Liberate You, Liberate Me✔️

Chapter 18

18. Friendship (or More)

Dillon

With a loud thud Dillon Holden landed on his bed, completely exhausted from the 2 hours at the gym. He had asked Todd to come with him but apparently he had more important things to take care of, none if which was doing his assignments. Dillon on the other hand was thriving in Management class which only strengthened his trust in his dream.

Earlier he had left his phone in his gym bag, not wanting any distractions, but now his fingers were itching for it. He grabbed his bag, from his laying position, and managed to get a hold of his phone – which had 4 missed calls from Laura. Apparently since the night at the movies she assumed that there was something more going on between them, not to mention how she had questioned him about Libra.

Laura had been up in arms that Dillon had been found talking to Libra and mostly because it looked back for her. Dillon groaned loudly when he thought about their passed conversation and how he had defended himself tirelessly against her accusations. But Laura had evidently made up her mind regarding him and that there was something about Libra that she needed to watch out for and it didn't matter what Dillon said. He thought about how embarrassed Libra had been when he had seen her Google search and how shocked he had been that she had Googled it.

Libra Jones had never been on a date before and apparently she was considering going on one. He wasn't surprise that someone had asked her; frankly he was surprised she hadn't been on a date already. She strutted around these halls completely oblivious to how gorgeous she looked – maybe she just hadn't noticed how many guys who were looking.

He smiled at the thought of her being a 'virgin-dater' and about his offer in teaching her. He had been on too many dates, and not because he wanted to, and could surely give her some tips on what to expect from a guy. I wonder who her potential date is. Without thinking about what he was doing he pulled out his phone and his text message conversation with Libra. She had yet to respond to his message but he wasn't going to wait for that – instead he was going to send her another text.

Any thoughts about my offer from earlier? I don't want to pressure you, I just want to help.

He pressed send and placed the phone next to him. She would have to answer him at some point or was she still embarrassed? He closed his eyes and imagined where he would take her in order to simulate a real date. There was a decent place two blocks from here that he'd been meaning to check out – it would be two birds in one stone if he took Libra there. Of course it would piss of Laura but perhaps that's just what needed to happen. Austin clearly didn't need his help to hook up with Brittany anymore and since Dillon had no interest in Laura this could work out well for him.

After 45 minutes of waiting for a response Dillon was starting to get anxious and slightly worried. He had never meant to pry into her life but his offer came from an honest place and not to mock her. He reached for his phone again and re-read his previous message and with itchy fingers he typed out another.

Stop ignoring me because you feel awkward, we're friends.

He tasted the word friends in his mouth before he smiled – he actually wanted to be friends with Libra now. He couldn't remember the last time he had worked so hard just to be a girl's friend, but here he was sending texts he hadn't even gotten a response to. Was he confused about his feelings or was he actually feeling this guilty that he had convinced himself he liked her more than he should?

Dillon found himself now sweating profusely in his palms and an annoyingly growing feeling had reached the pit of his stomach. He tried thinking about Libra like he used to; the nerdy wallflower with no fashion sense or social skills, but he couldn't see her as that person anymore. Instead he had an urging feeling to get to know her more or being around her every now and then. She's fucking with your brain, he thought to himself and shut his eyes to stop the thoughts.

Then a familiar vibration sensation hit his leg. A text message had arrived and he prayed it wasn't from Laura.

We're not friends, Dillon. We are not anything.

Libra's message had taken him by surprise, so much so that he shot up out of bed. Not friends? Had he humiliated her that much that she didn't want to see him anymore? He thought they were getting along fine lately. He sighed when he thought of the night at the café and how that could've potentially screwed things up between them. But then his phone vibrated again and another message from Libra filled his inbox.

Please tell Laura not to come and threaten me again, and don't tell her I said that. You owe me.

Laura had something to do with this? Had she threatened Libra not to speak to him anymore, or not to be his friend? Dillon threw his phone on the bed and went to change his clothes – it was time to have a conversation with Laura.