. I'll tell everyone your arse is on fire, and you had to leave. They'll all understand, trust me."

"If I wasn't hurting so bad, I'd knock you out."

Sean laughed, and patted me on the back, hard. "Lucky me then."

"Aye," I grumbled as he wished me well and trotted over to his beautiful soon-to-be-bride. "Lucky you."

I turned, and waded through the group of familiar faces. I grew up in the village, so there wasn't a face I didn't know, or a name I didn't recognise. Right now I hated it more than anything because multiple people tried to stop me for a quick chat or a picture along my way out of the pub, but I had to turn them all down.

I heard a familiar laugh from somewhere to my left, and when my eyes caught hers I narrowed them. Neala was perched up on a stool at the bar. For a moment I found myself staring at her legs, but I shook myself out of it and growled in her direction. She was looking right at me and she was smirking.

She did this to me.

I didn't know how I knew she was responsible for my sudden pain and desperate need for a toilet, but I just knew it was all because of her.

"See you soon," she mouthed at me then winked.

I froze like a statue and widened my eyes in horror as she got up from the stool, turned away, and got lost in the crowd. I swallowed down the bile that rose in my throat, and forced myself to push on through my friends and families friends until I was outside in the freezing cold.

Did she know I took the doll or was this just her getting me back for the antics in Smyths the other day?

I didn't know, and it freaked me out.

I forced all thoughts of Neala aside as I slipped and slid down the pathway on my way to the car park. The crippling pain in my stomach was so bad that at one point I considered crawling along the path because walking only added to the pain.

What the hell was happening to me?

I was breathless and sweating like a pig by the time I got to the car park and found my Jeep. I fumbled with my car keys as I pulled them from my pocket, but I managed to open my car door and climb inside.

"Home," I whimpered. "I need to get home."

Be a man.

I sucked in a huge amount of oxygen then forced my eyes to stay open as I drove along the slippery back roads that led up to my cherished house. I loved nature, which is exactly what I had my house in the middle of it. I loved the calmness that came with nature and the space surrounding it, but right now I didn't care for any of it.

Holy Mary mother of God.

I had never felt a pain like the one that took up residence in my stomach. It was so bad I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. That's right, I wouldn't even wish this upon Neala, and she was the ultimate bitch.

"Please, God, help me!" I whimpered as another cramp crippled my abdomen.

This wasn't happening to me.

I pressed down on the gas, and prayed to God above that I wouldn't crash, get stuck, or slide dangerously along the road. I prayed for my safety, and for a toilet.

God, I needed a toilet badly.

The journey was ten minutes too long, and it was dangerous. A few times I lost control of my car on the slippery road, but I managed to regain control enough to make it up to my house in one piece. When I was in my driveway, I shut off my Jeep and opened the door. I fell out of the Jeep and dragged myself with my arms through the snow and over to my porch.

I growled deep in my throat as stabbing pains attacked my rear.

"No! Christ no!"

I fumbled with the keys in my hands and I opened my front door.

"It's coming! It's coming!" I yelped and shouldered my door open when the key finally turned in the lock.