Kidnapped by a Dragon Billionaire - Chapter 37

“Look, Darren, stop!” she exclaimed before he continued. She gently removed her hand from his. She placed a hand on his shoulder and faced him.

“Just don’t say whatever that you want to say, I really treasure our friendship and let’s keep it that way,” she said.

“I really don’t want things to get awkward between us,” she added. “So, let’s just remain as best friends, okay?”

He looked puzzled.

“Why would it be awkward? How do you know what I wanted to tell you?”

“Well…I sort of guessed and it will be awkward if I turned you down, things will never be the same,” she replied.

How could it not be awkward? If he confessed to her and she turned him down, they might not even remain as friends anymore. She liked Darren. He is her best friend after all.

“Turned me down? Why would you turn me down?” he is looking more confused now.

Wait…wasn’t he about to confess? Now she is confused.

“Did you think I wanted to ask you to do something?” he asked.

Okay, so, now it didn’t sound like he wanted to confess. Shit. She got it all wrong.

“Ermm…ya…I thought…” she trailed off. This is too embarrassing. She can’t tell him that she had jumped to conclusions thinking he is about to confess to her.

“You said you have something to tell me…so what is it??” she asked.

“Wait, what did you think I wanted to ask you?”

“Err…nothing…I misunderstood,” she said. What a mess. She is such a klutz. How can she assume he is about to confess? Just because he held her hand? He has held her hand a number of times before. She wanted to slap herself and felt her face blushing from her embarrassment. This is so mortifying.

He looked at her, studying her reddening face.

“Wait…what were you thinking? Why are you blushing?” he asked. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Out with it…what were you thinking?”

“Uh-uh…nope..I wasn’t thinking anything,” she denied. She will never admit to thinking that he is confessing to her. No way. That is too embarrassing.

“You tell me what you were about to tell me!” she changed the topic.

“Wait, were you thinking what I think you are thinking?” he asked.

She took a deep breath to clear her red face and hoped her face is no longer red.

“You are confusing me…I think you think I think…whatever…I’m hungry, let’s go eat,” she said. She turned to go out but he held her arm.

“No, I really need to tell you this first,” he said earnestly.

She turned around. What’s with his drama now? She crossed her arms on her chest and looked up at him. Darren can be quite good looking now that she is looking at him closely. He has a nice bigh nose, velvety warm dark eyes, adorable dimples and straight white teeth. She could understand why she had a crush on him before she met Thorin.

“I dropped out of college,” he said in a rush.

“What???? Why????” she exclaimed. Darren was a good student and an obedient son. His parents are so proud of him!

“I just don’t like the course…I have been lagging behind a lot…actually, I wanted to take art like you…I am not sure if my parents will allow it, you know how they are,” he said.

“But I thought you have always wanted to be an engineer,” she said. This is the first she’s heard of Darren doing something against his parents’ wishes.

“Please, if you see my parents, don’t tell them or accidentally reveal it to them,” he said.

“But…eventually they will find out…you should tell them,” she said.

He shook his head. He needed more time to think it over.

“When did you drop out actually?” she asked. Why didn’t she know about this?

“Several months ago actually and I’ve been working instead of going to college actually,” he confessed.

So, that’s how he has the thousands of savings to give to her. He has been working all along. He had dropped out even before she was kidnapped by Thorin. Why didn’t she notice anything?

“Why did you keep it a secret for so long?”

He shrugged.

“You have problems of your own and I didn’t want to burden you with mine,” he told her.

She felt ashamed. What a horrible best friend she turned out to be. He was having problems and he couldn’t even confide in her because she was too wrapped up in her own personal hell. She had not been there for Darren like how he has been there for her.

“Oh Darren, I am so sorry,” she said. She hugged him. “I have been such a bad friend, I wasn’t even there for you,”

His hands went up to hold her waist and he hugged her back.

“It’s not your fault Mei, it’s my own problem and I can handle it,” he said.

Realising their proximity and Thorin’s warning not to get too close to another man and smear her yin or whatever blablabla…she released Darren and took a step back.

“So, why don’t you sign up for the same course as me?” she asked him.

“Since you said you like art too…we can be college mates!”

It would be so nice to have a friend going to the same college and attending the same course as her. It will be fun!

“Maybe I will,” he agreed. “I will sign up and not tell my parents till much later,” he said with resolve.

“Yes, Darren, we can do it! Now, can we go eat?” her stomach is growling. She is so hungry.

Darren laughed. “Sure, let’s go,” he led the way out of her house. He waited for her as she locked her door. They walked down the street together companionably.

“So are Sheena and Jazzmine coming too?” he asked.

“Nahhh…both of them have classes today it seems,” she said. “So, it’s only two of us,”

“Oh,” he replied. He sounded disappointed. Did she get it all wrong after all? Maybe he had a crush on one of her girlfriends. She hoped it’s Jazzmine since Jazzmine clearly has a crush on him.

“Why? Do you want to see either one of them? Is there something I should know?” she teased.

“What? No! Please!” he protested.

“Is it Jazzmine? She is really pretty and she’s smart too…I know you like a girl who’s smart,” she continued.

“Mei,” he said, a warning tone in his voice.

“Maybe it’s Sheena…they do say hate and love are two sides of the same coin…” she teased.

“Hey!” he protested.

“Maybe you like someone hot and sexy like Sheena,” she continued and then ran off when he made to attack her.

She stuck her tongue out at him. “You’ll never catch me, bleh,” she said and ran off. Darren laughed and gave chase.

“Hah! I am a track champion at school!” he shouted.