Declarations

I had never been in love before and in my rare fantasies about love, I had never imagined loving three guys.

But I did.

I loved each one of them. It was as if my heart was an infinite space, stretching vastly in dimensions my mind couldn't fathom, and yet I knew I had managed to fill it with love.

A different sort of future stretched in front of me; I was fifteen, and maybe people would claim I couldn't know my own heart, but I did. It was twinkling with stars and joy and hope, with emotions I hadn't felt before meeting the boys. They had somehow gifted that to me.

"I love you," I told them, looking at each of them.

I took a deep breath, gathering my courage.

"I love you James," I said, staring at his eyes and leaning forward, pressing a light kiss to his lips before drawing back.

"I love you Taylor," I said, smiling and meeting his eyes. He had a wicked smile on his face and cupped the back of my neck, pulling me forward and kissing me.

I took a deep breath and looked at Kell, who's face was alight, and who looked younger than I'd ever seen him look before, "I love you Kell," I told him, and leaned toward him. His eyes roamed my face and he smiled broadly. I stopped a millimeter from his lips, and he closed the gap, kissing me firmly while trailing his hand down my arm and making my skin break out in goosebumps.

"Do we really have to study?" I asked plaintively, when I finally opened my eyes.

Kell husked a laugh, looking toward James, who shook his head, and smiled, "No," he said, "I don't think tonight is a night for studying."

I felt a sudden wave of nerves and excitement course through my body, and I closed my eyes and fisted my hands against an unfamiliar ache pulsing in me. A cool burst of air swept over me, and I shivered.

"Come here," James commanded, and I moved to him. He pulled me into his body so I faced the water and leaned back against his chest. I could feel his breath tickle my ear. Kell and Taylor turned their bodies toward the water as well, each reaching toward me in order to touch me. I interlaced my fingers with Taylor's. When James' knee got in the way of Kell's arm, he sighed dramatically, but James automatically adjusted his body to make room for him, and Kell turned sideways so he could rest his head on my thigh.

"Good idea man," Taylor said, and James moved his long leg so that Taylor could lie his head on my other thigh.

"Who knew a head weighed so much," I said, my fingers playing in the curls on Kell's forehead and brushing the wrong way against Taylor's stubble.

Taylor snorted and James leaned past me and punched him in the arm, "Don't be an ass," he scolded.

"We're trying to woo her," Kell added.

I giggled. James leaned his head into my neck, kissing me until he reached my ear, "Something funny?" he asked.

I shook my head. Taylor grabbed my hand, and kissed the palm noisily, "Spill, Crash."

I shook my head again, not wanting to embarrass Kell; but who said 'woo' anymore?

"I think I'm adequately wooed," I answered, "In fact, you can consider me 'won.'"

I felt Kell's head shake back and forth against my thigh, "No, Priya," he told me, "the wooing doesn't end with the winning."

"Can you please stop saying 'woo'?" Taylor begged suddenly, "or I am taking your man-card."

"Fine," Kell responded drily, "court."

"No," James answered, "I would have let you say that a year ago…"

"What' s wrong with court?" I asked, picturing Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre.

"Nothing," Kell answered, sitting up, and kissing me, "we will woo, court, win, plight our troth, pursue, chase, date, marry, whatever… you."

"Whatever?" Taylor joked, sitting up as well and waggling his eyebrows wickedly.

I could just imagine Kell blushing, even if I couldn't see his cheeks stained pink.

"Enough," James interjected, "We have other things to talk about right now."

Taylor and Kell sat up, and I could feel the change in their demeanors and bodies, a tension that had disappeared now reappeared.

"We're looking at an enrollment time of early December, late November for the Academy," James said, "but I think we all agree that Sorenson's is not a place we want Lyric unsupervised."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

The boys exchanged a glance before James started speaking, "We want to install cameras," James said, watching me closely for a reaction, "we want to be able to access them remotely so we can check in on you."

I nodded, thinking about what that would mean for me, but also, I realized that whatever weirdness I was getting from Garret, they were picking up on, too. I wasn't crazy.

I tapped my finger to my chin, "Yes," I answered, "please."

Taylor looked surprised, "Are you sure, Crash? We want them everywhere, it's the only way we can deal with you being in that house."

"Put them everywhere," I answered, "but maybe…" I said thoughtfully, "there's a way that we can…" I felt my face flush as I imagined jumping into the shower.

James cleared his throat, "Your phone," he started, "do you have it?"

I nodded, and pulled it out, pressing a button so it would light up.

James took it and from me and pulled me back tighter against his chest, while he held it in front of us.

"This app here," he said, pressing one, opening it up so I could see what it looked like, "it's a way to contact each of us immediately."

He opened pressed a button labeled, 'James,' that had three colored buttons, "If there is an emergency, if you're unsure if there's an emergency, or if you're just feeling uncomfortable, you hit any of these buttons and we'll come to you."

"Even if I'm not at home?" I asked.

"We've enabled features on the phone that will help us find you, as long as the phone is on or near you, we can get to you."

I couldn't begin to explain the relief that I felt knowing they could find me; I had people to count on beside myself and my cobbled together safety plans. I took in a huge shuddery breath, and I felt my eyes well with tears.

Oh no.

I didn't want to cry, or for the boys to mistake my tears for upset, when it was really due to happiness.

"Priya?" Kell asked, his voice worried.

Of course Kell would be the first to notice, he was tuned into my emotions almost as closely as I was to his.

My throat closed up and I couldn't answer.

"Lyric," Taylor asked worriedly.

I held up a finger, asking for a moment, but with each passing second, I became more and more overwhelmed. The happiness I felt before, and the joy I was now feeling at the idea of being kept safe, was a physical thing.

"Lyric," Taylor said again, quieter this time. I saw him look at James, whose arms released me so Taylor could pull me onto his lap.

He pressed his lips against my head and tightened his arms against me. I could smell sunscreen and the musk of his deodorant, and realized he probably hadn't gone to soccer practice, or if he had, he'd come right to my house after getting ready for it.

Kell's face came into my line of sight, "We're going to keep you safe," he said, "we only have a month, at most, before we're all together again. We can do this."

The confidence in his tone gave me the ability to speak again, "No one has ever cared for me before," I said, trying to be completely honest, "before James stopped to help me on the road, no one cared if I was alive, or hurt, cold, or scared, or fed…"

Kell's face hardened and Taylor's arms tightened around my body, "Crash," Taylor breathed and I felt him press his lips against me again.

"Things like this," I started, turning my head to see James again, "they don't happen to people like me."

James's lips tightened and his eyes narrowed, "I wish we had found you earlier, Lyric," he said, almost like he was apologizing.

I shook my head, "You found me," I reassured him, them, myself, "we only have good things to look forward to now."

I felt Kell's calloused fingers grip my own and bring them to his lips. He nibbled the tips, "I have lots of good things planned for you," I heard James whisper in my ear.

The strange ache, the one that had only appeared tonight, began in my body again, and a sense of anticipation ran through me.

"I can't wait," I answered.

Thank you everyone- for reading. Please comment and let me know what you think!