Linda looked down at her phone her thumb hovering over the text.
Thea had invited her to go to the fair with her and Oliver. The fair was only in for a couple of days.
She was so thrown by Thea's invite that she found herself saying yes before she even thought about it.
When she realized what she did her first thought was to call Thea back and cancel but she didn't want to disappoint the girl, she had sounded so excited for her to come.
Then there was Oliver to consider. He was going to be there, she hadn't seen him since their shared moment almost a week ago and she really missed just being around him.
It was her choice to take a step back from their friendship but God it was hard when all she wanted to do was just talk to him. Being around him made everything better but if Adrian found out she didn't know what he would do and it scared her.
For as long as she could remember she had always done what was expected of her and more so when she started dating Adrian and finished high school. Her whole life had become about doing as she was told and never what she wanted.
She wanted to do something for her for once. She wanted to spend the day with Oliver.
She read over the text to Adrian, that she was spending the day with Caitlin and Felicity and after another moment of hesitation she pressed the send button and waited anxiously for a reply.
It wasn't until ten minutes later she got a reply back with Adrian telling her to be back before 9.
She knew it was ridiculous that her boyfriend set her curfew but it wasn't like she could stand up to Adrian with facing the consequences of him beating her.
There was something about doing something she knew Adrian would hate and that she truly wanted for herself that was too good to pass up. It was almost like telling Andrian to go shove it without actually saying it.
She went to her room grabbing her jean jacket and giving herself a once over in the mirror next to her dresser.
The red dress clung to her torso and chest and flowed at the waist, swishing against her thighs stopping a few inches above the knees. It was flirty and fun. She slipped on her black leather cropped jacket and fluffed her hair out a bit as it fell in waves around her shoulders and headed out the door.
A small smile pulling at her lips at the thought of spending the day with Oliver and Thea.
Linda looked around at all the people who had come for the fair. It was packed with families, lots of kids and young people like herself and there were even a few older couples, walking with their grandchildren.
"Linda!" Linda turned at the sound of her name only to have Thea pulling her into a hug.
Linda hugged her back in surprise, looking at Oliver over her shoulder as he approached, dressed in jeans and a dark gray t-shirt. She smiled at him. "Hey."
Thea released her, pulling back. "I'm so glad you came. We are going to have fun today but first I need cotton candy. It's a tradition when attending a fair. You must have cotton candy." She flashed Linda a smile. "I'll be right back."
Linda watched her disappear into the crowd, heading for the cotton candy concession stand before turning back toward Oliver. "She's a bit of a whirlwind."
"Yeah, she is." Oliver agreed fondly. "She keeps me on my toes."
Linda was quiet for a minute, taking him in. "Was it your idea for Thea to invite me?"
"No, she thought it would do some good for you to take a step back from your everyday life. Of course, I would have loved to have invited you but I wanted to respect the boundaries you put in place on our friendship."
Linda looked down. She knew he was right and she really appreciated that he respected her decision but she missed just being around him.
She looked up, taking a step forward and reached for his hand. "I know what I said and I know you said you're going to be here waiting and I really appreciate it. I feel selfish for even asking but can we just spend the day like two friends who don't have a care in the world?"
"It's not selfish." Oliver squeezed her hand in his. "And if that's what you want then that's what we'll do. I just want to make your life a little easier and I want you to be happy."
Linda smiled, eyes shining up at him. God, she wanted to kiss him. He was just so sweet and caring. How could she not want more than friendship from him? It was impossible not to but he deserved someone who didn't remind him of his past or complicate his life.
"Here, I got you guys one, too?" Thea popped up beside them, two bags of cotton candy in hand.
Linda let go of Oliver's hand but she didn't step away from Oliver.
"Speedy, I only see two." Oliver pointed out.
"I figured you guys could share," Thea's smile was lit with mirth. "Oh, look, there's a friend of mine. I'll be back in a bit."
"What friend?" Oliver whirled around and watched her disappear into the crowd with someone in a red hoodie. "Thea!"
"Have fun!" he could hear her voice fading amongst all the others in attendance at the fair.
"I'm sure, she'll be fine" Linda touched his forearm. "She probably just wants to spend time with her friend without her protective brother hovering and possibly scaring him away."
"Yeah, you're right," Oliver said, turning back to her. "I know you thought you would be here with Thea so if you want to go I won't be mad."
"I'm here with you, why would I want to leave?" The words were out before she realized what she was saying but now that they were out there, she didn't want to take them back.
A surprised look filter across Oliver's face and he smiled. "You know I saw a concession booth, do you want to get something to eat that's not cotton candy?"
"I'd like that." Linda smiled.
Oliver reached for her hand, his fingers, curling around her own. "Is this okay?"
Linda looked down at their clasped hands, the way her small hand fit perfectly into her larger one, the feel of his warm hand engulfing hers. She looked back up at him, brown eyes locking with blue. "Yeah, it is."
They ended up getting ice cream instead and sitting at a picnic table near a handmade jewelry stand.
"What's your favorite ice cream?" Oliver asked Linda as she took a bite of her sundae.
"What? Why?" Linda asked, surprised by the question.
"I want to get to know the smaller details about you." Oliver grinned. "Kinda like we're playing a game of twenty questions."
"Chocolate Swirl," Linda answered.
"That explains the sundae." Oliver grinned. "Ask me anything."
"What's your favorite color?" Linda asked.
"Blue," Oliver responded. "Okay, cats or dogs?"
Linda grinned. "I never had a pet before but I always wanted a dog. If you can go anywhere where would it be and where would you go?"
"Aruba and you."
"Me?" Linda blushed. "Really?"
"Absolutely." he grinned. "If you could change one thing about me what would it be?"
"Your charm." She smiled an almost flirty smile. "You're far too charming for your own good. If there was anything you could change about me physically what would it be?"
"Nothing," Oliver answered.
"I'm being serious," Linda insisted.
"So am I. Your perfect," Oliver responded and Linda didn't know if her mind was playing tricks on her but there was heat in his gaze.
She looked down, brushed her hair back before looking back up at him through her lashes, biting her lower lip.
Oliver's eyes flickered down to her mouth before he swallowed heavily and Linda watched as the muscles in his throat flexed. There was something so alluring about it.
God, she was in so much trouble. Every day her feelings for Oliver grew but she could do nothing to stop it.
You can't control how you feel.
"Did you have fun today, Speedy?" Oliver asked as they walked into their apartment after a long day at the fair. He had spent most of the day with Linda and he wished he could spend more of his days in her company. Linda was amazing and he wanted to show her how amazing he thought she was.
"I did," Thea smiled. "You and Linda seemed close today," she responded, leadingly.
"I feel like you're going somewhere with that statement," he stepped into the living room, tossing his jacket onto a chair and taking a seat on the couch.
"That's because I am," Thea followed him, sitting on the other end of the couch, folding her legs beneath her as she angled her body to face her brother's. "Why aren't you with her?"
"Thea, you know she's with someone else." Oliver sighed, he didn't even want to think about Adrian, let alone thinking about Linda with him.
"So? He's horrible and an ass! Linda can do so much better and you like her." Thea insisted. "If you truly cared about her like I think you do, you would fight for her because Ollie, you and I both know she's a girl worth fighting for."
"I know that Speedy and I would fight for her in a heartbeat if that was what she wanted but it's not." Oliver shook his head sadly. "And until she is ready to break free of Adrian, I'm going to be her friend and be whatever she needs me to be."
Thea nodded after a moment. "I hope you don't have to wait too long for her to reach that point."
"She's worth the wait." Oliver murmured.
"I didn't say she wasn't," Thea replies, with a small smile. "I just don't want you getting hurt."
Oliver smiled at his sister affectionately. "I love you too, speedy. Enough about me and Linda. Tell me about your friend in the red hoodie."
Thea let out a loud exaggerated yawn. "Wow, it has been a long day, Ollie. Sleep certainly does just hit you out of nowhere." she stood quickly. "See you in the morning."
Oliver laughed at her avoidance tactic. "What about dinner?"
"I'll eat when you forget about my friend," Thea called over her shoulder heading straight to her room.
Oliver shook his head in amusement. If her friend was important to her, he would see him again and would find out about all that he needed to and make sure he was good enough to be around his little sister.
"You're telling me you spent the entire day with Oliver at the fair?" Caitlin asked.
Linda had met up with Felicity and Caitlin at their favorite cafe by the water and they got to talking about what they did over the weekend and she told them about the time she spent with Oliver.
"Thea mentioned, you guys were acting pretty close at the fair," Barry interjected. Barry had stopped in to get something to eat but when he spotted the girls had decided to join them. Besides he needed to talk to Caitlin about their notes for their shared class.
"Thea was there?" Felicity frowned in disappointment, she was hoping that the fair had been more of a date for her friend and Oliver because anyone was better than that douche bag Adrian.
"We went there with her but she went off with a friend not long after we got there so it was just me and Oliver most of the day," Linda admitted, biting down on her bottom lip as she thought about that day. She had felt free and like she mattered and that was all because of Oliver.
She didn't think it was possible but her feelings for him after that day have multiplied. She really liked him, he made her feel happy and the way he flirted with her made her feel desired and not like she was a stepping stone onto a career path and a perfectly planned life.
"I like him," Linda admitted.
"Yeah, we kind of got that or else you wouldn't be friends with him," Barry replied.
"I don't think she meant as a friend, Barry," Felicity said knowingly.
"What?" Barry looked at her in surprise. "You like, like Oliver?"
"What are you five?" Caitlin laughed and repeated. "Like, like?"
Linda bit her lip. "I can't help the way I feel."
"How do you feel?" Linda asked tentatively.
"If I wasn't with Adrian, I would want to be with him," Linda admitted. "I know its wrong, I have a boyfriend but I want to share something with him that I've never shared with anyone." She wasn't brave enough to end things with Adrian, to stand up to her parents but she could give herself to Oliver. Do something that she wanted for once. "Even if it is just for one night."
Was it wrong that she wished for a one-night stand with a friend? A night with Oliver that she could cherish and carry with her for the rest of her life.
If she was to be trapped in a relationship with Adrian forever, she wanted one memory that she could always think back on and know that for that one night she had let herself have what she wanted and it was beautiful and it was everything she could ever imagine she'll ever need.
She wanted to give herself to Oliver completely for one night and she knew instinctively with every cell in her body that she would never regret it.
She could never regret ever having the chance to be with Oliver.
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