Chapter 24

"Don't be silly, honey. Go enjoy your youth. Don't let this old hag stop you from finding love," Debbie said with a playful smile.

Travis shook his head. "Don't belittle yourself, Debbie. You're beautiful, seriously. If I didn't know you my whole life, I'd swear you were in your early twenties."

Debbie chuckled, a slight blush touching her cheeks. "Oh, come on, don't fib, Travis. But thanks for those sweet words. You're really turning into a lady killer."

He pulled her in closer, arm sliding around her waist as he slowly lowered it. "I would never lie to you. And... about earlier, I'm sorry. It's uncontrollable, honestly."

Debbie smiled warmly as the memory of earlier flickered in her mind, her blush deepening. "Oh, no worries, sweetie. It's normal. Now go see that girl. I'll keep your food in the microwave. And hey—wear protection. I'm not ready to be a grandma just yet."

Travis squinted his eyes at her but didn't push the subject. He left the house and made his way toward the library. As he walked up to Mia's house, he saw her standing outside in a cute outfit. He smiled and gently patted her head, causing her to blush softly.

"How'd you convince your mother?" Travis asked as they walked side by side. Mia turned to him, confusion in her eyes but a smirk slowly forming on her lips.

"What do you mean convinced?" she asked, clearly amused.

Travis chuckled and slid his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "I like myself a bad girl," he whispered into her ear, causing her cheeks to flush bright red.

Mia giggled shyly, blushing like a character straight out of an anime. They continued on until they reached the library. To Travis' surprise, it was still open. Last he remembered, this place closed pretty early. He looked over at the sign that had just been put up.

**<Open AM 08:30 Close 20:30 PM>**

'Well, that's convenient,' he thought, glancing at Mia with a smirk before they both stepped inside.

They entered the library and went upstairs where they sat together at the table. Mia sat extremely close to him, which he didn't mind. In fact, this would make groping her easier.

"Alright, Travis, let's start with Science since it's more complex than the other subjects," Mia suggested. Once they got comfortable, they dove into the material. Travis was learning, but he also couldn't resist glancing around, keeping an eye out for the stunning Jane, who was anything but plain.

After about 30 minutes of studying, they took a five-minute break. Travis excused himself to the bathroom. On his way, he spotted Jane, and she didn't look right—she was being followed by some guy. Travis noticed the panic in her eyes and without hesitation, he hurried toward them.

Just as the guy was about to lay hands on her, Travis gripped his shoulder firmly and pressed him down onto his knees with little effort. The man tried to stand and fight back, but the second he locked eyes with Travis, pure terror washed over him. He visibly trembled, his face pale with fear, and in an embarrassing instant, he lost control. The guy pissed and shat himself right there.

Travis wrinkled his nose in disgust and kicked him away with ease, sending him sprawling.

"Man, clean your stomach more often," Travis thought, unable to believe how bad the stench was.

Jane, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but laugh. She approached Travis with a radiant smile and said, "Thanks for helping me," her tone that of the typical American 'it' girl but still sweet enough to melt any guy's heart.

"No problem, I guess. Hey, I think I know you," Travis said, squinting his eyes as he tried to place her face.

"Of course you know me, stupid! I'm your sister's best friend. Who would've thought that the shy boy from back then would one day save me from a crazy ex-boyfriend," Jane replied, stepping closer with a teasing grin.

"Ohhh yeah, Jane! How have you been? I rarely see you now," he said, finally remembering her.

"As you can see, I'm stuck working in this dumb library. I wish I could quit but the pay is just too good. Ugh, I wonder when some rich guy will come into my life and spoil me rotten," Jane sighed dramatically.

"Well, at least you're not Jenny. I swear, she's never getting a job as far as I can see," Travis chuckled, making Jane laugh as well. She reached out and placed her hand on his face.

"Yeah, you're right. Still, I'm amazed at how tall you've gotten," she said, circling around him with a curious look. "And muscles too! Show me those muscles, big guy," she asked with a playful glint in her eye.

"Sure, but not here. Let's do this next time, I'm busy with something," Travis said.

"What is that?" Jane asked.

"Well, there's this girl I'm studying with. In fact, here she comes," Travis replied, spotting Mia approaching.

Jane turned and saw Mia, impressed by her looks. She quickly turned back to Travis and whispered, "You fucking that?" with a playful nudge.

"No, not yet. But soon enough, I'll be in that," Travis smirked, causing Jane to smirk as well.

"Travis, I was wondering where you were. Who's this girl?" Mia asked as she reached them.

"His wife. And who are you?" Jane teased, grabbing his arm. She noticed Mia flinch, which made her laugh.

"I'm joking! I'm sort of like his big sister. Now, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," Jane winked, tapping Travis on the back before walking away.

"She's beautiful, right?" Mia said, pouting slightly. Travis chuckled and pulled her closer, resting her head on his chest.

"Come on, Mia. I only have eyes for you," he reassured her.

Mia blushed and gently pushed away, taking his hand and pressing it to her chest. "By the way, you said you had something important to tell me. I've been curious," she said.

Travis had forgotten about that. He brought his face close to hers, stopping just as their noses touched. Mia's heart raced.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you... Ms. Ross wants you to be my Art partner in our private lessons. So, I wanted to ask you," he said.

Mia stared at him blankly, her earlier excitement fading. "Oh, sure, I don't mind. When do we start?" she asked, her tone flat with disappointment.

Travis chuckled and patted her head. "Not sure. I'll ask her tomorrow."

She nodded, and they returned to their table to finish packing up. His conversation with Jane had taken more time than he thought. As they left the library and walked back together, Mia kept quiet, her mind lingering on her earlier hopes.

'At least I got to spend time with him,' she thought, though her heart still felt heavy with disappointment.

TO BE CONTINUED

[A/N: Just watched Daima. Man it was beautiful. Thank You Akira Toriyama for peak!!!!]