Love on the Scale

Chapter Eighteen

"What are you doing here?"

"Hey, SIS." Macyn smiled, still acting happy as pie. I had cornered her in the project room after her introduction, and after most of the models had left. Neil and James stayed with me. James because he was as angry as I was, and Neil for support, though I hadn't asked.

Macyn turned to Neil. "Who's this? He's practically glued to your hip." Her eyes scanned him from head to toe, and I noticed her shift of posture. She straightened, and adjusted her hair, flashing him a bright grin. "I'm Macyn, Christelle and James' sister. You are?"

"Neil Kaiser-"

"My boyfriend," I cut into his intro, feeling a tightening in my chest. Afterward, I bit my lip in slight embarrassment, but when Neil's arm went around my shoulders, I could feel his pleasure at my open claiming of him.

Macyn's grin slipped, and she looked angry for a split second before rearranging her features again. She put a hand on her hip, above her clothes that were so tight they made her look disgusting, and winked at him.

"Let me know if you get bored with her. She can be dry as a bone sometimes."

"What are you doing here?" I repeated, voice tight. I wouldn't let her make me snap.

"Working, like you guys. Turns out all that cooking I help Mom do at home is useful after all. Did you like the food?"

"Why couldn't you get a job somewhere else?"

Her smile faded, and turned into a pout. "You don't want me here? I thought we'd all have fun together."

"Cut the bull and tell us why you're here," James snapped. "What do you have to gain from working here?"

"Uh, work experience? Speaking of which, I have to start lunch. See you guys later."

She smirked at Neil, and walked out of the room. I turned to watch her exit, and then looked to the food left on the tables. The shades of grey of the setup. Elegant, classy, fake.

"She wants something. And it won't be good."

James nodded, also grim.

Neil pulled me closer, and I didn't resist. "I take it you guys don't get along?"

"She's been so angry since we left. She told me..." I stopped. I didn't want to make Macyn seem like a terrible person. I wanted to tell them she's threatened to turn my life upside down, but then Neil would spread the warning around, and she'd be treated wrong. "she wants to move out too," I settled for. "And she's going to do anything to make that happen. I don't know what she's willing to do-"

"Hey, you need to calm down." Neil framed my face with his hands. "It'll be fine. What's the worse she could do?"

I didn't know. It scared me, not knowing what my own sister was capable of. But the thoughts were forgotten when Neil leaned down. I turned my head a fraction away and his lips landed on my cheek. "I've never had to fight so hard to kiss a woman in my life." But he smiled, kissing my forehead instead.

I glanced at James. He'd never seen us together, together, like that. He looked a little uncomfortable, but there was a note of happiness in his eyes. "Everything is going well with you guys then?"

"As well as could be expected. I have a lot of persuading to do before things can really start to go amazing, but she's starting to relax. I'm working on getting her to kiss me-"

"Don't want to know that; time for me to go to makeup," James muttered. "Be careful, both of you. I don't know why Mace is here, but she's up to something. Watch your back, Chris."

He left after my affirming nod, and I looked up at Neil. He has that mischievous glint in his eyes again, and I narrowed mine in suspicion.

"I'm not leaving until I get a proper kiss."

"Neil, really-"

"Yes, really. I'll follow you to the Wardrobe, if necessary. Try me."

The worst thing was I knew he was serious. I stepped away, shaking my head, and the glint in his eyes vanished. He reached for me. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, alright? But it's only normal, for a man with a beautiful woman to want to kiss her every once in a while."

My eyes flicked around the room. No one was left. So I tilted my head up, keeping my face blank.

"Whoa, calm down. No need to get that excited."

My lips curved on their own from his sarcasm, and he smiled, blue eyes shining. "That's more like it. I love that smile."

His hand curled around the side of my neck, and his lips lowered to mine. It was still very new, kissing, but I was getting the hang of it. There was no nose-bumping or awkward movement anymore. His lips were soft and pleasant as they slid over mine, and I leaned into him.

"Neil! Break it up and get yourself to makeup NOW! I'm not paying you for this."

I jerked back, but Neil only laughed, looking over his shoulder at Lilian, who glared at us both. "I'm coming, I'm coming. This face doesn't even need makeup."

Camera in hand, Lilian rolled her eyes to the ceiling, and huffed out an exasperated sigh, before she spun on her sneakered heel and stalked from the room. Neil grinned after her, before turning back to kiss me once more. After, he tugged me along after him, and we walked down the hall, where we had to part ways.

"See you at lunch. We'll go out."

"Of course. You take me everywhere now."

His teeth were so bright sometimes they made me consider getting mine whitened.

"Gotta keep it a normal thing, so I won't lose all the progress I've made with you."

I smiled, then sobered. "Be careful around Macyn. She's..." I wanted to say she was after him, but I didn't know how that would sound. Maybe I had doubts, but I didn't want Neil taken from me by my vengeful older sister.

Neil could guess my thoughts already. "You two are nothing alike; she made me a little nervous." He bumped my chin. "I'm not going anywhere, don't worry. I'm still working on you, remember? No time to get distracted by your sister. Now go, so I can get to work; you're distracting me."

I grinned, and he tapped my nose before nudging me in the opposite direction. "Go, so I know you made it-"

"Ten feet into the Wardrobe? Whatever could happen to me on the way there?"

I escaped before he could grab me again, and jogged down the hall, laughing. I waved to him before I ducked into the Wardrobe.