"Say something or I'm going to sock you one!" I warned.

Sean licked his lips and said, "Don't hit me... but I agree with Justin."

Oh, Christ.

"What the hell? But it's not true. I don't like her!" I stated.

Sean raised an eyebrow at me and grinned. "You're possessive of her. You never let anyone pick on her growing up. You-"

I cut Sean off. "Because she was mine to torture."

"You wouldn't go to any parties unless she was in attendance. You-"

I jumped in and cut Sean off, again. "Because they weren't any fun unless she was there so I could wind her up!

Sean lightly chortled. "You punched Kenny and Luke Spencer in the face because they said she was hot at her sixteenth birthday party. You-"

Again, I cut him off. "Because I didn't want to deal with a boyfriend when I was torturing her... How can you not see any of this?"

Sean shook his head, still not convinced.

"You admitted that seeing her makes your day."

"Because I know I drive her mad every time I see her, and that makes me happy."

Sean pinched the bridge of his nose. "You never shag brunettes even though you told my they are your preference - you only get into blondes, redheads, or black haired girls, never brunettes."

"Because the only attractive girls in this bloody village happen to have blonde, red, or black hair!"

Sean burst out laughing, "You're so deep in denial you can't see past it."

I wanted to punch Sean in the face badly in that moment, but it wasn't worth the wrath of my mother, or Sean's, if I made him bruise at his engagement party so I settled for punching him in the arm instead.

"You're being a real bastard, you know that?"

Sean rubbed his arm. "I'm aware of it, yes."

Arsehole.

I lifted my hands to my face and scrubbed, when I lowered then I looked around the pub again and grunted.

"Where is she? I know she is biding her time to get back at me, and not being able to keep my eye on her is scaring me."

Sean laughed, "You're scared of Neala?"

I growled, "You'll be scared too when it's her turn to strike you."

Sean opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it and nodded his head in agreement.

"What are you going to do? Stand here all night and search for her?"

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders.

"I don't know, maybe."

Sean was about to say something when my mother appeared with two glasses filled with what looked to be an alcoholic liquid.

"These were meant to be vodkas and coke, but the barman gave us whiskey instead. Do you both want them?" my mother asked.

Sean shook his head, but I took both drinks.

"Thanks, Ma," I said, and downed them both.

I scrunched my face up as the liquid burned a pathway down my throat and to my chest. I wasn't planning on drinking tonight. I needed to be on Neala alert but I needed a drink to relax me, and that is exactly what the whiskey did.

"Why don't you both go and see your father's?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Why?"

My mother huffed, "I don't really care where you go Darcy, just stop standing here and glaring at our friends. You look... odd."

Sean laughed. "He is on Neala alert."

My mother smirked, and it caused me to roll my eyes.

"Don't start, Ma."

With that said I brushed by my mother and went in search for my father. Sitting with him was probably the safest thing for me to do right now. Neala loved my father and wouldn't try to hurt me when I was in close probity to him... I hoped not anyway.

"Darcy, where are you going?" my father called out to me.

"Bathroom," I rasped.

I think I heard laughter coming from my father, but I couldn't be sure. I didn't really care though because I needed to get to a bathroom as soon as possible. My stomach was absolutely killing me, and I felt like my insides were about to spill out from my arsehole.

If it sounds disgusting, you can only imagine how I felt.

"What the hell did I eat?" I groaned in pain as I stumbled down the small hallway of the pub.

I tried to think of everything I ate early in the day that could make me feel so ill, but the only thing I ate out of the norm was the buffet of pub food that Sean and Jess had made for their party. I'm not fond of spices, and that was all the buffet consisted of. Spices and herbs.

Never ever would I touch either one again, my stomach churned just at the thought.

I reached the men's toilet and I sighed out loud, but my sigh turn to a very high pitch cry when I read the sign on the door.

Out of Order!

"This can't be bleeding happening to me!"

I made a decision in a spilt second to use the ladies room. I would apologise to every woman who came in and heard or smelt me, but I couldn't not go to the bathroom. I quickly moved to the right to go into the ladies, but like the men's room, the door wouldn't open. I looked up and punched the door when I spotted the same out of order sign hanging on the door.

"None of the toilets work?" I shouted.

Bollocks.

I had to leave.

I had to go home were I could go the toilet, and die in peace.

I would usually never leave a party, especially a family one, but I had to and I couldn't stop to say goodbye to anyone. I ignored everyone around me and made a beeline for the pub exit.

Of course I wasn't blessed with making a quick escape, the hand that clamped down on my shoulder made sure of that.

"Where the hell are you waddling off to?"

I turned to face Sean. "I need to go."

"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.