Mace slipped from the car, and Neil rolled down his window when she grinned at him through it, smiling at her. I glared at her.

"Do you guys want to come in?"

"No."

"Sure."

Neil and I spoke at the same time, and he looked at me. "Why don't you want to see your family?"

"We aren't welcome. Trust me."

Macyn broke in. "Oh Chris, they're over it now. Come on, come see. It's totally fine- everyone misses you and James."

"Then they can call and invite me themselves. Neil, let's go."

Neil frowned, for the first time looking irritated with me. "What's you're problem, Chris? You're being amazingly cruel right now."

His words stung; I knew they weren't true, but I didn't like his look of disapproval. Macyn retained her look of innocence, and I knew I had no chance. "Alright."

Neil's face smoothed, and he reached out to squeeze my hand. "It'll be okay, you'll see."

* * * * *

Neil laid on the couch in the apartment, and I brought an ice pack to his eye, holding in tears. If he had listened to me when I told him we needed to leave, this wouldn't have happened. None of this would have happened.

"Hey, I'm fine; it'll fade in a few days." He looked pained, seeing me upset, but I couldn't help it.

I should have held my ground and never said alright to going inside. Even if it had meant he was mad at me for it. I KNEW this would happen. "I should have said no."

"I wouldn't have listened... you know me." He laughed, and winced, putting his hand over mine on the ice pack. "Your dad has a mean left hook, that's for sure. Did he box in high school or something?"

I couldn't bring myself to smile. "Yeah."

The phone rang, and I walked across the room to check the caller ID. I hit enter. "Hello-"

"I just got your message, I'm almost there. Why would you go home, Chris? What was so important?" James was livid. I clutched the phone in both hands.

"Macyn convinced Neil to drive her home. Then she invited us in. I tried... to tell him. I did, but-" My throat clogged, and then Neil was there, taking the phone in one hand and wrapping his other arm around me, his ice pack forgotten.

"Look, Christelle tried to stop me, but I didn't listen. And I'm lucky I interjected, or she would have been the one hit. You never told me your dad was so aggressive. Look, I've apologized hundreds of times... man, calm down-" Neil shut up after something James said, and listened without interruption for the remainder of the conversation. Then he sighed. "You're right... you're right, I'm- I don't know what else can say. I won't put her in danger again, I promise. Yes. One black eyes is enough punishment- imagine Miguel's face tomorrow when I sit at her makeup table. She's going to kill me."

He hung up after another apology, and looked down at me. His arm was still around me. "I screwed up. I'm sorry."

"I should have warned you about my family. I never told you everything that happened..."

"You didn't need to. I should have trusted you to know your own family. Now I know why you acted the way you did."

I pulled away, retrieved his ice pack, and pressed it to his eye. "I wanted to hit him back... after he did this."

He smiled. "Yeah? I'm glad you didn't. I would have had to hit him back if anything had happened to you." He brushed my braids away from my face, and kissed my forehead, my nose, my lips...

I pulled back, and reapplied the ice pack. "This isn't going to heal as fast if you don't keep ice on it-"

He grabbed it, tossed it to the side. "I don't care."

James arrived few minutes later, and Neil broke the kiss for once. "You show up at the worst time..."

James wasn't amused. He looked me over, determined I was fine, and then advanced on Neil. No words came from his mouth, he was so angry, and I had to pull him back. "James, I'm fine-"

"What if you weren't? What if he'd hit you instead?" James whirled on Neil again. "I swear to God if you didn't have a black eye already, I'd be giving you one. I just might give you another one. Chris doesn't need to be around our family. That's the LAST thing she needs. Why do you have to be so..." he turned and smashed a fist against the wall. Someone next door called for us to shut up.

Neil knew he was in deep. "It won't happen again, man. Okay?"

"No, it's not okay. I want you out of here, I can't even look at you or I might snap."

I walked over and touched his shoulder. "James, look. At me." He did, and I smiled. "I'm fine. I know what could have happened, Neil knows, and it scared him too. That's why he broke in, so Dad wouldn't hit me. He's learned not to do it again, alright? Don't let this break you guys up, that's what Macyn wants. This is what she wanted to happen."

The mention of Macyn had James deflating. "What does she want from us? Revenge? Just for leaving her behind? Why is it that important to her?"

None of us had an answer. Well, I did, but I wasn't going to tell them, still. I didn't even have a full understanding yet. James went into the kitchen to make coffee, and Neil and I sat on the sofa. He didn't pick up where we left off, which I felt was unfortunate. Instead he held my hand, and let me press the ice pack to his face once more with my free hand.

"You know that song, Heart Song? It's always on the radio..."

"Yeah, why?"

He smirked, and leaned in. "I feel like you, are my heart's most favorite song."

"Way to be corny and ruin a moment," I laughed, and he copied me.

"But really, I had some time for reflection, while you were uh, preparing my ice pack. There's something different about you, Christelle, and I can't put my finger on it." He even looked confused as his eyes met mine. "All I know is I want to figure it out. I want to figure out everything about you. Every last thing. And then I want to help you get rid of everything bad, and bring in everything good and happy. I just want to see you happy."

He put a finger on either corner of my mouth, and slid them up. "To see you smile every day, just for me."

I grinned, and he chuckled. Then James kicked him out for the night, but not before I got a goodnight hug, and the promise to return tomorrow, Saturday, with Jenna for shopping.

Oh joy.