The Deal

17- She Understands Me

"Hey, I need your keys," JJ whispered. "I need to get my medicine from your car."

Neil pecked her lips and looked down at her. "Where did you leave it? I'll get it."

"It's fine. I need the fresh air anyways." He sighed as he handed the keys to her. She smiled before kissing his cheek. "Thank you." After the door had closed, Neil turned to his family.

He drummed his hands on the table and smiled. "So what does everyone think of her?"

"Oh we love her," his father spoke. He got up and kissed the top of his head. "If she can put a smile on your face like that then I welcome her with open arms."

"I think she's really nice," Alexa said as she came into the kitchen. She lightly smacked the back of his head as she passed. "You better not do anything silly."

"Shut it and go outside with the kids," Lauran said whilst rolling her eyes. "But I think she's wonderful. And I agree with Papa on this. You and Lara seem so happy."

Stephanie scoffed. "I don't like her."

"Well no one likes you, so who cares?" Charlie giggled and rest his hands on his fathers face.

"I think she's really sweet," Kevin said. "She reminds me of my little sister."

"Tyrell? You gonna follow your wife or give your real opinion?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"I spent most of my time trying to pull Steph away from her. But from what I know she seems nice. We'll have to see. Bonus, Charlie loves her."

"Wait and see? At the speed he's going he's going to ask her to marry him in a week. You don't know her, Neil. How can you let her around your daughter?"

"I do know her!" he exclaimed as he stood up. "She's smart, she's beautiful, she's driven and she makes me happy."

"She makes you happy? Does she sit on your dick every night is that it? You guys are stuck in this fantasy and you think everything is perfect but it's not. You gotta strip it way back and slow this fucking relationship way down. You've known her less than a fucking month, Neil." He bit the inside of his cheek, staring at his sister. "Are you even listening to me?"

"I am," he groaned. "Listen, it took you and Tyrell bloody a year to start going out. I'm not like that okay? And I'm telling you, it feels like we have known each other for years and I'm not even kidding you-"

"Key word there is feels like. You haven't known her for years, Neil. You haven't even known her for a month. You've just started dating. If you were single and had no kids, then fine, do whatever. The only reason I'm so pissed is because you have a fucking daughter!"

"So just because I'm a single father it means-"

"Don't you dare throw that at me again." Stephanie scoffed. "You let her sleep in your house for the last couple days. You had her sleep over while Lara was there. You fucking left her alone with Lara in a bedroom for half an hour. How the fuck do you know she didn't touch her?"

"Don't ever say that again," Neil warned as he stood up. "I've listened to you yapping on and on about this for the last few minutes but don't you ever and I mean ever question who I bring my daughter around. You really think if I had the slightest doubt that Jay would do something like that I would allow her to even look at my daughter?"

He turned to look at his family. "When I came home and told you guys I got someone pregnant, you all were so disappointed in me. I wasn't in the best place in life, I had just started a full time job and you guys left me to deal with it all on my own for the first month or two. All of you guys here have had it the conventional way. You guys had a relationship and had a kid. So don't you dare, Stephanie, don't you dare question what I do for my daughter. She has made me turn my whole life around for the better. You guys will never understand my thought process when it comes to dating." He looked at his parents. "I really like this girl, okay? You see for yourself how much Lara likes her and how well they get along. I have met someone who gets me. We clicked the very first time we met and it works. I just want you all to give her a chance. Give her a chance and you'll see how smart and funny she is."