Love on the Scale

Chapter Twenty-Two

"What do you mean I can't come?"

Walking around with sewing needles between my lips, I searched for thread to match the jacket Neil had brought to be repaired. Somehow, he'd ripped an entire swatch from the elbow. "Caught on a nail in the wall," he'd said.

After finding a spool of an appropriate color, I opened my mouth to let the needles fall into my palm. "Exactly what I said. You can't come."

"You're going out with James' girlfriend, shopping, and I can't come. That doesn't even make any sense."

"No, what doesn't make sense, is you wanting to come. Guys are supposed to hate shopping." I laughed while I repaired the jacket. He crossed his arms.

"This is the first time you've EVER gone shopping for clothes. James told me. He said your mom always bought your clothes. This time you're going with another woman, and I know she's going to have you try on clothes that actually fit you. I can't miss this! Please, let me come."

I just shook my head. It was true that Neil had been bugging me forever about getting new clothes. He wanted to buy them, too. He claimed that that I already looked gorgeous, but the right clothes would have him knocking guys back with his bare hands. It was stupid, but he believed it with all his heart.

"Neil, I'm not buying any. I was just going to try them on-"

"Baby, you need new clothes. You're losing weight, and you'll feel better with some clothes that fit."

"I don't even WANT to go shopping anymore. I'll tell Brandi that we're going to a movie or something."

He grinned. "Good. Then I get to take you shopping, and we can find you some stuff. I'll get Jenna to come; she'll help."

"Neil..."

"Neil!"

He groaned when Lilian barked his name from down the hall, and I handed him the mended jacket with a smile. He swiped a finger over my cheek as he left. "I'll be sure to rip something else, don't worry!"

"Please don't!"

His laughed faded as he ran down the hall, and I sighed. Maggie peeked above a rack of clothes; all I could see were her two beady eyes. "He's right."

I pretended like I didn't hear her, and continued to hang clothes up. She didn't fall for it.

"That boy adores you. He wants to buy you some new clothes. You need new clothes; you look like a bum."

"Maggie!"

The rest of her head appeared, and she shrugged, turning back to her task. "If I had a man, though I don't want one, I'd work a harder at keeping him than you do. He wants you to get new clothes- he'll PAY for them, for goodness' sake. Do it."

I sighed, slamming clothes back onto the racks, but I knew she was right. Neil worked around models every day, gorgeous women that made me look worse than I often did by myself; why wasn't I working to keep him? I guess because I hadn't needed to up till that point. Neil had latched onto me himself, and kept hanging on. I hadn't had to do anything. I'd never done anything to keep him, took him for granted. I had to do something, especially after James' warning.

It was time to do some shopping.

* * * * *

Nature's fury beat down on the asphalt as Neil and I exited the studio. Everything in sight was drenched in a dull grey shadow, the clouds above showing their anger. Thunder cracked, and I flinched. "Maybe we should go back inside and wait..."

Neil shook his head, a wicked gleam in his eyes, and took my hand. He had to speak loud to be heard over the rain. "We can make it without getting too wet if we run." He looked down at my shoes, and nodded. "Are you up for it?"

I looked up at the rain again, as we were under the building's canopy. It was raining hard, but adrenaline rushed through me at the thought of running through it with Neil. I nodded, and his grin widened. He leaned forward in a starting position. "Ready... set... go!"

Off we went, racing through the puddles, towards his car. We went through a puddle and I almost slipped, but managed to keep my footing. Neil laughed his head off, and I found myself joining him. We reached his car covered in a thin layer of water, and he struggled to unlock the doors, still opening it for me, like the gentleman he was.

I continued to laugh even when in the car, and he got in on the driver's side to find me almost in tears from my giggles. He just stared at me, grinning, until I settled down.

"I've never heard you laugh."

"Sure you have." I laughed again, self-conscious, and he disagreed.

"No, I would have remembered that laugh. Trust me."

I didn't respond for a while, and he didn't speak. We just sat and listened to the rain that still attacked the car, and the traffic that drove by. The knock at the window startled us both; I gasped and jerked my head to the side. Macyn stood at Neil's window, gesturing to be let in.

"Don't you dare," I ground out.

"Chris, she's your sister, and it's raining hard-"

"I don't CARE! Don't-"

He unlocked the doors, and I sighed. Macyn climbed in, and shut the door with a dramatic flourish. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much, Neil. No one could pick me up, and I didn't have any money on me for a cab... oh, hey sis."

I didn't answer, and Neil apologized for me. "She seems to think you're out to get her."

"I understand. We've never gotten along much, Chris and I. But I love her to death. I thought we'd be able to spend more time together, you know, but she and James won't even talk to me." Macyn sighed, a big gust of wind as if she was at peace inside herself but upset with the rest of the world, and I couldn't take it.

"Shut UP, Mace!"

All was quiet but the rain for minutes, before Neil spoke. "Chris, this isn't like you-"

"Let's just take her home. She wants to go home, so can we hurry up?"

I wanted her out of my sight and Neil out of her range.