"Who are you dating, Paige?"
It's a chorus, more and more voices rising in harmony as lights flash and cameras click, and the heat in the room grows stifling, too much carbon dioxide and not enough ventilation.
Paige doesn't notice any of it.
There are two boys staring at her, their hearts in their eyes—their hearts in her hands—and she doesn't know what to do with them.
Jake's face is warm and hopeful, the strong line of his jaw tilted up, fragile just for her.
Rainer's fragility is more evident, not hers alone, but he has been kind to her, has become her friend, and she will not be the one to strike the shattering blow.
The chorus grows, echoing in the ill-concealed curiosity and irritation on her costars' faces, and something in her snaps instead. She holds up a hand, her mouth curving into a delicate smile as she leans toward the microphone and a hush falls, artificial silence in a room that is nothing but noise.
"Both, of course."
There are gasps and camera flashes, whispers that grow into a dull roar. Their eyes are still on her, those fragile boys, now shocked and wide, and she summons the daring that led her to the Locked audition and everything that came after, and lets her smile widen, mischievous and bold.
"Both of them?" "What do you mean, Paige?" "Are you all dating?"
Paige turns to that one, a woman with a spark of something bright in her eyes. "Well, Diana," she says, eyes darting down to the name tag stuck to the reporter's shirt. "Unfortunately I have to say no." There's a voice that sounds suspiciously like Alexis, driving her on, and she winks. "As much as I would enjoy that, you know how boys are. Getting them to share is hard enough, playing nice with each other would be too much to ask."
The actual Alexis snorts from her place down the table and Paige's grin widens. Maybe this ridiculous moment will be what it takes to finally make peace with the other girl.
There are more gasps and scattered laughter, the shouted questions growing bolder and more invasive. Paige shakes her head and her finger, like she's scolding naughty children. "Now I know you all are fascinated by my love life. But we're here to talk about Locked." She pats Rainer and Jordan's arms. "And we have a much more interesting love triangle we're just dying to tell you about."
They are not derailed so easily, but she and the others are insistent, Rainer's mother stepping in to forcefully direct their questions into more appropriate paths. Paige knows it doesn't matter. There will be only one thing any of their papers and blogs and shows talk about tomorrow and it's not going to be the movie that's changed her life.
x
There is moment, a scant few seconds, in which her trailer is the most peaceful place she's ever known. Quiet and dim and blissfully empty.
And then they come through the door, Jake on Rainer's heels, questions spilling from their lips as furiously as they did from the reporters, Jake shooting the other boy suspicious glances, and she throws up both hands. "Stop, stop!"
"I'm dating you, Jake," she says, looking at him and knowing that this time it is her heart in her eyes. She lets the shine fade as she turns to Rainer, her smile softening. "But I wasn't going to screw you over, Rainer. And also it's none of their business who any of us are dating." Neither of them look quite convinced, although Jake can't hide the happiness in his smile and Rainer is starting to look amused. She shrugs. "We can always take it back. Release statements. But, honestly, I think they're more likely to leave us alone now that they have an answer."
Rainer snorts. "There's that innocent math geek again." He shrugs too, cutting a glance at Jake before looking back at her. "But I'm fine with it, for now."
Jake doesn't look so agreeable, but Paige knows how to make her lips curve into a pleading pout and he doesn't argue, just pushes Rainer toward the door. "Fine, but tonight it's just going to be us."
Paige laughs, giddy with all sorts of relief, and doesn't stop smiling until he's shut the door behind the other boy and kissed her breathless.
So far she thinks her spur of the moment plan, that isn't really a plan so much as an explosion of sheer panic that didn't end in tears for once, is going quite spectacularly.
x
Rainer is the first one to flirt with Jake on camera, when they're cornered on the set parking lot. Jake is there to pick her up, but she's running late and so it's Rainer who greets him, smirking, when the reporter sneaks up on them, asking about their relationship and jealousy and do they assign different nights of the week for their dates?
Jake is flustered, unused to microphones in his face and anyone caring about his love life, but Rainer is an old pro and he winks at the camera as he squeezes Jake's shoulder just a little too long. "Oh, we don't need anything so formal. It's romance, not my mother's calendar."
Her boyfriend's face, flushed with embarrassment and lips parted in surprise, is on the cover of every single gossip rag the next morning, with titles ranging from mere implication to outright statements of their scandalous ménage à trois.
x
Cassie thinks it's hilarious, the best thing Paige's ever done, and their daily conversations about the ridiculous turn her life has taken help heal the final wounds in their friendship.
Her parents are less amused, but she reassures them that it's just a story, a media frenzy, that she's not actually taking part in the sort of orgies the more lurid tabloids are describing, and carefully doesn't mention how often she imagines what it would feel like to have four hands on her skin, two mouths against her neck.
Rainer's eyes have less fragility and more heat in them these days, and Jake has stopped looking quite so perturbed when that gaze is turned on him.
The word friend feels heavy on her tongue, and she wonders if it ever tasted right. Maybe those lies told under bright lights had more truth than even she realized.
x
They're in her trailer, celebrating the wrap on the final scene of Locked and the beginning of Jake's new project. Jake's jaw tightens when Rainer leans in and kisses her, deep and purposeful. It tightens further when Rainer pulls back, lips red and slick, and then kisses him with just as much intent.
Paige laughs, breathless with desire and a relief so strong it makes her dizzy, and Jake finally relaxes, tentative fingers moving down Rainer's spine. Paige makes sure the door is locked before dragging them both to her bed, impatient for the feel of their skin against hers.
Rainer is smug and smirking, Jake still looks a little lost, and Paige doesn't care at all. They're hers, these boys, all hers, and she'll teach them to play very nice indeed.
x
The next time a reporter asks about their relationship she just smiles, a secretive curl of lips that says everything and nothing.
She's got this fame thing figured out.