35. No Matter the Cost
After an absolutely incredible date with Dillon, Libra had gone home and gossiped with Sophia and Jack before Jack headed back downstairs to his place. As soon as Jack had left Sophia turned to Libra with a stern face and asked her to spill the beans about the meeting with Todd and Laura. It wasn't until Sophia brought that up that Libra snapped back to reality again and she remembered the weird text message she'd received while on her date.
While in the best kiss of her life she had received a message and a missed phone call from someone she hadn't spoken to since her first day in high school â Tim Duncan. She knew he had spoken to Todd and Laura and perhaps they had urged him to call Libra to confirm what they'd said. She hated herself for lying to Dillon about it, especially since she didn't do a very good job at keeping her poker face. Tim had written:
Hey Libra,
Long time no see I guess. When you have time, give me a call. I think you know what it's about.
/Tim Duncan (from high school)
She showed the message to Sophia who looked at his for a long time before handing the phone back to her and shaking her head softly.
"What happened with Todd and Laura? Did they tell Tim to call you?" Sophia asked.
"Not that I know of, but they told me that he'd reached out to Tim and that he'd said that Dillon's parents had showed up to the police station and the day after the police stopped visiting Dillon and Charlie, thus eliminating them as suspects." When Libra said those words out loud she felt cold inside.
She wondered if it was all true and if Dillon knew that his parents had saved him like that. But that had to mean that he and Charlie truly were guilty and the thought of that was hard to accept. Then there was the suspicion on why Tim was talking to Todd or why he was talking to anyone at all about this. Granted; he wasn't really Dillon and Charlie's closest friend and she'd never heard Dillon mention Tim since they arrived here but they were friends enough for Tim to have his back â that she was sure of.
"This is all such a fucking mess! You and Dillon are practically boyfriend and girlfriend but he could also be the guy who locked you in that shed? Do you think you could...ever forgive him?"
That was a question she didn't want to think about at all. So she simply shrugged her shoulders and waved it all away, not ready to deal with a decision like that now. Especially since her heart had started to permanently accept the joy it felt when Dillon Holden was around.
"Well are you going to call Tim Duncan and see what he has to say?" Sophia asked instead, a little annoyed not to have her previous question answered.
"If I do that I'd have to keep another lie from Dillon and I'm not sure I want to do that." Libra mumbled.
She could hear Sophia's groan even though it wasn't loud. Libra also knew why she was groaning like that; she was disappointed in her best friend for not committing to this. In their support group Dr. Fine had warned them all for this feeling: settling in to be the victim. He'd said that it would be common to find comfort in being the victim and that their perpetrator could make them feel deserving of that role â Libra had promised her mother not to be one of those people.
"Don't be one of those people, Libra. You promised your mother and you promised me too. If you're going to act like this I'll have to call your sister and hope she can talk some sense in to you." Sophia threatened.
Libra hadn't spoken to her sister about this at all and she didn't want to either. She knew Melanie would find herself at their apartment within days, with a baseball bat ready to beat any guy Libra pointed at. She just couldn't shake the feeling that she was currently betraying Dillon's trust as they discussed him being an actual suspect. The stern look Sophia was serving her right now made her realize she was indeed right. If Dillon wasn't involved she'd just have to tell him the truth about her little Nancy Drew antics, but if it turned out she was right then he was the one with the explaining to do. A chill went up her spine at the mere thought of Dillon being the culprit.
"Don't call Mel, please; she's just going to cause a scene. I'm going to call Tim, alright. I just...this is all such a mess." She whispered those last words and shook her head. Just when everything was looking up things had to be shot down again.
"Do you want me to be here when you call? For emotional support that is." Sophia sounded concerned now, as if she sensed Libra being close to tears.
Libra shook her head and smiled to prove she wasn't going to break down. At times she wondered if Sophia had any faith in her recovery at all. Lately their college life had been tainted with Libra's drama but she wanted Sophia to know that she was still a shoulder to cry on when she needed it.
"You don't have to be here, I can handle it," she said, "but just so you know; I'm here for you too in case you need me. You've gone out a lot lately and you've been doing so well â I'm proud of you. But if you ever need my support I'm here." She pulled Sophia in to a hug and in a few seconds she relaxed toward Libra's chest.
Sophia's torment had started a few weeks before graduation when she'd been invited to a party with the school's popularity queen Britney Stone. Libra recalled how Sophia had described Britney in their support group. Apparently Britney had everything any girl would ever desire: the looks, charisma and popularity beyond measure. Sophia had always wanted to be friends with Britney and her clique so when they invited her to a party she was more than thrilled. Upon arriving it had only been the girls there; they had done their makeup and gotten dressed together, but apparently Sophia's clothes didn't cut it and Britney wanted to offer her another dress. Libra remembered how Sophia had held back her tears as she had told the group what happened next.
The girls had pushed her toward the door and told her to head downstairs to Britney's parents' bedroom. Sophia had been clueless then and in awe of how quickly she seemed to get along with the girls. Since it was only the girls she didn't mind heading out in her underwear, especially since Britney had complimented her on her bra just seconds before. With confident and eager steps she had begun walking down the stairs and that's when she saw them: all the guys from the football team were waiting for her and cheering her on from downstairs.
Pictures were taking and posted all around school as well as online and Sophia decided to skip out on her graduation day because of it. The disappointment about not walking across that stage was tainted in her eyes when she had told the story in front of everyone. Libra had felt the pain cut to her own core. The principal had found the culprits who posted the pictures online and Britney also got a hefty punishment â but Sophia was the one left with the pain.
Libra could see the past play in Sophia's eyes for a second before she nodded to Libra and smiled shyly.
"Thanks Libra that does mean a lot. Now go make that phone call to Tim Duncan and get to the truth!"
Her deflection of her own issues did not go unnoticed by Libra but she had enough to focus on to tell Sophia. Instead she headed for her room and pushed herself against the door and tried to breathe calmly. Once she made this phone call she could risk losing Dillon forever and she'd deserved it if it turned out she was wrong. But this was still something she had to do.
With nervous fingers she dialed the number and all too quickly someone picked up.
"Libra Jones? I've been waiting for your phone call." She heard Tim say with a cheerful voice.
"Yes it's me; I'm surprised you picked up so quickly."
Tim chuckled and took a deep breath, it sounded like he was having a cigarette, "I was actually just about to call you myself," he said to Libra's surprise, "I just got some information I think you're going to want to hear."
Libra couldn't move to the bed where she'd planned to be sitting. Since the words left Tim's mouth all she could do was slide down to the floor and make herself as comfortable as possible. Her heart was thumping loudly inside her chest and she cleared her throat a few times before speaking.
"What kind of information? Is it about Dillon?" She was too curious to wait; she needed to know if Dillon was in any way involved.
"When your friend Todd called meâ"
"We're not friends! He's done this on his own accord, don't ask me why." Libra cut in quickly, not wanting Tim to get the wrong idea about her.
"Fine you're not friends then. Anyway; when he called me I remembered something from prom night so I called Jason White, Charlie's friend, and asked about that night and he confirmed something big." Tim kept teasing her by being vague and from the sighs that Libra was making she wasn't happy about it.
"What did he confirm Tim? Stop stalling and tell me what you have!" Libra cried out and got on her feet. Weak in the knees she wandered over to her bed and landed on it with a thud.
"Jason told me that when the others were leaving to go to the beach after party Dillon had stayed behind and headed for the closed off part of the school, isn't that were you'd supposedly been?" Tim asked.
Libra couldn't breathe and clutched her chest tight with her free hand. The police hadn't even told her they had that information and how could they? Libra hadn't remembered anything from that night besides being in the ladies room, that ladies room on the closed off part.
"Libra are you still there?"
"What does this mean? He saw Dillon walk that way, but that doesn't meanâ" Libra tried but lost her words.
"Look; I never got to apologize for what happened to you, even if I had nothing to do with it I felt like I did because I was hanging out with that crowd. You deserve to find out the truth about that night and I want to help. Jason was positive he saw Dillon walk that way but he hasn't told the police that." Tim spoke while Libra tried her best to listen.
This information had hit her like a ton of bricks to the stomach and she was losing air for each second. This was going in a very dangerous direction and she couldn't stop it. If Jason told the truth she needed him to go to the police with the information, no matter how she felt about Dillon. Perhaps they'd investigate him again and if it was brought back up there was a possibility Libra could help out â catch Dillon slip up and confess to someone. Maybe to Jack.
She pushed the thoughts away and refused to believe Dillon's involvement. Perhaps he was just going to the bathroom! Libra closed her eyes and tried to remember anything but she was drawing a blank like always.
"Can I talk to Jason myself?" Libra asked Tim with a shaky voice.
"I'll text you the number but I doubt you'll get him to go to the police with anything â he is still friends with Charlie and will protect him against anything." Tim warned her.
Libra's eyes darkened where she sat and she tapped her foot on the floor in a violent phase. Suddenly anger filled her chest and spread inside her like wildfire. She was going to do anything in her power to get Jason White to talk â no matter the cost.