10. Second Chance
Dillon arrived at the library just as Libra and Todd was gathering their things. For a moment he hesitated to go up to them and observed the two talking by the table, but when he realized he couldn't hear what they were saying he made his way up to them. Todd will have a field day with this, he thought, and he knew he would have to explain a few things but in this moment he didn't care.
He knew Libra well enough to know that right now she was in over her head. She might be a great tutor but he knew guys like Todd and how well they could manipulate girls and that was something Libra wasn't aware of. He doubted she had gotten any experience over the summer but the Libra he had went to high school with had bad social skills as it was â flirting was a totally different ball game for her.
Quickly, make up an excuse to keep her here, he thought before making himself visible to them. Todd gave way for a confident smug when he saw Dillon approaching and teased him even more by getting closer to Libra. It bothered him that she couldn't just walk around in her baggy clothes like before. Instead she was out here in tight white skinny jeans and a baby blue off the shoulder blouse â and then there were those pink sandals that graced her feet. Maybe things had changed extremely abruptly during summer break and perhaps Libra knew exactly what she was getting herself into.
"Hey Todd, fancy seeing you here, I didn't know you took tutoring here too." He slid up next to his friend and gave him an evil smirk back.
"Well isn't this a coincidence. We were just about to head up to our apartment!" Todd looked at Libra and winked but when she turned bright red as he did Dillon knew there was no chance she knew what she was doing.
She probably wasn't aware that her whole body screamed insecurity but he saw it loud and clear. Right now he had to forget about Todd being his roommate and friend and look after Libra. He pushed away the guilt that clung to him whenever he was with her and kept his eyes trained at her to read any reaction she had. Next to Todd she looked uncomfortable and once again back to her wallflower ways, no clothes could hide that, Todd just couldn't see it.
"That's a hard no, my friend, I need to have my lesson here at the library otherwise I'll be late for my next class. Is it alright if we stay here, Libra?" Dillon fixated on her and gave her a silent sign to simply nod and say yes.
This could go either way, seeing as she didn't have to listen to him, but something in her eyes told him that she would. Libra didn't know Todd from a can of paint and even if she didn't trust Dillon she knew him, at least. Strangely enough he felt rather comfortable around her and perhaps it was all because of the familiarity of home but he liked that feeling, it was far better than the guilt he always felt being around her. Guilt for not telling her what he knew.
"Y-yes I suppose we have to stay here then," Libra answered shyly and glanced at Todd for some type of approval, "I'll see you here tomorrow, same time." She scribbled down the time on a post it and handed it to Todd.
With a small victory grin plastered on his face Dillon slid down to take a seat and watched as Libra did the same. Defeated and slightly ticked off Todd grunted something under his breath and dragged his backpack behind him while walking out of the library with heavy steps. Thank God that's over.
"I need you to tell me what's going on here. Do any of you really need tutoring or are you just messing with me?" Libra stuck out her chin and narrowed her eyes at him.
Of course he hadn't realized that Todd wasn't the only one who would have questions and Libra was looking angrier than a cop right now. He needed to do himself a favor and give her the truth and warn her about Todd, despite what that would cost him friendship wise. He wished he didn't have this secret hanging over him and maybe that pit of guilt wouldn't keep growing larger inside his stomach. I owe her the truth, always, from now on. He knew that what he did now wasn't nearly enough but a part of him still saw Libra as the ugly duckling from North Haven High and he needed to protect her from creepy Todd.
"I had no idea Todd needed tutoring until this morning, trust me. I was just looking out for you, why would you accept an invitation to our apartment? You don't even know Todd well enough toâ"
"I'm going to stop you right there, Dillon. You don't need to start looking out for me just because we used to go to the same high school. I don't care to get to know Todd; I just need the money he's offering me for tutoring him."
She gave him one last look before rising to her feet and grabbing her bag to leave. Dillon was shocked to hear her snap at him like that. He knew he didn't have much leverage with her but couldn't she see he was only trying to look out for her? He was used to handling guys like Todd and girls like him, too, but if Libra wanted to pretend she knew how he wasn't going to stop her â on the contrary, he was going to show her what she was in for.
"I'm the only one here who knows that these clothes you're wearing," he paused and took another look at her gorgeous figure, "aren't going to fool people into believing you're some cool and suave person. You are still the same Libra, and that's okay, just don't do something you'll regret - because if you would have left with Todd you would've regretted it." He hissed at her with a low voice.
He hadn't realized how close his face had been to hers until he was done speaking. Her eyes were wide from surprise and shock and continuous times she had opened and closed her mouth, as if she was searching for the right words to say. Before distancing himself he filled his nostrils with her sweet perfume and damned her once more for looking and smelling the way she did now. Or maybe she had always smelt like that and he'd never gotten close enough to smell her, as creepy as that sounded. For a moment a dangerous thought entered his mind and he caught himself wondering if her lips tasted as sweet as they appeared.
"Answer me this question," Libra huffed and this time it was her turn to fixate her eyes on him, "do you really need a tutor?"
"No," He murmured and rested his eyes on the book shelf behind her.
"Then you and I are done here." She whispered and got up and headed for the exit.
Dillon watched her for a few seconds before he followed her outside. At this point anyone with integrity would have washed their hands with her by now but Dillon didn't have much integrity left. As much as he disliked her his reasons weren't really that valid. The past was very much alive between the two of them and the only chance he had to kill it was to try to get her to see who he had become.
That secret that he had hanging over him was the only reason why he had to keep proving himself to her. If she could see that he was a good person, one who was only trying to look out for her in this situation, maybe she wouldn't hate him too much if she ever found out who had traumatized her that night. I still can't decide if I should tell her or not.
When he finally reached her he gently pulled her arm to get her to stop but never accounted for her to lose her balance. When she stumbled backwards and her body met his he froze, with his hands now a firm grip on both her arms. Her breaths were short and nervous but she wasn't struggling to get out of his grip, she allowed his hands to stay put. Dillon knew he should've moved away from her seconds ago but yet he found himself staying put and enjoying her breathing melting together with his own.
"Give me a chance Libra." he heard himself whisper while listening to the patterns of their breathing.
"Why?"
"Because I want to make up for the person I used to be and show you who I am now."
After moments of silence Libra broke free from his grip and turned to look at him. The look in her eyes had softened and the frown was nowhere to be seen any longer. A year ago he wouldn't have believed himself if someone had told him he would want to be friends with Libra Jones, but as much as he wanted to blame this on his guilty conscious there was a part of him that was intrigued. If she had changed so much and so had he maybe there was an off chance that they could actually get along.
"Fine you got your chance, now can I please go?" She pleaded with him tiredly even though she looked nothing but. Instead Dillon detected her pink-ish cheeks and suppressed a wide smile that was lurking at the corners of his mouth.
"I'll walk you," Dillon said and motioned toward the exit door, "Maybe you'll allow me to walk you to your door â since we both live at The Arc." He knew he was hoping for a lot but those soft eyes of her told him there was a chance he would get lucky with his request.
Libra looked around and then shrugged her shoulders, "I suppose so. We better hurry up because I have to go home and change before my shift at the Café."
"After you," He gestured for her to go first and then finally let his smile spread all across his face.
And this he had no problem blaming on Libra.