The Affection Multiplier - Chapter 223: Tension. (Patreon)

It seemed like a good idea. At least, right up until Lilian is face to face with Olivia and Jessica at the former’s house. The three are in her room, as they usually are when they just want to hang out. Lilian wants to ask a question, but now… she’s scared.

Because she knows Olivia will be mad and Jessica will be hurt. But she can’t avoid this. She has to ask.

So while she’s sitting on the rug on the floor, she looks up at Olivia and Jessica sitting on the bed and starts.

“Hey, girls? I… I need to ask you something. It’s important.” Lilian says, and she’s sure Olivia can pick up on her hesitance.

“What is it?” Olivia asks, rising her eyebrow. Meanwhile, Jessica stops the video she was watching on her phone, takes her earphones off and turns to Lilian.

“It’s… about David.”

“Oh.” Jessica exclaims. She straightens up as she’s sitting with her legs crossed. “What about him?”

“Well… you know how Emily and Megan asked me to go shopping with them, right?”

“There was more to it. What a surprise.” Olivia says, obviously not surprised. “What did they say?”

“…” Lilian opens her mouth to speak, then rethinks her words and closes it. She purses her lips, thinking of the best way to say it but it ends up annoying her friends even more.

“Come on, Lilian! You’re making me anxious here!” Jessica says.

“Sorry! Sorry! It’s just… Well, to start, they sort of… gave us the go-ahead? They said they all agreed to give us a chance.”

Both girls’ jaws drop. They look at each other and excited smiles starts forming in their faces.

“Are you serious?” Olivia asks.

“I am, but they also said they’re still keeping an eye on us.” Lilian nods. “But they also… asked me something else.”

It’s like there’s a knot in her throat. Maybe she should just explain everything to them first?

“They asked me if… I was really serious about him.”

The smile leaves Olivia’s face. Her expression turns neutral as she looks at her.

“What did you tell them?”

“That I did like him, but I wasn’t completely sure.”

“Yeah, you’ve been too wishy-washy about it.” Jessica smiles wryly. “Though I suppose that’s normal. It’s us who are too serious about it.” She says, sharing a look with Olivia.

“So you think I’m just going along with you two as well?” Lilian asks, surprised.

“Kind of. You think he’s boring, right?” Olivia asks.

“Well…” It’s not like Lilian has been very subtle about it, but she never outright said it in front of Olivia and Jessica. But of course her friend has her figured out already.

“Look, I admit it would be nice if all three of us ended up dating him. Putting him aside for a second, it would keep us together.” Olivia says. “But you don’t have to force it if you don’t want to. This is a delicate matter, and you should do what you think is right for you.”

“I agree. You, specially, owe it to yourself, Lilian. Don’t rush and jump into another relationship just for convenience.” Jessica adds. “You’ve had enough of those.”

“Y-yeah.” Lilian nods.

And Olivia is on the same boat. Which would explain why she’s so serious about this. It’s the first time she’s been so fixated on a guy before. She will willingly and unabashedly declare that she’s in love with him. Jessica, on her part, stopped having boyfriends the moment she entered high school. She closed her heart to everyone else but her and Olivia, and is only know willing to let someone in again, despite the risks.

Lilian doesn’t have that kind of resolve. Which is why it’s painful to ask what she’s about to ask.

“I… I know you girls are right. Which is why I wanted to ask… you… a favor.” Lilian swallows. Her voice becomes quieter with every word.

“What is it?”

“W-Would it be… alright if I a-asked D-David out on a d-date?”

Fucking shit. She said it. She really fucking said it. And the reaction is exactly what she expected.

Olivia’s eyes widen before she stops any words coming from her mouth by biting her lip. She narrows her eyes, giving Lilian a short, hot glare before she completely shuts her eyes to avoid doing it. She’s is grabbing tightly onto the bed covers, enough to make her fist shake.

And Jessica is also reacting like Lilian thought she would. Her shoulders slump, her eyes stare blankly at her. Her mouth is half opened and she doesn’t even move a finger.

She knows what they’re thinking.

Why would Lilian, the one least interested, the least invested in this would want to go and ask David out on a date first? What gives her the right? Olivia and Jessica have had to put up with months of heartache, not knowing if they’d ever be forgiven or given a chance. And now that things are looking up, Lilian is just trying to get ahead of them?

It’s beyond insulting.

“Give me a minute.” Olivia says through gritted teeth. She stands up and walks out of her own room without another word.

Jessica just purses her lips tightly with eyes shut. Not a peep comes out of her save for the sound of her deep, nasal breathing.

Lilian’s chest hurts. Why did she have to even say it? Why did she have to get impatient? All she wanted was to see if David is someone who Lilian can connect with? Someone who can understand her. But now she just went and said something that hurt the two most important people in her life.

She feels like she’s about to cry.

There’s not a single sound in the room or outside it. Not for at least a whole 10 minutes. Not until Olivia comes back.

Her face is no longer boiling with dumbfounded rage. She’s calm, even if she’s still taking a few deep breaths. She doesn’t look at Lilian while she takes her spot back on her bed, but instead has her eyes on the still unmoving Jessica.

Finally, the Brazilian girl lets out a final, heavy sigh. “I don’t really know what to say.”

“How’re you feeling?”

“I’m upset, obviously.” Jessica says, looking down with a sad expression. “I know in my head I shouldn’t be, but I am.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Lilian says, grimacing a biting her lip.

“No. I think it’s us who’re being irrational.” Olivia says. “We were just telling you that you should do what you think is right and then we react like this.” Her scowl and her annoyance are directed at herself now.

Olivia has never been shy about yelling at people who truly annoy her. But even if her, Lilian and Jessica have had their differences in the past, Olivia has never once yelled at them. It’s rare, but the few times she’s been truly angry, she does the same thing. She steps out and comes back when she’s calmed down.

“You know exactly why we don’t like this, right?” She asks Lilian.

“Y-Yeah.” Lilian swallows. “But I need to know, too. This may be my chance at a real relationship. It may not. But I need to find out. I don’t want to make a mistake here. I don’t want to let go of this chance, or worse, enter a relationship where I could be the one to screw everything up. I need to talk to him.”

Olivia lets out a heavy sigh and a groan. “I know you do. Hell, I encourage it! I just can’t shake the feeling that I don’t want you to be the first!”

“I don’t have to be the first! You both can go on a date with him before I do!” Lilian says. “I just need to be alone with him for a day.”

“…”

There’s a moment of silence. Like the three of them are trying to collect their thoughts.

“I guess we never considered if falling for the same guy would make us fight.” Jessica says.

“Yeah.” Olivia nods. “…Katherine did mention something about that, huh?”

“You mean that magic stuff?” Lilian asks.

“I don’t feel bothered when I think of you going on a date with him.” Olivia says. “I feel bothered when I think of you going before me or Jessica when you don’t care as much as we do.”

“Then go with him first! I don’t mind going last!” Lilian says.

“No.” Olivia shakes her head. “Jessica, I think we should let Lilian go first.”

“R-Really?” Jessica asks.

“Really. I think going one on one is for the best, and…” Olivia sighs. “This is no secret. You two are important to me. More so than David. If wanting him makes me start being a bitch towards you, then I want nothing to do with him.”

“Olivia…”

“If I had to choose, I’d choose you two 10 out of 10 times. But I don’t want to choose.” Olivia smiles wryly and her cheeks start getting rosy. “I like him. And I really feel like liking him is making me want to improve myself. Being a bitch towards you, Lilian, goes against that. I want him, and I want you girls, too. I’ve been thinking about what Katherine said, but if whatever weird thing that’s happening allows me to not have to make a choice, then I’ll welcome it.”

“I think I understand.” Jessica says. She nods slowly and has a small smile on her face. “If the three of us had fallen for any other guy, we would probably have ended up fighting. But somehow, because it’s him, I can see a future where we don’t have to choose between him and us.”

“I… I knew you two were serious, but I didn’t know you had this kind of… resolve.” Lilian says. “So… are you sure I can ask him out?”

“Do it.” Jessica says, nodding with an understanding smile. “Go, figure out your own feeling and we’ll work from there. In the end, it’s nothing but selfishness that made us upset in the first place.”

“What she said.” Olivia nods in agreement. “Yes, I’d love to be the first to jump his pants, but in the end, that ship sailed long ago. The three of us are last in line, so we’ll just have to suck it up. Having you go first is hardly an issue now that I can think clearly.”

“A-Alright then. I’ll ask him out.” Lilian smiles. “Thanks, girls. I’m sorry for making you upset.”

“It’s fine. Don’t sweat it anymore. It’s settled.” Olivia lean back on her bed and stares into the ceiling as she sighs. “Man, still pisses me off to think we could’ve been the first to have him if only we’d acted different from the beginning.”

“I guess we’ll have to make up for lost time.” Jessica giggles.

“And speaking of… where do you think I should take him? What are you plans?” Lilian asks.

But that questions seems to have taken her two friends by surprise.

“Oh fuck! Where am I gonna take him!?” Olivia asks herself, panic settling in her face. “Jessica, help!”

“Hey, I don’t know either!” Jessica answers, panicking just as much. “I almost didn’t dare to believe we’d have a shot! I didn’t think this far ahead!”

And so, the three girls start a wild storm of ideas. Discussing dating spots, atmospheres to aim for and such. It might be weird to think it’s all for the same guy, but it does make it a little easier.