Three Kisses, One Christmas

chapter 3.

The night feels like a whirlwind—one moment I’m laughing, the next, I’m caught in a strange silence, wondering if I should be somewhere else, doing something else. But the music doesn’t stop, and neither do they.

Liam, Alex, and Nathan are still by my side, and as the evening drifts into the early hours, it becomes harder to tell where one of them ends and the other begins. They are everywhere I turn, in my space, in my thoughts, and the realization that I’m falling into something I never expected only deepens with each passing minute.

My feet move on their own, following the beat of the music, though I barely notice anymore. My mind is elsewhere.

I’m trying to push the questions away—the “what does this mean?” and the “why are they being like this?” that swirl around in my mind. But every time I look at them, it gets harder to ignore.

Liam’s eyes are constantly on me. It’s subtle, like he’s not trying to make it obvious, but I feel it. When he smiles, it’s genuine, like he’s finally comfortable, like he’s finally letting go of whatever wall he had built. But he doesn’t say much. Not directly, anyway.

Alex, on the other hand, never stops talking. He’s always making jokes, teasing, pushing, but in a way that feels playful, like he’s not serious about anything. But I can’t help but notice how he sometimes looks at me—like he’s studying me, trying to understand me. And there’s that flicker in his eyes that says he wants more than just the fun he shows on the surface.

Nathan? He’s quieter than the other two. More reserved. But when he speaks, it carries weight. He doesn’t have to try hard to be impressive. He just is. And when he looks at me, it’s different—like he’s seeing something inside me that no one else has ever seen before. It makes my stomach twist in ways I’m not sure I can handle.

It’s a confusing mess, all of it. I’m not sure what they want from me or what I want from them. But when they’re around, I feel... different. Alive, even. And I’m terrified of it.

The party has started to wind down by the time I find myself standing alone at the edge of the gym. The music has slowed, the lights dimmed, and people are scattered in small clusters, talking, laughing, some beginning to say their goodbyes. But I’m not ready to leave yet. Not until I figure this out.

I hear footsteps behind me, and before I can turn around, I feel the familiar warmth of Liam’s presence beside me.

“You okay?” His voice is quiet, almost gentle, as if he’s unsure whether he’s allowed to ask.

I give him a forced smile, the edges of it curling up just enough to make it look believable. “Yeah, just... thinking.”

Liam glances at me, his expression unreadable for a moment, before he nods slowly. “It’s a lot to take in, huh?”

I can’t help but laugh, though it’s more out of nervousness than anything else. “You could say that.”

There’s a long pause before he speaks again, and this time, his voice is softer, more intimate. “You don’t have to figure it all out tonight, Debby.”

I turn to look at him, surprised by the sincerity in his tone. He’s always been the confident one, the one who doesn’t seem to care about anything or anyone. But right now, he seems... different.

“I just don’t get it,” I admit, the words slipping out before I can stop them. “You guys. You’re... you’re all so different. I don’t know how to handle this.”

Liam’s eyes soften, his hand brushing against mine in a brief, but electrifying touch. “You don’t have to handle it alone.”

I feel my heart skip a beat, and I quickly look away, afraid that he might see the sudden vulnerability that has risen in me.

But before I can say anything else, a voice cuts through the moment.

“You two having a heart-to-heart over here?” Alex’s grin is wide, his eyes sparkling with mischief. He’s always interrupting at the most inconvenient moments, and tonight is no different.

Liam shoots him a glance, clearly unamused. “Not everything’s about you, Alex.”

Alex shrugs, unfazed. “Just checking in on my girl here. You’ve been awfully quiet tonight, Debby. Something on your mind?”

I feel a flush creeping up my neck, and I quickly turn my attention to Alex, trying to act like nothing’s wrong. “I’m fine,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel. “Just a little tired.”

“Uh-huh. Sure,” Alex says with a raised eyebrow. “You know, you can talk to us. We’re not all that scary.”

I laugh, though it feels hollow. “You guys are hardly scary.”

“Speak for yourself,” Liam mutters under his breath, but there’s a teasing glint in his eyes.

Before Alex can respond, Nathan steps up, his calm demeanor the perfect counterbalance to Alex’s energetic presence. “We should probably start thinking about heading out,” he says, his gaze flicking to me. “It’s getting late, and we don’t want you walking home alone.”

I look up at him, surprised by the concern in his voice. “I’m not walking home alone,” I point out, trying to sound confident. “I’m fine.”

Nathan’s expression softens, and for a moment, he looks almost... protective. “Still, we’ll make sure you get home safe,” he says firmly.

I can’t argue with that. The triplets have always been good to me, in their own way. But tonight? I feel like everything is different. Like I’ve stepped into a world I wasn’t prepared for.

We head outside, the cold air hitting me as we step out of the warmth of the gym. The night is clear, the stars twinkling above us, and for a moment, everything feels peaceful. But that peace is quickly shattered when Alex starts up again.

“So, Debby,” Alex says, his voice loud and full of energy, “you’ve been hanging out with us all night. But you still haven’t told us which one of us you like the most.”

I freeze, my heart pounding in my chest. What the hell is he talking about?

Liam glances at Alex, clearly annoyed. “Can you not?” he mutters.

But Alex doesn’t back down. He’s always been the one to push boundaries, to make people uncomfortable just to see how they’ll react.

I glance at Liam, then Nathan, both of them looking at me with the same quiet intensity. And I realize that the question Alex just asked—though it sounds flippant—isn’t as easy to answer as it seems.

“I... I don’t know,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t even know what I’m doing here, honestly.”

Nathan’s gaze softens, and he steps closer to me, his voice calm and steady. “You don’t have to figure it all out tonight, Debby. Take your time. We’re not going anywhere.”

But the truth is, I feel like I’m already in too deep. The way they look at me, the way they make me feel—like I’m something worth fighting for—it’s both comforting and terrifying all at once.

And as we all stand there, under the dark sky, with the crisp night air swirling around us, I realize something that scares me even more than everything else.

I might not be ready for this... but I want it.