Frozen in Thought

Nevaeh slams the door behind her as she storms into the freezer storage room. She folds her arms as she crouches in a corner. Ten seconds hasn't passed before the door opens again. The person stands above her as he places a thick jacket over her shoulders.

She gets a whiff of a familiar scent and shrugs the jacket off. "I wasn't in here that long. Keep your property to yourself and don't worry about me." Nevaeh turns her back toward the man as a wave of chills run through her body. Marc sighs as he stares at the ceiling, "How long are you going to be like this? We're going to be around one another everyday because we're coworkers."

Nevaeh sprouts her nose as she faces his direction, "I don't want to hear anymore! You can spend all day trying to get me to talk and it won't work. Leave me alone while I'm asking nicely."

Marc huffs as he bends to pick his jacket up. Nevaeh stands to move to the far right side of the room. He places the jacket on a nearby shelf, as he grabs two boxes of frozen eggs. Chills sift through his body when his chin encounters the cold content.

He speaks his last piece before leaving the freezer, "I hope you find it in your heart to not hate me forever. I would love for our friendship to return back to normal."

Nevaeh scoffs as she follows that action with an eye roll. Marc adjusts the boxes in his arms as he pushes the door with his shoulder. When it doesn't budge, he attempts it again with a bit more force. Nevaeh begrudgingly walks over to the door and pushes the knob.

Her eyes grow wide as she doesn't feel any slack. Marc puts on a brave face as he places the boxes on the floor. He firmly plants his feet on the floor, and gives the door a nice shoulder push.

Realization kicks in as both employees are locked in the freezer. He reaches his hand out toward Neveah, "Do you have your phone on you?"

She shakes her head with sadness but speaks with attitude, "Mine is on the charger in the break room. Why didn't you remember to bring yours, short for brains?"

Marc responds with sass, "Don't try to put the blame on me. You know I secure my phone in the locker for safety reasons."

Nevaeh scoffs, "I forgot no one abides by the rules as much as you do, Mr. Goody two shoes."

Marc closes his eyes as he releases a slow breath. "We aren't going to argue about this. Let's just remain calm until further notice."

Nevaeh crosses her cold arms as she contemplates on whether to continue standing or sit down.

-2:15 A.M.-

The two occasionally steal glances at each other. Marc rocks back and forth as he sits in a fetal position. Guilt protrudes his mind as Neveah has nothing to cover her arms. He moves close to her as he unzips his jacket. "If you put that on me, it will be torn to shreds," she threatens.

"Come on, Vee. Even at a time like this you choose to hate me this much?"

Nevaeh walks to the smallest corner where the bakery goods align the shelf. Marc shakes his head as he blows what he hopes would be hot breath into his hands.

-4:01 A.M.-

The harsh sounds of stomach growls sound in the small room. Nevaeh looks over to see Marc struggle to open a small pack of apple flavored fig newtons he recovers from his jacket pocket.

The sight annoys her as she snatches the bar from his hands. She opens the pack with one attempt as she aggressively it back to him. Under her breath she mutters, "Pathetic."

Marc eats the bar almost as if making love to it. As he moans every now and then, Neveah watches on with disgust. As he shoves the last piece into his mouth, she raises an eyebrow. "Wow. In all of my thirty four years of living, I never thought I'd see the day where a man goes to second base with a fig newton bar."

He opens his mouth to explain himself, but a piece of grain gets caught in the back of his throat. His eyes turn bright red as he gasps for air. Neveah has seen her fair shares of someone choking, but never to the point where their faces turn pink and their eyes are bulging.

She first reaction is to repeatedly hit him on his upper back. Seven seconds was all she needs to see that won't work. She stands behind him to perform the Heimlich Maneuver.

After a few presses, the procedure is successful.

Neveah removes hair from his face as she looks into his eyes. "That was so sudden. Are you okay? Do you feel light headed?"

Marc smiles with admiration as he caresses her cheek, "If I knew that was a way to get you to show emotion, I would've tried that years ago."

Neveah pushes him away as she returns to her corner.

-5:45 A.M.-

Marc can't handle anymore silence as he walks toward Nevaeh. He looks at her with hopeful eyes as he passes his jacket to her.

"You can curse me out later, that's a factor I'm gonna have to accept. All I ask is that you wear this. Please allow me to do this one thing for you. It's the only way I can repay you after saving me."

Nevaeh snatches the jacket as she puts it on.

Marc isn't focused on the cold as he looks at her in disbelief.

"If you're going to be a witch the entire time, why save me? At least my corpse wouldn't produce a stench."

The jacket hits the floor once again as she stands in front of Marc's face.

"You want me to say why I can't stand the sight of you? Simple. National Harbor. Five years ago."

Tears brim her eyes as memories flood her head. Marc reaches out to touch her, but she moves away.

"I am the person you turn to when things fall apart in your life. If my father hadn't seen you that day---,"

She ends her words to cry into his shoulder. With light hits on his chest, Neveah cries aloud.

Marc stares up at the ceiling to avoid his own waterfalls. He slowly rubs his hands up and down her back, "I know you felt betrayed that day. We promised to never go that route no matter what life throws at us."

Neveah speaks in a tiny voice, "So why didn't you come to me?"

Marc exhales as he continues to tightly hold onto her. "I can say it was 'pride', 'foolishness', or 'doubt'. Neither answer sums up why I made that decision. Maybe I believed it was my only answer. That I didn't have a way of escaping that horrid household."

Neveah listens to the sound of his unsteady heartbeat as he goes silent for a second.

"I wasn't the man you needed me to be. Suicide was my only option as I thought no one will cry over someone like me. That was until your father appeared on that bridge, and made me feel like the safest person in the world," he backs away to lift her chin.

"When I awoke in the hospital bed and saw you asleep like the beauty you are, my heart lit up. I knew right then that you're my purpose for living. I told myself that 'I was going to live better for her'. No way will she witness me become weak again."

More tears leave her eyes as Neveah speaks, "You had to leave me for three years in order to prove that? You caused me so much heartache that day. We could've ran away together. I would've done anything for you."

Marc deeply looks into her eyes as he places a hand on her shoulder, "That's precisely why I didn't leave a note. I know you'd search high heavens to find me. I would resent myself more if you left your father."

Neveah twirls the mood ring on her finger. Marc smiles as he holds onto her ice cold hands.

"I promise, from this day forward... I'll never leave you again. Whether I get fired from this job, I wake up from amnesia, or when I've hit rock bottom. I, Marc O'Neal King, will never leave behind my partner in crime, Neveah Richardson. She's stuck with me until death do us part."

Neveah latches her fingers with his. She stands on her tippy toes to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Those are the words I've wanted to hear my entire life. From here on out, I promise to always remain by your side."

Marc shudders as cold chills return, "Great. While I hate to ruin this perfect bond, can we wrap ourselves in my jacket?"

Neveah laughs as she happily nods her head. As the two are seated, Neveah rests her head on Marc's shoulder.

"I love you, Mr. O'Neal."

Marc chuckles as he responds with, "I love you too, Ms. Richardson."