Frozen(75)

I swallowed as I turned to face Darcy. I frowned when I took in his appearance. He was dressed in his trademark black jeans, black boots, a blue button shirt, and his hair was messy in that sexy way I loved... but he didn't look like Darcy. He looked like a shell of his former self.

I hissed at him. "Have you been eating?" I asked.

He wasn't an extremely buff lad, he had muscles and right now he looked like he'd lost some weight.

"Well... no," Darcy admitted. "I wasn't joking when I said I feel sick about what I said about the night we shared."

I frowned. "Darcy, I don't want you to get sick over me."

He shook he head. "None of this is because of you, it's because of me, because of the stupid things I said."

I was taken aback by how hard he was on himself. He definitely was taking our falling out seriously.

"I know you said you didn't mean what you said, but if that's true then why did you say it in the first place?" I asked and continued to rub up and down my arms.

Darcy swallowed. "I said what I did because I truly thought you would wake up and freak out. I woke up before you and when I realised how much I liked having you in my arms and how much I liked you, I got scared." He stepped closer to me. "I was so sure you would blame me for us sleeping together and that you would hate me again. When we made up and just had a laugh together thinking of all the silly things we did in the past it made me happy, and I was afraid it wasn't the same for you."

Holy. God.

"I had no idea you felt that way," I whispered.

"How could you? I never mentioned it to you out of fear you didn't like me back so I decided to lie about our night together to our brother's so I wouldn't look affected... That plan failed horribly because both of them saw me at my lowest point earlier today. They're sporting the bruises to prove it."

I gasped, "You fought Justin and Sean!"

Darcy shrugged his shoulder. "Just for a minute. I needed to hit something and they were willing targets."

Wow.

I didn't know what to think.

On one hand I was worried, I didn't want to set myself up for more hurt, but on the other hand I was so incredibly happy Darcy felt the way he did. He was more than upset with our falling out and he admitted to liking me.

He said it out loud.

"If I said okay I believe you and I was willing to forgive you... what would you do?" I asked.

Darcy reached out and took my hand in his.

"I'd ask you out on a date."

My stomach burst into butterflies.

"A real date?" I asked, smiling.

Darcy nodded, his eyes hopeful. "Yeah, a real date. I'd then ask you out on another date when that date was over, then another when that date was over, and then another when that date was-"

I cut Darcy off with laughter and it lit up his whole face up with a beaming smile.

"It sounds like you want to get to know me," I teased.

Darcy reached up and brushed my hair out of my eyes. "I already know you, I just want to get to know you all over again."

I blinked as my heart thudded against my chest.

"I believe you," I whispered, "and I forgive you."

Darcy gazed down at me with smiling eyes.

"Neala," he murmured, "will you go out on a date with me?"

I pretended to think about it and Darcy growled making my insides jump.

"I'd love to go on a date with you," I said, biting on my lower lip

Darcy smiled and lowered his face to mine as people began to shout inside the pub.

"Do I have to wait until after our first few dates before I can kiss you?" he asked.

I began to tremble.

"Hmmm," I mused. "I'm not a kiss on the first date kind of girl."

The cheers of people counting down from ten inside the pub was deafening.

Darcy grinned at me. "Will you make an exception?" he asked.

"Six!"

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"Just this once," I whispered.

Darcy brought his mouth to mine as fireworks and bangers went off all around the village. Everyone was screaming and laughing inside the pub as they rang in the New Year.

Darcy broke our short kiss and rubbed his nose against mine. "Happy New Year, my Neala Girl."

A warm feeling of joy spread throughout my body as I hugged Darcy's body to mine.

"Happy New Year," I replied and smiled up at him.

He gazed down at me with so much emotion that it make me chuckle.

"What's so funny?" he asked, grinning.

"I was just thinking that you're a new Darcy."

Darcy winked. "A happier Darcy now that I have you."

"Well, what do you know," I teased, "you're heart isn't frozen after all."

Darcy scrunched up his face and brought his hands down to my sides and tickled me. I burst into laughter and gripped onto his body until he laughed loudly and stopped his attack. He kissed the crown of my head and hugged me.