36. Lyric

36

LYRIC

I wake up slowly, the morning light filtering through the curtains and casting a soft glow across the room. My head feels heavy and fragments of the night before start to come back to me in a hazy blur. Panic begins to rise in my chest, my heart racing as I try to piece together what happened.

But then I realize where I am—Archer's room. The familiar scent of his cologne mixed with the faint aroma of clean linens calms me slightly. I turn my head and see the boys are there, quietly talking among themselves. Relief washes over me when I spot Eli in Levi's arms, playing with his fingers and looking content. A sense of safety envelops me, easing the fear that had started to build.

I shift slightly, drawing their attention. Archer is the first to notice I'm awake. His eyes soften and he gives me a small, reassuring smile. "Hey," he says gently, walking over to sit beside me on the bed.

Levi follows, carefully holding Eli, and Zane stands nearby, his expression a mix of concern and something else I can't quite place.

"How are you feeling?" Levi asks, his voice hushed but warm.

"I… I'm okay," I manage to say, though my voice trembles. The memory of the confrontation with Cameron still looms large in my mind and I can't shake the fear that they might hate me again.

Archer reaches out, taking my hand in his. "You're safe here, Lyric. We're not going to let anything happen to you."

His words are like a balm to my frayed nerves. I glance at Zane, worried about what he might be thinking. But his eyes hold a gentleness that I haven't seen in a long time. "We've got you," he says simply.

Despite their reassurances, I can't help but worry about their thoughts. Are they angry with me for what happened? Do they blame me? The uncertainty gnaws at me, but I push it aside, focusing on the fact that for now, they're being careful and gentle.

Eli gurgles happily in Levi's arms and I reach out to stroke his cheek. The touch grounds me, reminding me of what's important.

"We need to talk about what happened," Zane says softly, breaking the silence.

I nod, steeling myself for whatever comes next. "I know."

Archer squeezes my hand. "Cameron was arrested by the campus police. He's facing serious repercussions. But they need a statement from you about what happened in order to prosecute. We'll take you over when you're ready."

Relief floods through me as I realize that there's no anger in Archer's eyes, no disappointment. Just a touch of sadness and something like regret.

"I'm sorry," I say anyway, needing to clear the air. "I don't remember everything that happened, but I'm sorry."

"Don't," Levi says, stopping me. "You didn't do anything wrong. Especially after everything you told us last night. We were the assholes."

"You tried to help, but all we did was push you away," Zane murmurs. "We screwed up. Royally. But we're going to fix it."

I take a deep breath, coming to terms with what they're telling me. "You guys believe me, then?" I ask, my voice small. "You believe that I tried to clear your name?"

"Yes," Archer says, cupping my face in his hands, capturing my attention with his piercing gaze. "We believe you. We are going to do everything in our power to make things right, Lyric. Do you think we can put the past behind us and start over again?"

A shiver runs down my spine at the intensity of his gaze. "I want to," I say slowly, "but I need time."

"We can give you time," Archer promises. "We'll take it slow."

"What about custody?" I ask, a tremor in my voice. "You guys said you were going to take Eli away from me."

Archer shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. It's dropped. We were idiots. Can you ever forgive us?"

"I don't know," I say, looking down at my hands as I swallow hard. I look up again, meeting Archer's eyes once more. "But I want to try. Right now, I think Eli should get to know you as his daddies," I tell them. "We can spend time together as friends, you guys can get to know Eli more and we'll see what happens."

"We'll take things at your speed," Archer promises.

His promise lingers in the air, filling me with a cautious sense of hope.

The next week seems to go by in a whirlwind. Archer, Levi, and Zane make good on their word and one afternoon, we gather at the nearby park. The boys stand around awkwardly, as though not quite sure how to navigate things with Eli yet. I watch as Levi tentatively approaches Eli, who is playing with a toy truck. "Hey, buddy," Levi says softly, kneeling down to Eli's level. "Can I play with you?"

Eli looks up, his big eyes curious. After a moment, he hands Levi the truck, a small smile spreading across his face. Levi's face lights up and he starts pushing the truck around, making exaggerated engine noises that make Eli giggle.

Archer and Zane join in, each taking a toy and engaging with Eli as well, rolling the truck over the rubber playground surface and making it crash into things.

Watching them together, a warmth spreads through my chest. I see glimpses of the men I once cared so deeply for and it gives me hope that maybe we can find a way forward.

Things are even different at the frat house. The boys start a routine of taking turns cooking dinner for all of us, though it often ends up in disaster. One night, Zane tried to make spaghetti and somehow ended up with noodles stuck to the ceiling. Eli's laughter is contagious and soon, we're all in stitches. I lean against Levi and smile as he bends down to press a soft kiss on my hair. I missed this, just goofing off and having fun together.

Some nights, we take Eli on walks around the houses on Frat Row. We stop by an ice cream social at one house and Eli lights up in excitement as he watches me put a bowl together for him, liberally dousing it with sprinkles. As we sit on a couch together, enjoying our treats, I watch as Zane feeds bites of ice cream to Eli and the genuine affection in his eyes has me smiling so hard my cheeks hurt.

On the weekend, the boys decide we need to take Eli to the zoo. His eyes widen with wonder as he sees the animals, pointing excitedly at the lions and monkeys. Archer lifts him onto his shoulders for a better view and Eli's giggles fill the air.

We walk through the exhibits, taking turns holding Eli's hand and explaining the different animals to him. It feels almost normal, like a family outing and it brings a lump to my throat.

Back at my house, we sit around the living room, playing with Eli's toys. Levi and Zane build an elaborate train track and Archer reads a storybook to Eli, his voice animated and engaging. As Eli snuggles into Archer's lap, I turn to Eli and point to the boys. "Eli, these are your daddies," I say softly. Eli looks at them, then back at me, his little brow furrowed in confusion. "Daddies?" he repeats, testing the word on his tongue.

Levi reaches out, ruffling Eli's hair gently. "That's right, buddy. We're your daddies."

Eli looks at each of them in turn, his eyes bright with understanding. "Daddies!" he exclaims, standing up to hug Levi. My heart feels like it might burst from the sight.

The walls between us have been crumbling to dust. They kept their word and haven't tried to make any moves, content to let me set the pace of things. They've proven how much they're changing, having removed all traces of the hateful signs and they laid down the law on campus regarding my status as an Alpha Lambda Girl. Anyone who tries to harass me or shame me gets put in their place right quick.

I clear my throat. "Can I talk to you guys?" I ask. Zane and Archer set the train stuff aside as they look up, and Levi pulls Eli into his lap.

"What's up?" Archer asks, raising an eyebrow. "Everything okay?"

A soft smile rises on my face. "Yeah. I was thinking things over. I think… I think I want more," I tell them. "I want to be with you guys again. But it has to be different this time. No more lashing out at me, no more pushing me around. I want to be your equal."

"We can do that," Zane offers, getting up to be closer to me. "We're here for you, any way you want us. It's the least you deserve."

"I care about you," Archer says. "I tried so hard not to, but I couldn't get rid of the way I felt. I was so selfish, pushing you away and hurting you. If you give us another chance, we promise that this time will be different."

"I want to be yours," I say, reaching out to take his hand. "I don't want to hold back anymore."

"You're all ours, Songbird," Archer says, brushing his thumb over my hand.

"Then prove it," I whisper, desire burning inside me. "I'm going to put Eli to bed soon. Show me how much you want me."

The three of them exchange glances, slow smiles spreading across their faces. "We're going to show you just how happy you make us, Songbird," Levi says, his voice husky.

The anticipation has me shivering as I pick Eli up from his lap to put him down for bed. I can't wait to see what they have in store for me.