Chapter 2

"Vivy, how many times do I need to tell you?" Chris sighed, caressing my cheek. "You're perfect just the way you are." Try not to faint when the man of your dreams tells you something like that, standing so close, his green eyes sparkling. "Don't let anyone ever convince you otherwise."

I rolled my eyes, pulling away to avoid my hormones taking over my lovesick self. "We both know that's not true. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been single most of my life."

"That has nothing to do with your weight." Chris argued, seemingly offended. For some reason, he takes my self-esteem issues as a personal insult to him. "Also, you're 25, most of your life is quite small for an interval."

"Said he who's dated 17 women in a span of 10 years."

He chuckled. "And because I'm so bad at relationships, that's reason to think you need to starve to get a man?"

"I am not going to starve," I sighed, moving to throw away my breakfast, having lost appetite. "Diet doesn't mean starving, Chris. Diets can be healthy."

"Not the way you want to do it."

"You read my mind now?" I scoffed, irritated. He always acts like this. You're so perfect, Vivy, so great, they should all be in love with you ... well, you're not. The one guy I want doesn't even think about me in those terms.

Chris cracked a small tender smile. "I always have." If only. "Either way, you're perfect just the way you are. No need to change."

He just doesn't get it. "It's not about change. I just don't like myself and I would like to improve. What's wrong with that?"

"I just don't understand what's there to improve." He spread his arms, shrugging. "You're beautiful, Vivy. Anybody with eyes can see that. Anybody in their right mind would fall for you." Except the right person.

I tried hard not to roll my eyes. "Chris, you're the first one to go for skinny." I reminded him, remembering all too well his past girlfriends.

"What does that have to do with this?"

Everything, Chris, everything. "Never mind." I rolled my eyes. "I need a shower, then I gotta meet Laura."

He pouted, kind of caging me against the counter. "I thought we'd spend the day together. It's Saturday."

"You know I promised Laura I'd go shopping with her." I reminded him.

"There's always time for shopping."

"She's getting married, remember? I'm her maid of honor? We need to start looking for dresses and all those things." I was ecstatic when Laura told me she was getting married, and yes, maybe I expected her to ask me to be her maid of honor, but I didn't consider how hard it would be. Not because she's a difficult bride, but because her fiancé wants to tag along, and he can be pretty picky, so we decided to get a head start while he's out of town for work. That way she can present him with multiple choices he will certainly hates, where she'll hide the things she really wants. That way, she gets the wedding of her dreams, and Nicky doesn't make us pull our hair out of desperation with his indecisiveness.

"Can't it wait?" Chris pouted, pulling me in for a hug, knowing full well I wouldn't be able to say no. And I didn't. Sometimes I hate that he can be so persuasive, but then ... if I cave, I remain in his arms. I didn't even argue, I just relaxed in his arms, taking in his sweet scent, feeling his frame against mine. I know, I know, I'm weak. What can I say, loves makes us needy.

✧✧✧

"Are you going to eat for lunch?" Chris wondered, pausing the movie.

"Maybe."

"Vivy ..."

I sighed, exasperated. When he reminded me that we normally spend Saturdays together, just the two of us, the whole day, I thought we would do the usual things: watch movies, play games, maybe take a walk. I didn't think I would spend the past couple of hours getting to hear him rant over and over about how I don't need a diet, I'm just fine like this, my ex was an idiot and blah, blah, blah.

I stood up, wanting to get started on lunch, since he mentioned it. The silver lining – also the reason why I tend to gain weight – is that I love cooking, it relaxes me. I started cooking for my family since I was 15 and my mom broke her arm. My dad couldn't cook to save his life, so it was either up to me or to takeaway. My grandma would have loved to come help us, but dad didn't want his mother-in-law around, and with reason – she's so judgmental.

"Vivy, listen to me," Chris went on, following me to the kitchen.

"Oh, I've listened to you," I huffed, heading to the fridge, "I've listened to you all morning."

"Well, then you understand."

I grabbed a few things from the fridge, having a clear idea of what to cook today, and put everything on the counter. "Chris, I get it, you don't think I need a diet." I repeated. "But, forgive me, it's not up to you."

"You mean you don't care about my opinion?" He pouted, coming by the counter.

"I mean my body, my choice." I half-quoted, offering him a cheeky smile.

He rolled his eyes. "I'll break you eventually." He pointed his finger at me, smirking smugly. When he headed back to the living room, I sighed out of relief. Times like this, I wish I had more of a backbone.

✧✧✧

I chuckled when I read Laura's message about how she was going to kill me if I bailed on her tomorrow, too. She's right, I spent the whole day with Chris while I knew she was anxious to get started with wedding preparations, I was a terrible maid of honor.

"Who?" Chris asked, eyes on the TV.

"Who what?" I asked back distractedly while texting Laura, to reassure her that I wouldn't ditch her tomorrow – especially because I know Chris will be busy with our friend Shay, which gives me the chance to sneak away without too many questions. He can be so overprotective.

"Who are you texting?" Case in point.

I rolled my eyes. "What's it to you?" Chris grabbed the phone from my hands, to check for himself. "Hey! Give that back." I stretched my hand to take it, but he was reading the chat.

"Doesn't Laura know our Saturdays are sacred?" He scoffed, throwing my phone into my lap.

"She's an anxious bride, I'm trying to calm her down." I explained. "We're going to start with wedding preparations tomorrow."

"What? No." Chris grumbled, frowning. "It's the weekend."

"So?"

"I thought we'd spend it together." And here he went again, pouting. I mean literally pouting, pulling his bottom lip out and giving me puppy eyes.

"We've been together all day." I reminded him. "I bailed on Laura for you once, she wouldn't forgive me if I did it again."

He shrugged. "Just tell her you forgot you had a previous commitment."

"No, I won't." I answered firmly. "I won't lie to my best friend."

Chris eyed me, a small smirk appearing on his lips. Taking me off guard, he scooped closer to me, and his face came mere inches away from mine. "Aren't I your best friend?"

I pursed my lips, trying hard not to get lost in his scent. "Laura is my best friend, too. I can have both."

"Oh, can you?" He grinned impishly, and I knew what was coming, but I couldn't avoid it. He started tickling my sides, knowing full well that I would start squirming and beg for mercy almost immediately, which I did.

"Stop, stop, please, stop!" I laughed and screamed at the same time. Good thing I only have one neighbor, Chris himself. "Chris!" I don't know how, but I wound up lying on the sofa, with him over me, our bodies almost touching. Okay, maybe this happens a lot, and I definitely don't hate it.

"Who's your best, best friend?" He demanded to know.

"Both."

"You sure?" He went to tickle me again, but I prevented him.

"Ok, ok, you, you're the main best friend ... happy?"

He laughed. "You better remember that."

Oh, believe me, I have friendzoned written all over my heart in capital letters. I guess Laura is right, I should try to meet someone. My last boyfriend was 4 years ago, and it didn't even last that long.

"Scooch." Chris said.

"What?"

"I said, scooch." He laughed, making me move slightly, so that he could lay on the couch with me. Before I could argue, he was wrapping me up in his arms, leaving his chin in between my neck and my shoulder blade. Needless to say that butterflies started banqueting in my stomach. For his part, Chris merely resumed the movie, like nothing, as if he weren't making my ovaries go crazy and my heartbeat reach dangerous rates.

We'd been in that position for a few minutes when his phone started buzzing on the coffee table. "Are you gonna take that?" I wondered, trying to crane my neck enough to read the ID.

"Nah, not important."

"Someone calling you late at night, could be an emergency." I pointed out, frowning. All I could read was a C, so someone whose name started with a C was calling him at 11 pm on a Saturday. It kind of made me suspicious, but at least it wasn't Karen.

"If it was, they'd call you, too." Chris countered. "Everybody knows we're always together," he grinned, placing a wet kiss on my cheek, which had me giggle.

His phone stopped buzzing, but it restarted a few seconds later. I craned my neck more to read the ID – it was difficult to move with Chris holding me so tightly. He seemed uninterested in his phone, no matter how many times it buzzed. If I hadn't felt his hands rubbing my stomach lightly, I'd have said he'd fallen asleep.

I craned my neck more, like I said, and was finally able to read the ID when the third call started. "Who's Cherise?" I asked, frowning.

"Huh?"

"Cherise," I repeated, "it's the person calling you, quite insistently, I'd add." Who is Cherise? And why is she calling him so late at night? Even I know there's really only one reason why a girl calls a guy at this hour on a Saturday night. But it couldn't be, right? Chris isn't the booty call type.

"Don't bother it." He dismissed it, nuzzling my neck, which kind of tickled me.

I did my best not to, but a few moments later his phone buzzed again, this time a text message. I couldn't read it from the couch, but I was too curious, so I said a white lie: "I need to go to the bathroom."

"Now? We're so cozy here." He pulled us closer, kissing my cheek. "And you smell so nice."

I giggled. "I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Fine," Chris grumbled, letting go of me, "but be quick."

I stood up slowly, and headed to the corridor that led to my bathroom. Obviously, I stopped right behind the corner, and peeped. I wanted to see if he really didn't care or he was just pretending because I was present. Chris simply watched the TV for a bit, glancing at his phone now and then. Eventually, he picked it, and unlocked it.

I bit my lips, not wanting to emit sounds. I wonder if he cancelled a date for me, probably not. He wouldn't have reminded me of our sacred Saturdays otherwise. Although, he still hasn't told me why was he so upset yesterday.

I saw him type away on his phone, I guess replying to this Cherise person. I felt disappointed, I won't deny it, but by now I'm used to it. Like I said, he's had 17 girlfriends in 10 years – yes, I counted them and I still remember all of them. Each and every single one of them was a scar on my heart.

I know it wasn't his intention, but the fact that he always kept me informed about his relationships, talked to me about his girlfriends, asked me for advice ... all of that hurt me more than he could possibly imagine. Helping the love of your life with his relationship, giving him ways to fix it when it was rocky, sometimes even buying Valentine's gifts on his behalf, that's a kind of torture I wouldn't wish to my worst enemy.

I really went to the bathroom, to wash my face and control myself. I didn't want to jump to conclusions nor let him see me upset. Once I was sure I wouldn't get emotional, I went back to the living room. I caught Chris still texting, but he pocketed the phone immediately when he saw me.

"You ok?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure." I smiled faintly.

He waved for me to reach him on the sofa. "Come back here then."

I walked over to the couch, but I didn't sit down. I wanted to make one thing clear: "Chris if you've got plans, you can tell me."

"I'm free." He shrugged. "I'm always free for you, Vivy." He grinned, patting the spot on the couch beside him.

"Come on, you've been texting someone. If she wants to see you, you can go." It took me all I had not to show the slightest bit of emotion.

"Why do you assume it's a girl?"

I shrugged. "I read the ID when your phone was on the table. Cherise seems quite insistent. Must be serious." I really hope not, but I guess at least it means he's over Karen, so that's a silver lining.

"It's really not." He let slip. "She was just ... never mind," he patted the spot beside him again, "come here."

"I won't be offended, you know." I pointed out. "If you want to see this Cherise person, you can go."

"Vivy ..."

"Seriously, Chris, go if you want."

He remained quiet for a moment, I guess thinking about it. "You sure?" He asked in the end.

My heart dropped, but I managed to offer him a smile. "I'm sure."

Chris eyed me for a long moment, probably trying to see if I was lying, but in the end, he stood up, and I felt a sharp pang to my heart. He's never left me for a girl, us being so close is partly why our relationships haven't worked, but I guess there's a first time for everything. Karen was a close call, maybe this Cherise is the one that'll finally take him away from me.