Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Melody Meets Destiny

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

I sat on my divan, looking out of the window, watching the bustling city of Mumbai as I sipped my evening tea. It was a Friday evening and I was trying to wind down from the very busy and eventful week I had at school. No, I’m not a student, I’m a teacher at Sunshine Blossoms Kindergarten in Mumbai. But I have another secret identity as well, which no one knows. I am a singer by passion. I’m not formally trained in music, but it doesn’t stop me from singing my heart out.

Music had always been my escape, a world where I could be anyone and do anything. By the day, I was Shreya Rao, a kindergarten teacher, but at night I was a music aspirant with a passion for singing, guitar, and keyboard. My students knew me as the fun teacher who often broke into song during lessons, but few people knew about my dreams of becoming a professional musician.

My favourite singer? Well, the answer is easy.

Demi Lovato.

Demi is not only my favourite singer, she is also my refuge, my sanity, my safe haven. Demi was the only one who was with me when no one was there. She has saved me from some dark, rough times in my life and I will forever be grateful to her. Even though she doesn’t know that I exist.

I looked around inside my apartment. There was my divan, my wardrobe full of clothes and other things, my desk and chair that served as a work-from-home cubicle, my small kitchen-cum-dining space and in one quiet corner stood my guitar and my keyboard. This quiet, cozy studio apartment is what I call my home.

I placed my now empty cup in the sink and walked towards my guitar and my keyboard, trying to decide which one to use to dive into the world of music. After a few moments of debating in my mind, my guitar seemed more enticing and inviting. I picked up my guitar and sat on my divan, trying to think of a melody to jam. Finally, I started strumming the melody to the song “Up”, a collaboration between Demi Lovato and Olly Murs.

I lost myself in the melody as I sang along:

“I never meant to break your heart

And I won't let this plane go down

I never meant to make you cry

I'll do what it takes to make this fly

Oh, you gotta hold on

Hold on to what you're feeling

That feeling is the best thing

The best thing, alright

I'm gonna place my bet on us

I know this love is heading

In the same direction

That's up…”

The soft ‘ding’ sound of my phone indicating an incoming message interrupted my impromptu jam session. I set my guitar aside to check my phone. It was a notification from the telegram app. I scrolled through the app; there were many messages from the celebrity channels accounts. But one particular message caught my eye:

🌟 Lovatic Escape Contest 🌟

Hey Lovatics! Ready for the adventure of a lifetime? We are thrilled to announce our brand-new contest: The Lovatic Escape! 🚀✨

Do you have what it takes to embark on an unforgettable journey? The prize is a closely guarded secret, but trust us, you won't want to miss this chance!

How to Enter:

1. Click the link below.
2. Follow the instructions to complete your entry.

Enter the Lovatic Escape Contest!

Hurry, entries close soon! Stay tuned for more updates and may the best Lovatic win! 🎶💖

With love, The Official Lovatic Fandom Team

The message was tantalizingly vague, leaving me both excited and intrigued. I clicked on the link without hesitation, ready to dive into whatever adventure lay ahead. The link directed me to the Official Lovatic Fandom Website, where the same words were written along with the link, only in a different font. I clicked on the link which directed me to a google form:

1. Name:
2. Date of Birth [dd/mm/yyyy]:
3. Age:
4. Residence:
5. Phone:
6. Email:
7. How long have you been a lovatic:
8. If you meet Demi one day, what do you expect the day to be like (write your answer in about 100 words):
9. Your favourite song of Demi (state your reasons):
10. Your favourite album of Demi (state your reasons):
11. Your message to Demi:
12. Introduce yourself using Demi’s lyrics:
13. A video of you singing a Demi Lovato song [upload mp4/MKV file]:

I looked at the last date for entry submission and my heart sank a bit, seeing that the last date is only a week away. Nevertheless, I decided to send in my entry. I scanned the google form once again and realised that I would need my laptop to complete my entry. I looked at the clock and saw that it was almost 10 p.m. I didn’t feel like cooking, so I placed my guitar properly on its stand and grabbed my phone and my purse. Taking one last look around my apartment and dimming the lights, I headed out.

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Chapter 2: Lovatic Escape (Behind The Scenes)

(Demi’s P.O.V)

I sat in my study, along with Tiffany, my ever-efficient assistant, Brandon, my manager and all the other members of my team. The worldwide Lovatic Escape Contest organized by me had come to an end and it was time to choose the lucky winners. I turned on my iPad and opened the folder containing the entries.

The first entry was by Emily Rose from London. She was 20 years old and studying to be a doctor. Lovatic since the age of thirteen, Emily’s message to me was sweet and simple: she had thanked me for being there for her through her darkest times. I smiled to myself, knowing that I would have to see this message countless times now.

Emily had sent a video of her singing my song ‘Nightingale’. Her voice was cute. After the video came to an end, Tiffany looked at me.

“Demi, what do you say, keep or discard?” she asked.

I thought for a while. It was the very first entry. It’s not like I could make every single entry a winner; I could choose only a few; only ten out of the six thousand entries if I’m being honest. Nevertheless, I decided to choose Emily.

“Count her in.” I said, “We have one winner, for now.”

Tiffany wrote her name and entry number down in a small notepad lying nearby.

Same fate resonated with Paige Roberts from San Francisco, who sang ‘Sorry Not Sorry’, but used an acoustic guitar instrumental as the backing karaoke track. I checked her entry and saw that she was the owner of an online lovatic merch store.

“We’ve got a businesswoman here, huh?” I laughed. “Count her in.”

By the time I chose Paige, I had already gone through a few hundred entries. I also chose Anastasia Rodriguez from Bratislava, Slovakia, and Jade Mitchell from San Diego. There is a special reason behind choosing Jade, she used to be my lovatic pen pal and used to send me cute gifts and letters from time to time. But as time passed, I got busy with work and forgot to reply to her letters and she stopped sending anything altogether. Maybe this would be an opportunity to rekindle the friendship, I thought.

There were still about two thousand entries to check. I handed over the iPad to Tiffany and instructed her and the others to continue the sorting. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes as I attempted to stifle a small yawn. Yes, I was exhausted.

I would occasionally comment yes or no and the others kept working. At length I pulled out my phone and started playing candy crush.

I got so engrossed in the game that I didn’t notice Tiffany standing in front of me or hear her calling my name repeatedly until she snatched the phone away from my hands.

“Hey, give it back!”

“Not until you check the final few entries. We have done most of the sorting.” Tiffany said, crossing her arms.

“Fine,” I grumbled and leaned forward, taking the iPad from Brandon and scanning the entries that were left, “let’s see what we’ve got here.”

The first entry that popped up was from Olivia Kate Thompson of Vienna, Austria. She had sung ‘Dead Friends’. Her appearance somewhat reminded me of myself when I was 15. With a subtle nod from me, Olivia was chosen as a winner.

Next up was Eliza Savinnon from Brazil. Seeing a Brazilian lovatic amongst the contestants made my heart happy. “Count her in.” I said, “I love my Brazilian lovatics.”

However, the next entry was quite disturbing. It was from someone named Sara Parker. The song wasn’t mine, the voice was cacophonous, and there were profanities strewn at the section named ‘Your message to Demi’. I was about to click the option to discard the entry when Brandon stopped me with a stern look in his eyes, “Demi, stop. We have only six winners so far and we need two more at least, if not four. We have discarded most of the entries so far. You cannot discard another one.”

“Brandon, are you kidding me? Look at the entry! It’s so foul. How can you expect me to keep this one?”

“Demi, you promised to be fair and give everyone a chance.”

“Ugh, fine.” I sighed, “But, mark my words, this would be a bad decision.”

And just like that, Sara was chosen.

Suddenly, my phone started ringing. Jordan was calling, most probably from the studio. I snatched my phone back from Tiffany’s hands and moved over to a corner of the room to talk to him.

“Hey love, how’s the sorting going?”

“Oh, it’s almost over. I’m exhausted though.”

“I bet. You have such a vast and compound and unique fanbase strewn all over the world, babe.”

I smiled, even though I knew he couldn’t see it, “Yeah, my lovatics are amazing.”

“They sure are.”

“Will you be late in coming home, babe?” I asked.

“A bit. There’s this new song I’m working on that needs a few touch-ups, but I think I’ll be back before 9. Do you need me to pick up anything? Like takeout?”

“Umm, I’m feeling like having Chinese today, but you can decide the menu.” I said.

“Okay babe, got to go. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

As I hung up and turned around, I heard Tiffany say the word ‘India’. I quickly walked towards the table.

“Hold on, did I hear India?”

“Yes, you have fans all over the world.” Tiffany laughed.

“Let me check the entry.” I said, and took the iPad. Shreya Rao, from Mumbai, India was 25 years old, only six and a half years younger than me. A kindergarten teacher, Shreya had been a lovatic since 2017.

“Interesting,” I commented, “A kindergarten teacher, hmm…”

“Look at the complete entry, Demi.” Brandon said, “This entry is really unique.”

I scrolled through the form. Shreya’s favourite songs were Ugly Honest and Skyscraper (Rock Version). As for the reason, she had stated: ‘Both the songs talk about mental strength and resilience.’

Shreya’s answer to favourite album was: ‘It’s a trick question. Each album of Demi tells a different story from her life and each album is special to me. I can’t choose, I’m sorry.’

I snickered, “Damn right it was a trick question. And this entry is the only one to answer it correctly.” All the other members in the room started laughing along with me.

“Look at how she has introduced herself and her message to you.” Tiffany said.

I scrolled a bit further. “Stay Strong, Stay Happy and never change. The world is a better place for me and many others because you are there in in.” I read aloud her message to me. “So sweet, she seems to have a golden heart.”

“Demi, please see how she has introduced herself.” Brandon said.

“Like a Skyscraper, I’m a Warrior. I Don’t Forget that I’m Unbroken.” I read aloud, “That’s…”

“Powerful. Exactly.” Tiffany and Brandon said in unison.

“Yeah, Let’s see what song she has sent us,” I said and pressed the play button.

As the video started, a young girl came into view. She was sitting on a small divan, had a guitar in her hands and her eyes were closed. She stared strumming the guitar ever-so-gently, as if afraid to tear the veil of melody surrounding her. Her voice was powerful and ethereal. She sang ‘Believe in Me’, a song I haven’t sung in so long.

I didn’t realise I was crying until I felt Tiffany gently tap my shoulder and whisper, “Are you okay? You are crying…”

I quickly wiped away my tears that were streaming down and cleared my throat, “Y-yeah, I’m fine, count her in.”

“Sure.”

“Do we have any more entries?”

“Actually, that was the last one.”

“Really? Whew. I’m exhausted.”

“Haha we all are. It took so long to sort out eight winners from amongst six thousand entries.”

I gave necessary instructions to my team to send in the winners the winning prize emails and dismissed the meeting. As they left one by one, I moved to the living room couch with a cup of coffee in my hand, thinking about the upcoming adventure of lovatic escape.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3: The Call Of Destiny

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

It was a Sunday evening. I sat at my desk, planning lessons and worksheets for my toddlers. The soft chime of my Gmail inbox drew my attention and I instinctively clicked on the icon. As I read the email, my breath caught in my throat. Was it really happening?

The email read:

Subject: Congratulations, Shreya! You’ve Won the Lovatic Escape Contest! 🎉

Dear Shreya,

We are thrilled to inform you that you are the winner of the **Lovatic Escape Contest**! 🌟 Your entry stood out among thousands of fans, and we couldn't be more excited to share this incredible news with you.

To claim your prize, please click on the link below and follow the instructions provided.

[Claim Your Prize Here!]

We can't reveal too much just yet, but we promise that this experience will be something you'll never forget. Pack your bags and get ready for an unforgettable adventure!

Once again, congratulations, Shreya! We can't wait to see you embark on this amazing journey.

With love and excitement,

The Official Lovatic Fandom Team 💖

I could hardly believe it. I had won! My hands trembled as I clicked on the link, anticipation bubbling inside me.

The link teleported me to a Zoom Meeting with eight other black screens. There was one slightly bigger screen at the center of the screen with seven other mini screens surrounding it. One by one the screens started to come to life. I could see the familiar faces; faces I thought I’d never see again.

Slowly I watched the bigger screen come to life and as it did, I gasped. There, in front of my eyes was my idol, the one and only Demi Lovato. I scrambled across the keyboard to turn my own camera and microphone on.

“Hello, nice to meet you all,” Demi smiled through the screen.

“Hello Demi,” everyone said in unison, but I was too awe-stricken to speak. However, as Demi’s eyes locked with mine, she smiled an angelic smile, and I felt myself smiling as well.

“How are you guys doing?” Demi said, “Jade, you’ve forgotten me. No more mugs?” she fake pouted.

Jade laughed, “I thought your favourite dish was a plate? You said it yourself in the interview last year.”

The entire group burst into laughter and I also chuckled slightly. The initial shock of seeing my idol was dispersing.

“So, all of you must be wondering why you guys are in this Zoom meeting with me,” Demi said, “all of you are winners of the lovatic escape contest. Well, you know that already, but if you think this Zoom call with me is the prize, then you guys are WRONG!”

Others looked at each other with confused faces while I kept wondering what the mystery prize could be, as my heart raced in anticipation.

“The prize is…” Demi made drumming gestures with her hands, “All of you get to spend two weeks with me here in LA, and at the end of the two weeks there will be a special concert to which all of you are getting front row tickets. So, are you guys ready for the ultimate Lovatic Escape?”

There was pin-drop silence in the meeting for a moment then Anastasia squealed, “Demi you’re the BEST!!!”

The entire group broke into cheers. I blinked a few times, trying to absorb the reality of the situation, then exclaimed, “Oh my God! Holy Fvck!”

I didn’t realize how loud I had exclaimed until I heard everyone’s giggles in the meeting. I quickly came out of my reverie and noticed that everyone was looking at me with wide eyes and their mouths formed in smirks. Heat rose to my cheeks as I hung my head in embarrassment.

“Nice way to use my album title, darling,” Demi said between fits of giggles.

I looked up and smiled shyly.

Suddenly, Anastasia exclaimed, “Oh my God, Shreya, is that you? Everyone, look, it’s Shreya, our Shreya.”

“Oh my God, Shreya, it’s you! How have you been, girl?” Emily said.

“My gosh, I almost didn’t recognize you without your glasses.” Jade smiled.

“I got my eyesight fixed,” I finally managed to smile at everyone, “I only require reading glasses now.”

“Girl, I’m never forgetting the 3000+ DMs you sent me asking for the lovatic heart ring.” Paige said.

“Hahahaha, I hope it is restocked.” I laughed.

“Girl, with the number of DMs you sent me, I had to.”

“Hey, don’t forget me!” Eliza chimed.

“Never! Demi brought India and Brazil together.” I smiled at her.

“Wow, looks like this meeting just turned into a friends’ reunion.” Demi smiled. 

Suddenly, Sara snickered devilishly, “Such a dream come true for someone who knows Demi only through her socials, isn’t it, Shreya?”

My smile faltered a bit. I thought I had freed myself from Sara’s antics, well, it looks like I didn’t get my freedom after all.

“Hey, let’s not fight now, about who knows me better” Demi said, “I chose everyone here in order to give everyone a chance. So, let’s put the bitterness aside, okay? I love each and every one of you.”

I smiled and looked at Demi, gratitude evident in my eyes. Demi nodded slightly.

What happened next wasn’t in my plans.

Anastasia suddenly looked at Olivia and said, “Liv, why are you silent?” you remember Shreya, right?”

I struggled to hold back my tears as I looked at Olivia and smiled. “Yeah, I remember her. It’s been so long.” She said softly.

The tension in the meeting hung heavy. Demi must have sensed it, because she suddenly cleared her throat and said, “Well, let’s get over the boring nits and grits of this prize. My amazing team will take care of your travel and accommodation. They will contact each one of you personally and get the details they need. Is that okay?”

A collective “Yes Demi” sounded in the meeting.

I along with the others watched in amusement as Jordan sneaked up on demi from behind her and hugged her and pecked her cheek. The group broke into collective ‘aww’s and cheers. Demi blushed slightly and drew his attention towards the Zoom call.

“Oh, don’t mind me, I’m just spreading the love in lovatics.” Jordan laughed. He kissed Demi’s cheeks one more time and left.

“Okay now that my fiancé is done spreading love…”

Everyone started to laugh again. “Come on Demi, that was cute.” Anastasia chuckled. Demi blushed even more. “Like I was saying,” she cleared her throat and continued, “As much I would love this meeting to go on, I have some pending work which I need to complete. So, see you soon here in LA. I love you guys, take care, and get ready for lovatic escape.”

With that Demi blew us a kiss through the screen and the meeting ended. As the screen turned black, I sat there, lost in a whirlpool of thoughts.

Chapter Text

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

As the laptop screen turned black, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I shut the laptop and broke down crying as the flashbacks hit me hard:

***Flashback***

I smiled as the laptop screen came alive with Olivia’s face, “Hey how are you?”

“Hey,” Olivia smiled back, “I look forward to our FaceTime calls every day.”

“Same. It feels like finally someone understands me.”

“I know, right? If only one could understand our obsession with Demi.” Olivia laughed.

“Oh, trust me, only few people would understand. Luckily, I found you.” I said.

Olivia didn’t say anything for a good while and looked at me with an incomprehensible look in her eyes. My heart skipped a bit, anticipating what she was about to say. A part of me already knew that I slipped up and this was gonna lead to a very difficult and uncomfortable conversation.

“Why so serious?” I chuckled nervously, trying to ease the tension.

“Shreya,” Olivia spoke in a low voice, as if afraid to speak her heart out loud, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about…It’s about us.”

My heart raced and my breath caught in my throat. My own introverted and insecure nature took over as I said, “Yeah, I get it, you feel the same way, right? Like we are some long lost childhood best friends?”

“…Y-yeah, exactly.”

***End of Flashback***

Sob after sob erupted from me as the feeling of self-hate and grief clawed away in my heart. Why did I let go? Why was I so afraid that day? What was I so afraid of?

(Olivia’s P.O.V)

As the meeting ended, I closed the window and turned off the laptop and sat with my head in my hands. In my mind I was teleported to one night, six months ago.

***Flashback***

The laptop screen came alive with Shryea’s face, “Hey how are you?”

“Hey,” I smiled back, “I look forward to our FaceTime calls every day.”

“Same. It feels like finally someone understands me.”

“I know, right? If only one could understand our obsession with Demi.” I laughed.

“Oh, trust me, only few people would understand. Luckily, I found you.” Shreya said.

I looked at Shreya. I have had these feelings concealed in me for a long time now and I couldn’t keep them hidden any longer.

“Why so serious?” Shreya chuckled nervously, trying to ease the tension.

“Shreya,” I spoke in a low voice, as I unraveled my heart through layers of vulnerability, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about…It’s about us.”

 “Yeah, I get it, you feel the same way, right? Like we are some long lost childhood best friends?” Shreya chimed enthusiastically.

I managed a smile as I tried to ignore the stabbing pain in my heart,“…Y-yeah, exactly.”

***End of Flashback***

I tried to fight the tears, but failed. One by one they fell on my lap as my eyes burned from holding them back for too long.

“You didn’t feel the same way, did you?” I addressed Shreya in my mind.

Chapter Text

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

I was in the middle of a class with my toddlers when I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. Pulling it out I saw that it was an international call.

“Kids, do not make any noise, I’ve got to take this call. I’ll be right back.” I said as I hurriedly stepped out into the hallway to take the call.

“Hello?”

“Am I speaking to Miss Shreya Rao?” a deep voice said.

“Y-yes, that’s me. How may I help you, sir?” I asked.

“Miss Shreya, this is Mike from Demi’s team. I am calling you about lovatic escape.”

“Yeah, sure, go on.”

“So, I’m gonna be needing your passport details and an ID proof in pdf format for the issuance of visa.”

“Sure, I have the details with me, but how do I send them?”

“Just send them over via WhatsApp in this number.”

“Oh, ok. Thank you so much. See, I’ve got a class going on, so I gotta go, okay?”

“No problem, Miss Shreya, we are looking forward to you joining Demi and the others at Lovatic Escape. Take care, have a great day.”

With that, he hung up. I put my phone back into my pocket and walked back into the classroom. Riyan, a curious four-year old looked up to me with his big brown eyes and asked, “Who was that, ma’am?”

I smiled and ruffled his hair, “Just some grown-up stuff, buddy, nothing for you to worry about.”

“Otay,” he said in a thoughtful manner and went back to his worksheets.

A few minutes later the bell rang and class was over. The next period was nap recess. The kids began to put their books and worksheets away and slowly gathered around me as I sat on a low stool.

“Shreya ma’am, sing for us.” One of them said.

I looked at their eager faces. Sure, I wasn’t any professional singer now, but singing to these tiny kids gave me joy. They are so pure and innocent and I love them to the core. Surely, I wasn’t their biological mother, but that didn’t stop me from loving them as my own children.

“Alright, gather around, my little stars,” I said as I walked towards the piano sitting in a corner, “I’m gonna sing a song from Frozen, just for you guys.”

I began to play and sing:

“The snow blows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen
The wind is howling like the swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in
Heaven knows I tried

Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl, you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know

Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn my back and slam the door

And here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let it go, let it go
The cold never bothered me anyway…”

As I neared the end of the song, I saw the kids dozing off one by one. I sighed. Sure, it would hurt to leave the kids behind, but I’m meant for a much bigger purpose in life.

I quietly covered the piano keys and walked out to the classroom. I walked down the hallway, towards the Principal’s Office.

“May I come in ma’am?” I knocked softly on the door.

“Yes, come in.”

I entered and closed the door behind me. Mrs. Verma, the principal, was sitting at her desk, going through some papers. Upon seeing me, she beckoned me to sit.

“Ma’am,” I begun hesitantly, “I had come to talk about my resignation…”

“Oh, Shreya, don’t sweat it. You don’t have to resign. I have talked to the board. Your leave is allowed and I’ll be your surety.”

Tears of gratitude filled my eyes, “Thank you so much, ma’am, I’ll forever be grateful to you.”

“Shreya,” Mrs. Verma set the papers aside and adjusted her glasses as she looked at me, “You are like a daughter to me. I have known you ever since you joined this school and I have seen how good you are with kids. You are an asset to this school. Go, have fun and enjoy your adventure. We will be right here when you come back.”

“Thank you so much…”

“No problem, Shreya.”

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school’s working day. I walked out of the office and dashed towards my classroom to wake up the kids and disperse them.

Chapter Text

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

As the days passed by, my anxiety and excitement grew by the moment. Soon enough, it was the day before my scheduled flight and I was busy packing my stuff for the journey. I neatly packed my clothes in the suitcase, keeping in mind that cold can be harsh in the United States.

It was time to put the most necessary stuff into my backpack, along with a set of emergency clothes. As I neatly folded the clothes and put them into the backpack, I found my journal inside it. I picked it up and flipped through the pages that were filled with my collage of thoughts.

As I looked at the pages, a particular entry caught my eye.

The entry read:

“ Do you know what it’s like to fall so deeply in love with someone? Oh, diary of mine, you are just paper; meant to hold people’s emotions, and so here I am, writing, or as you can say, pouring my heart out to you.

I can't stop thinking about Olivia. We've been talking almost every day, and she's quickly become one of the most important people in my life. It's funny how someone you've never met in person can understand you so deeply, can make you feel seen and heard in ways you never thought possible.

Every time we chat, I feel this warm, comforting presence, like she's right here with me. I think... no, I know that I'm falling for her. But I'm terrified. What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if admitting my feelings ruins everything we have?

I can still remember the first time we talked about our favourite music. She introduced me to some of her favourite songs, and I played a few of mine on the guitar for her over a video call. She said my voice was beautiful, and that compliment has stuck with me ever since.

I've never been good at expressing my feelings, especially when it comes to love. But with Olivia, it's different. I want to tell her everything. I want to share my dreams, my fears, my heart. But what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if I scare her off?

I don't know what to do. For now, I'll keep this to myself, locked away in these pages. Maybe one day I'll find the courage to tell her. Until then, I'll cherish every moment we share and hope that she feels even a fraction of what I feel for her.”

I smiled as I read the entry, but my vision was blurred by tears. This entry was written exactly the day before Olivia decided to confess her own feelings to me.

Shutting the journal and keeping it aside, I turned towards my guitar and my Keyboard. I couldn’t take either of them with me on this journey and it pained me.

After some thinking, I covered the guitar up and sat at the keyboard. I played the notes ever so softly as I started to sing:

“I can't sleep tonight
Wide awake and so confused
Everything's in line
But I am bruised

I need a voice to echo
I need a light to take me home
I kinda need a hero
Is it you?”

As I sang, I closed my eyes and tried to envision Demi’s smiling face like I always do while singing this song. But, instead of that, another face started to take its form in front of me and once I recognized the familiar features, tears trickled down my cheeks.

“I don't know what I'd do without you
Your words are like a whisper, come through
As long as you're with me here tonight
I'm good

Can you be my nightingale?”

My voice cracked during singing the bridge and I couldn’t stop the tears streaming down my face. As I played the final notes, I let out a shaky breath and uttered the words I should have said a long time ago.

“I’m sorry, Liv.”

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

I like to travel light, no matter how long the journey or stay is. I started packing my things at 10p.m. and before 10.15p.m., I was done. I ate my dinner, said goodnight to my parents and went inside my room. My guitar wasn’t packed yet and I wanted to jam a little before finally packing it and going to bed. I picked up my guitar, sat by the window and started strumming:

“Oh, her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shinin'
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her tryin'
She's so beautiful and I tell her everyday
Yeah, I know, I know
When I compliment her, she won't believe me
And it's so, it's so
Sad to think that she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?"
I say

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are…”

As I sang, Shreya’s pure, innocent face took its form in front of my eyes. I smiled, as if she could see me and would respond. As the song came to an end, I set my guitar aside and addressed her, while looking out at the night sky:

“I love you so much, you’ll never know. It’s okay, even if you don’t feel the same way, you will always be there in my heart.”

Chapter Text

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

When I stepped out from the airplane and into the LAX Airport after 26 hours of journey, it was a bright, sunny afternoon. The sun rays cast a warm glow all over the busy place. I walked up to the designated conveyor belt to pick up my suitcase. The belt was yet to move.

As I waited, I felt someone’s presence beside me. I turned my head to look at the person standing beside me and my eyes met with a familiar pair of hazel green eyes.

Instantly I froze.

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

As I walked towards the conveyor belt, I noticed Shreya standing beside it, eyes fixed on the strip of metal. I was awe struck. I had never imagined she’d be this beautiful in person. Seeing her online through a screen was something I was accustomed to; even that had stopped happening after some time I tried to confess my feelings six months ago. We rarely spoke after that night and then she vanished from the online realm altogether.

I sighed and walked towards her. As I took my place beside her, she turned to face me and a look of shock passed across her face. But she shook it off and flashed me a small smile.

“Long journey, huh?”

“Pretty much” I chuckled, “Waiting for your luggage, I see.”

“Aren’t you waiting for the same thing?”

“Just my guitar.” I motioned towards my backpack, “I like to travel light, you know.”

“Geez, lucky, you could bring your guitar. I couldn’t even think about packing mine.” Shreya chuckled nervously.

“Well, you can use mine if you want to.” I said softly.

We fell into a rather awkward silence as Shreya averted her gaze and moved her focus back to the belt. She casually tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and I noticed a tiny silver earring, shaped like a rose in full bloom. I smiled, even though Shreya couldn’t see it.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

Oh God, this is awkward, I thought. I couldn’t find any words to say, so I shifted my gaze back to the conveyor belt. Some moments passed. The silence hung heavy and you could cut the tension with a knife.

Suddenly a cheeky voice startled both of us.

“Well, well, who do we have here?”

I turned around to find Anastasia waving her hands at us and running towards us. I secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

“Hi Ana,” I said, “Long time no see.”

“You’re the one who vanished.” Anastasia poked my cheek with her index finger, “My, my, you have become more beautiful, Shreya.”

“Haha, you’re not so bad yourself, hunny,” I laughed as I wrapped my arms around her. The feeling of finding the long-lost friends was back, stronger then ever. As we pulled apart, I wiped a tear away from my cheek and so did Anastasia.

“It’s been so long,” she sniffled.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“Hey, hey, don’t forget me!” Olivia said from behind me. I moved aside to let the two best friends talk. As they caught up on their journey and stuff, I noticed that Eliza was standing at the conveyor belt, trying to look for her suitcase. I quickly walked to stand beside her.

“Miss me?” I gently tapped on her shoulder.

She squealed and jumped. Once she turned around and saw it was me, she engulfed me in a bear hug. “I missed you.” She kept repeating. Tears blurred my vision again. Guilt clawed at my insides as I wiped them away. I really made a mistake in detaching myself from my friends. But I had no other choice.

As these thoughts rushed into my mind, the whirrrrr sound of the conveyor belt coming to life caught my attention and I quickly pulled myself apart from Eliza to focus on the belt. The first thing that came into view was a guitar case. I quickly glanced back and shouted at Olivia, “Liv, your guitar’s here.”

Olivia came rushing towards the conveyor belt and gently picked up the guitar. “How did you know it was mine?” she asked.

“Erm, the charms kinda gave it away.” I pointed at the lovatic heart charm and the star charm hanging from the case.

Anastasia came running too. “Whew, finally we are gonna find our luggage.”

And surely, we did. A couple of suitcases later all of our suitcases started to pop up. We picked them up and walked towards our way to the exit gate.

Chapter Text

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

As we stepped out of the airport, we noticed Emily talking to Troy, Demi’s bodyguard. We slowly crept up behind Emily and yelled ‘boo’ in unison. Emily jumped, while Troy struggled to keep his composure trying to control his urge to laugh out loud. Emily turned to look at us with a mock glare.

“Not funny.”

“Oh honey, you should have seen yourself.” Anastasia giggled.

“Whatever.” Emily rolled her eyes.

Troy came up to us. “Hello everyone, I’m Troy, Demi’s bodyguard. I would be taking you to your designated place of stay.”

“We all know who you are.” We said in unison and burst into laughter. Troy also started chuckling.

After a few jokes and puns we headed over to the parking lot. The moment we saw our vehicle, Anastasia started screaming in joy. There, standing in the parking lot was Demi’s signature black SUV.

“Oh My God!” Anastasia screamed, “Are we royalty now? It’s literally Demi’s car!”

As if on cue, one of the windows rolled down. Jade peeked out with a smirk on her face, “Wait till you hear where we’re going to stay.”

We all looked at Tory who was loading our luggage in the car. “You are going to stay in a big house right across Demi’s house.” He said, smiling.

Anastasia opened her mouth again, but I covered it with my palms, “Enough, sweetie, I think I’ve already lost hearing in my left ear.”

Others chuckled as they got into the car. Anastasia moved a bit far away from me as I let go of her and got into the car as well.

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

I was the last one to get inside the car and guess what, the only seat available was beside Shreya, who was sitting by the rearrest window of the car. I thought for a moment and decided to sit down. Shreya looked at me for a split second and then averted her gaze out of the window. I watched her as she pulled out her earphones and plugged them in. I shifted my focus back to the others. To be honest, I was a bit hurt, because I was hoping Shreya would talk to me.

(Anastasia’s P.O.V.)

Well, well, well… isn’t this lovely? I purposefully entered the car before Olivia to claim one of the two free seats, strategically, so that the only seat available was beside Shreya. As I observed the both of them, my mind wandered back six months ago.

***Flashback***

[Text Conversation. A = Anastasia, O = Olivia]

O: Hey Ana, you there?

A: Yup, I’m here. What’s up?

O: I need to tell you something. You know Shreya, right?

A: Shreya from India? Yes, I know her. What about her?

O: I think…I think I’m falling for her. She has this intriguing personality and… I just love everything about her in general.

A: Nice, have you told her how you feel?

O: That’s the thing, I tried to, but she deflected the topic. I don’t think she feels the same way.

A: Oh… Don’t lose hope, Liv. I’m sure she’ll come around. These topics are sensitive and she might need time to process everything.

O: That makes so much sense. Thank you, Ana. Thank you for listening to me and clearing things out.

A: No problem, Liv. That’s what friends are for, right?

[End of Text Conversation]

***End of Flashback***

Back in the present day, as I watched the two of them act weird around each other, I knew the issue was still unresolved. Shreya kept looking out of the window as the car rolled onto the road, towards the house we’re supposed to stay at; earphones plugged in her phone. Olivia had a stoic expression on her face as she looked straight ahead.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

Shit, this is way harder than I thought. Who knew Olivia would sit right beside me? Also, did I mention that Olivia is H-O-T? Like, damn, I’m literally looking out the window to hide my tomato-y blush. I swear to God I was feeling a bit…no, a hell lot flushed. I turned the volume up all the way and kept lip-synching to the lyrics of the songs I was listening to through my earphones.

Suddenly I felt a tug and the music started paying loudly. I looked back inside the car and saw my earphones in Anastasia’s hand.

“Oops, sorry, not sorry.” She stuck out her tongue at me.

However, I was mortified. The song I was listening to was ‘Solo’ by Demi, and as Anastasia pulled my earphones away, the lyrics ‘I wanna f*ck, but I’m broken hearted’ rolled out. Everyone in the car started laughing. Even Troy had a smirk on.

I fumbled with my phone to shuffle the songs. The next song that came up was even more embarrassing. It was ‘Ruin the Friendship’.

“Damn, girl. Your playlist’s…interesting.” Jade said between fits of giggles.

“To say the least.” Paige laughed.

“Maybe we should let Shreya DJ at lovatic escape.” Olivia said, grinning.

Anastasia looked at me with a raised eyebrow, “Got any more quirky surprises in your playlist or that is all?”

I sighed and rolled my eyes, “Alright playlist, you’ve had your fun. Go to sleep please.” I said as I turned off my phone. Anastasia handed my earphones back to me and I tucked them back into my backpack.

Since there was nothing else to do, I leaned against the window and closed my eyes.

(Olivia’s P.O.V)

 I kept stealing occasional glances at Shreya. At one point I noticed her dozing off, head pressed against the window. I hesitated for a moment, then my instincts took over as I wrapped an arm around her and gently drew her towards me, careful not to wake her from her peaceful slumber. Her head rested on my shoulder.

Anastasia, who was sitting across from me gave me a surprised look and opened her mouth to say something but I cut her off, “Shh, let he rest, she seems tired.”

Anastasia leaned over and whispered, “You still love her, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I sighed, “I can’t help it. All this time, she was the only one on my mind. I never thought I’d be able to see her again, let alone be this close.”

Anastasia didn’t say anything, but gave me a knowing and sympathetic look and gently squeezed my hand.

The car glided along the road, taking us towards our awaiting adventure.

Chapter Text

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

The car glided into a stop before a large two-story house. Others got down from the car. Shreya was still fast asleep with her head on my shoulder. As Anastasia got down from the car, she smirked at me and shot me a wink. I dismissed her with a chuckle and a short wave. When it was just the two of us in the car, I gently shook Shreya.

“Wake up, sleepyhead, we’re here.” I whispered.

Shreya’s eyes slowly fluttered open. She took a moment to adjust to the light and muttered something along the lines of ‘are we here already’ and then her eyes landed on me.

Instantly her eyes widened and she sprang up and got down from the car. I followed suit and got down as well.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

Shit shit shit how did this happen? How did I end up falling asleep on Olivia’s shoulder? What was I thinking? What if I gave her mixed signals? Ugh I can’t think clearly right now!

As Troy unloaded our luggage from the trunk and into the house, I stood there, looking at the house across the street. It was Demi’s house, obviously, and I awed at the majestic sight of it. I felt someone stand beside me. I turned to see that it was Jade.

“Crazy, huh?” she grinned, “A month ago, we couldn’t even think about being this close to Demi.”

“And now, we’re here, staying at a house right across hers.” I said.

“Do you think anyone is at the house now?” Jade asked.

“I don’t think so. The gates are locked.”

“I have this uncontrollable urge to break in right now.” Jade laughed.

“Haha same. But I don’t think that it’s a nice way of letting Demi know that we’re here.”

We looked at each other for a moment and burst into laughter.

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

I watched Shreya and Jade laugh and joke around. Shreya’s hearty laughter was music to my ears.

I jumped slightly as someone tapped my shoulder. I turned to see that it was Anastasia.

“Ana, don’t ever do that again! You gave me a mini heart attack!”

“Hahahaha, we both know it wasn’t me behind your heart attack,” Anastasia laughed, putting air quotes around the words ‘heart attack’.

I stole a glance at Shreya, “Mhm…”

“Aw, look at you, getting all sappy.” Anastasia cooed.

“Shhh”, I shushed her, “Save it for later.”

As if on cue, Shreya and Jade turned towards us and started walking. I watched as Shreya walked past me, without even looking at me. Anastasia patted my back sympathetically. “Let’s get inside.” She said softly.

Inside the house, Troy had already piled our luggage in the vast living room.  The house was huge, with four guest rooms downstairs and two more rooms on the first floor.

“Make yourselves at home,” Troy said, “Demi is in the studio right now, but I will make sure she gets the news of your arrival. Oh, and I also have orders from Demi to get you guys whatever food and beverages you might fancy, so name away.”

Others started naming their preferences. Shreya walked up to Troy and softly whispered something. Troy looked at her and nodded with a smile.

(Shreya’s P.O.V)

I collected my luggage from the pile and headed upstairs. I had requested Troy to bring me just a bottle of water, a small mac and cheese and a side salad. No, I’m not a health freak, nor am I a fan of diet culture; I just tend to eat in small portions and at regular intervals.

I chose the room that was smaller in size amongst the two bedrooms. The room was amply spacious, and the aesthetics somehow matched my liking, the walls being lavender in colour and the sheets on the bed were baby pink in colour with golden borders with matching pillowcases. I set up my suitcase and backpack beside the nightstand. After freshening up, I changed into some comfy clothes and headed downstairs, because Troy was back with our food.

Chapter Text

(Shreya's POV)

As I went downstairs, I saw Troy setting the takeaway boxes on the dining table in the open kitchen-cum-dining space. Seeing me, he handed me my Mac and Cheese, salad and water. I gave him a small smile and moved to a corner of the table.

"I informed Demi about your arrival." Troy said as others gathered around him, "She is almost done and will be arriving here shortly."

With that, Troy left. As the others chatted along while eating, I focused on just eating. Suddenly Sara's sinister voice cut through my thoughts, "Someone's been keeping their weight on check, huh? Hope you're not starving yourself again, Shreya."

I sighed and just focused on my food. However, Sara didn't stop there.

"Ignorance is never bliss, you know."

I looked up and glared at Sara. Of course I was annoyed. By this time I was done with my food so I just tossed the empty containers into the trash bin and headed back to my room upstairs.

Once inside, I flopped on the bed and plugged in my earphones. Music was always my sanctuary and today was no different.

A few songs later, one of my favourites "Bad liar" by imagine dragons started playing. I quickly switched to single loop mode and closed my eyes. As the lyrics surrounded me, the night when Olivia tried to confess her feelings occurred in my mind and tears rolled down my cheeks.

A while later, I paused the music as I was feeling sleepy. Soon, my eyelids grew heavier and I fell asleep.

(Olivia's POV)

About an hour after Shreya went upstairs, the front door creaked open and there she was, the Demi Lovato. Elegance radiated from her and cast an aura around her.

"Hey everyone," Demi smiled, "I hope you guys didn't face any trouble ok your way here."

"Not at all, Demi,' Paige said, "The journey was very smooth."

“Nice.” Demi smiled big, “I can’t wait to hang out with you guys. Wait, where’s Shreya?”

“Oh, I saw her going upstairs,” Anastasia said, “Maybe she’s resting? I’ll go get her.”

With that, Anastasia dashed upstairs while Demi and others including me sat down on the various couches and bean bags in the vast living room.

(Anastasia’s P.O.V.)

I walked up to Shreya’s room and saw the door was slightly open. I peeked in and saw that she was fast asleep. Taking a step back, I knocked softly on the door. That worked, because, she stirred a bit and opened her eyes. Seeing me standing in the doorway, she smiled.

“Come on in.”

“Nah, I came to tell you that Demi’s here and she’s downstairs, and she is looking for you.”

“OMG, Demi’s here?” she squealed and sprang up, “I’ll be there in a sec.”

With that she dashed towards the washroom and I walked back downstairs.

As I sat beside Olivia on the couch, she quietly asked me, “She was sleeping again, wasn’t she?”

“Yes, she was.” I said.

Olivia smiled softly and nodded her head, muttering, “Sleepyhead.”

“Hush, ’cause here she comes.” I said as I saw Shreya walking down the stairs.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

As I walked down the stairs and into the living room, I saw Demi sitting on one of the two-seaters and chatting with the others. Seeing me approaching, she gave me a warm smile and beckoned me to sit beside her. I complied and she turned to me and wrapped me in a loving embrace.

The simple gesture from Demi felt like home and made me tear up a bit as I returned the hug. As we pulled apart, Demi smiled again.

“So nice to finally meet you, Shreya,” Demi said, her voice warm, loving and comforting.

“Thank you, Demi, same here.”

“See, I have met most of the people around here, especially Eliza, Paige and Jade through various concerts of mine,” Demi said, “But I’m curious to get to know you, Shreya. Tell me a bit about yourself. You are from India, right?”

“Yes, I’m from India, from Mumbai, the capital city of the state of Maharashtra to be specific.”

“Nice. What do you do? I mean, profession wise?”

“I’m a kindergarten teacher, Demi.” I smiled, “Trust me when I say I’m raising a bunch of tiny lovatics.”

“Wow,” Demi chuckled, “Must be very…interesting.”

“Haha, yes, it is.”

“And what about your love life? Got any special one waiting back at home?”

“Ouch, Demi,” I placed a hand on my heart and pretended to be offended, “I’m as single as a stale pringle lying at the bottom of the can!”

“Nah, I don’t believe you. With charm like yours, the streets of LA would be too crowded with your admirers if you just walk out there. So, spill.” Demi smirked.

(Demi’s P.O.V.)

Shreya looked at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “Too bad for my admirers, Demi, I’m into sisters, not misters,” she chuckled.

I stared at her for a moment and then burst into laughter. Soon, the others joined as well. The room echoed with spontaneous laughter and giggles.

“Good one, Shreya,” Anastasia said between fits of giggles.

“Shreya, you need to put a trademark on this line,” Jade said, “This tagline is GOLD!”

“Exactly,” I snickered, “into sisters, not misters! What a witty way to express your sexual orientation and preferences.”

“Thank you, thank you.” Shreya mock bowed at everyone, “I’m glad my sense of humour could put a smile on everyone’s face.”

“But, seriously, why still single?” I asked.

“Let’s just say that I got my heart broken one too many times and now I’m just scared to let my guards down.” Shreya smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in her voice, “and I know I’m missing out on opportunities due to keeping my guards up, but I can’t help it.”

“Aw, hun, don’t worry,” I gently wrapped my arm around her, “I’m sure you will find you’re the one someday.”

Shreya smiled softly and nodded.

The evening gradually rolled with us chit chatting and laughing with each other.

Chapter Text

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

“Guys, let’s do something fun.” Demi said, “how about a round of truth & dare?”

“Dems, seriously?” Jade laughed and rolled her eyes, “Truth & Dare? Really?”

“Yeah, we are not teenagers anymore.” Paige giggled.

Demi smirked, “Are you guys scared?”

“Scared? Us? No fucking way!” Anastasia shot back. Demi mock glared at her, “Mind your language, missy!”

“Says…” Anastasia trailed off as I shouted, “The Queen with a sailor’s mouth!” the room burst into laughter once again.

After the laughter died down a bit, I downed the remaining water in my bottle and set it down amongst everyone. “Let’s do this, guys. I’m in.” Demi immediately grabbed it and spun it round. When it stopped spinning, it landed on Anastasia.

“Anastasia, truth or dare?” Demi asked.

“Erm… I’m gonna go with truth.”

“Okay, I’ll be easy on you. Who is your celebrity crush?” Demi asked.

“It’s not really a secret,” Anastasia laughed, “I think everyone in this room knows.”

“Nice way to dodge the answer,” Demi snickered, “but, I’m not letting you go. Name them.”

“You, obviously!” Anastasia fired back.

“Haha, cute, but seriously, who is your celebrity crush?”

“Erm…” Anastasia suddenly grew quiet and whispered something barely audible.

“Can’t hear you,” Demi said in a singsong manner, “louder please.”

“Fine, you got me,” Anastasia huffed, “it’s Leonardo DiCaprio.”

“See? It wasn’t that hard, was it?” Demi chuckled, “Who’s next?”

As the game continued, with each spin, daring truths came out and sinister dares were performed. Paige made everyone double over in laughter with a comical dance performance; Jade almost spoke during her dare of a mime act and so on. At one point the bottle landed on Olivia. She chose dare

“Hmmm, I can’t think of any more interesting dares,” Demi said, “How about you sing a love song for us?”

“Sure,” Olivia grinned, “Let me get my guitar.”

With that, she went to her room and returned with her guitar. With a few soft strums, she closed her eyes and started to sing:

“The silver rose on your ear

I hate myself when I think of it

'Cause when I do I'm a wreck

Your name rings 'round my head

We're drunk and in your room

I hope you feel it too

I usually play it cool

But I can't play cool for you…

Oh, Ashley

I need you so badly

'Cause life is a bad dream

So if lovin' you kills me

Yeah, I would die happy

Oh, Ashley

I'm yours if you'll have me

I'm sick, it's so sappy

But if lovin' you kills me

Yeah, I would die happy…”

As soon as I heard the first lyric I froze. Instinctively I touched my ear feeling the rose shaped earring I was still wearing. My breath caught in my throat and I secretly hoped no one noticed the reference. Olivia was being subtle, changing the lyric from “silver chain around your neck” to a reference to my earrings. I moved a few steps back and leaned against the wall, my gaze fixed on Olivia.

I couldn’t hold back my tears as Olivia sang:

“I know that one day you could hurt me

And I will probably deserve it

Maybe our best is less than perfect

But I'm sure that this is worth it

Oh, Ashley

I need you so badly

'Cause life is a bad dream

So if lovin' you kills me

Yeah, I would die happy…”

As the song ended, everyone started clapping, including Demi.

“Olivia, that was wonderful!” Demi squealed.

“Yes, Liv, that was phenomenal.” Anastasia cheered.

As others nodded and murmured in agreement, Sara’s snicker cut through, “Ooh, Shreya, you are crying? You didn’t think this song was meant for you, did you?”

I bit my tongue and turned my face away to wipe away the last few of the tears that were rolling down my cheeks. Clearing my throat, I turned to face the others, “Sorry about that, guys, it’s just that this performance was so good, I didn’t even realize I was crying until Sara mentioned it. But yeah, that was an amazing performance, Liv.” I forced a smile as I looked at Olivia. Olivia smiled too and nodded slightly.

“Well, would you guys look at the time?” Demi looked at her watch and said, “It’s almost 9 p.m. I know, some of you guys have travelled across the world to get here. All of you must be tired. Let’s call it a night, shall we?”

“Yeah, I think it’s best,” Paige suppressed a yawn.

“Tomorrow’s breakfast is on me,” Demi smiled, “Be sure to be present at the Lovato Residence. Have a good night’s rest, everyone.”

With that, Demi left. As everyone proceeded towards their respective rooms, I was left all alone in the vast living room, drowning in my thoughts.

Chapter Text

(Olivia’s P.O.V)

After Demi left, Anastasia started to walk back upstairs and I followed suit. As soon as I reached the room I headed straight towards the washroom because I didn’t want Anastasia to catch me crying. Yes, that song was really meant for Shreya. I poured out all my emotions into that song. I closed the bathroom door behind me and leaning against it, slowly sunk to the bathroom floor as tears trickled down my cheeks, I hid my face in my hands and sobbed, careful not to make any noise,

(Anastasia’s P.O.V.)

I knew Olivia would break down. I didn’t intrude and mostly kept to myself in order to give her some space. But I started to get worried after half an hour, so I softly knocked on the door.

“Liv, are you okay?”

I heard a few splashes of water then the door creaked open and Olivia emerged, her face wet from the water she had splashed on her face and her eyes bloodshot. She tried to say something, but I stopped her and just hugged her.

“It hurts, it hurts so bad…” Olivia choked out.

“I know, Liv, I know…I’m sorry.”

“She’d never feel the same way, would she?” Olivia softly cried into my shoulder.

I stiffened up a bit as the image of Shreya touching her rose shaped earring, with tears running down her cheeks flashed in front of my eyes.

“Liv, I think she feels the same way.”

(Olivia’s P.O.V)

“Liv, I think she feels the same way.”

I froze and pulled away from Anastasia, “What do you mean Ana? How do you know?”

Anastasia smiled softly, “I wish you had seen Shreya touching her earring when you sang the first lyric. When you were singing the bridge, she had tears rolling down her cheeks like a waterfall.”

“No way.” I said.

“Yes, Liv. I saw the way she was looking at you. She feels the same way, but maybe she is scared due to her past heartbreaks? Either way, don’t hold back, Liv, tell her how you feel.”

I thought for a moment. Maybe Ana was right. Maybe I should tell Shreya how I feel. This Lovatic Escape could be my only chance to reclaim what I once lost.

I sighed, “Fine, Ana, I will try.”

“Yes, that’s the spirit. Now, let’s sleep, tomorrow we have to go at Demi’s house.” Anastasia said.

“Thank you, Ana, thank you so much.’’ I said, wiping away the last few stray tears.

“Hey, this is what friends are for, right?” Anastasia smiled.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

I sat there on the couch for god knows how long. My heart was beating so fast like it wanted to pop out. I couldn’t think of any way to put my feelings into words.

I wish I had told Olivia how I feel about her that night…

Suddenly an image flashed in front of my eyes.

An image of my very last tweet – the one I had posted before I quit all my socials.

“Do they even remember my last tweet?” I thought, “Hmmm, let’s see.”

An idea came to my mind and I got up from the couch, smiling softly.

(Demi’s P.O.V.)

As I entered my house, the soft glow of light from the living room caught my attention. I proceeded towards the living room to find Jordan on the couch with a cup of tea in his hand, watching the news. When he saw me, he shot me a cheeky grin.

“Hey babe,” he said in a warm voice, “How’d the first meeting with the lovatics go?”

“It went great!” I said enthusiastically, “They are so talented and lovely. Each one has a unique talent of their own and are so nice in general. Oh, and I invited them over for breakfast tomorrow.”

“Great,” he smiled, “I’ll have a chance to get to know them as well.”

“Wait, I have an idea. Let’s create a WhatsApp group chat. I have all of their phone numbers, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Jordan focused his attention back on the news as I repeatedly clicked on my phone to create a group chat. A mischievous thought came to my mind and I added Jordan into the group as well and wrote out a welcome message. Immediately Jordan’s phone chimed and he pulled it out. Looking at his notifications he started laughing, “Babe, you added me as well?” he said in an amused voice.

“Of course! You are a Lovatic too!”

Both of us burst into laughter. The night rolled on as we had our dinner and went to sleep, excited for the next day.

Chapter Text

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

I was about to lie down when my phone chimed. I picked it up to see the group Demi had created, with her beautiful welcome message. The group was named ‘🎤 Lovatics on the Loose 🎸’. The message read:

 "Hey, my favorite Lovatics!! 💖🎉 Welcome to Lovatics on the Loose! 🦋✨ So excited to have all of you here—Anastasia, Emily, Eliza, Jade, Paige, Olivia, Shreya, Sara, and of course, Jordan! 🎶

This group is for all things fun and crazy as we embark on the Lovatic Escape journey together. Feel free to share anything—memes, music, thoughts, or just random weirdness (I’m all for it 😉 ).

Let’s make this unforgettable!! 💫🎤 Let the adventures begin! 🎸🌈 "

I chuckled a little at Demi’s quirkiness and typed out a short reply:

"OMG, Demi just messaged us. Like, am I breathing? I don't think so. 😳😂 "

The chat came alive in an instant.

Emily:

"BRB, fainting. Anyone else feel like this is a dream?! 😱 "

Jade:

"Is this real life or did we just enter a Demi simulation? 😆✨ "

Sara:

"Okay, but where's my cool Lovatic cape? We’re Lovatics on the loose, right? Where’s the superhero outfit? 🦸‍♀️💥 "

Eliza:

"If we're on the loose, does that mean we get to run wild like… Lovatic werewolves? 🌕🐺 Asking for a friend."

Anastasia:

"I call dibs on being the group’s official meme provider. 😂💁‍♀️ "

Paige:

"Wait, wait, who’s bringing the snacks to this ‘loose’ party? I don't do adventures on an empty stomach. 🍕🍿 "

Olivia:

"Demi, quick question. If we go too wild, will your bodyguard Troy have to chase us? Asking because I can run… but not that fast. 🏃‍♀️😅 "

Jordan:

"Don't worry, I’ll distract Troy with some killer moves. 💃😂 "

Demi Lovato:

"Haha! Y’all are hilarious! 😆 Okay, if we ever get matching capes or turn into werewolves, you'll be the first to know. But for now… grab your snacks, memes, and running shoes because things are about to get WILD. 😉🎤 "

I laughed and kept my phone on the nightstand before I finally lay down and instantly fell into a deep slumber.

(Demi’s P.O.V.)

Jordan and I woke up super early the next day to start prepping breakfast for the lovatics. We were just finishing up when the doorbell rang.

Jordan smiled, “Looks like lovatics on the loose are here.”

“They sure are.”

As soon as I opened the door, I was greeted by Anastasia with a cheeky grin plastered on her face, “Gooooooood moooooooorrrrrnnnnnniiiiinnnnngggg Demi,” she squealed.

“Hello to you too,” I laughed.

One by one they came in. The last one to enter was Shreya. She smiled shyly as she waved at both of us.

“Make yourselves at home, guys,” Jordan called out from the dining space as he set the table. While others sat at the table, Shreya offered to help.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.

“Oh, no, it’s okay, Shreya, have a seat at the table, we’ll be right there with the food.” I said. Shreya nodded and took a seat.

(Jordan’s P.O.V.)

I was the last one to get to the table and the seat available was between Demi and…wait what was her name again? Shreya, I think. I sat beside Demi and side hugged her. Demi looked at me and gave me a small smile. As others made small talk, I noticed Shreya humming a tune as she ate. I focused on her to find out that she was humming my song, Sleepyhead.

“You listen to my songs?” I asked, intrigued.

“I surely do.” Shreya smiled, “I liked the Ladybug album, actually.”

“Wow, I never imagined…”

“That a lovatic could also listen to Jute$music?” Shreya laughed, “Well, I never imagined that you would be commenting on and reposting a lovatic’s stories either.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Wait, let me refresh your memory,” Shreya said, and pulled out her phone. She showed me a bunch of screenshots. One look and everything became clear.

“So, it was you.” I said. Shreya smiled and nodded.

Demi leaned in, “What am I missing?”

“A lot.” I laughed, “Shreya here is a keyboard genius, apparently. Remember I told you that someone played one of my songs on piano? It was her. She played my song ‘Quitter’ on piano. I became intrigued and kinda stalked her instagram profile for a while.”

“Okay, I’m officially in heaven,” Shreya said dramatically, “not you stalking my profile! Jordan, I’m no celebrity, I’m just a simple girl.”

“Wait… Quitter on piano, when was this?” Jade suddenly spoke up, “It was last year, wasn’t it?”

“Right, it was last year, September.” Anastasia said.

“Faceless voice…” Paige trailed off, “it was so magical to hear her sing without showing her face on camera.”

“I miss those days.” Eliza said quietly.

“Guys, what’s going on?” I asked, “What are you guys even talking about?”

(Anastasia’s P.O.V.)

When Jordan mentioned Quitter on piano, I got reminded of something. I think the others remembered it too. So, when Jordan asked what was going on, I decided to let the cat out of the bag.

“There is more to Shreya than just being a piano genius,” I said, “She used to make these little reels on instagram where she would sing but not show her face on cam. The video would be blacked out and her voice sounded so magical in those videos.”

“I think I know what you are talking about, Anastasia,” Jordan said, “I’ve listened to a few of them. You do have a great voice, Shreya.”

“But then she suddenly vanished out of nowhere,” Olivia said.

“Can we enjoy the breakfast in peace?” Sara said out of nowhere, “Why discuss these topics now?”

Shreya looked daggers at Sara as Sara looked at her with an evil grin.

(Demi’s P.O.V.)

The tension hung heavy in the air. I decided to take control of the situation. Clearing my throat I said, “Who wants to hang out in our jam room?”

“Yaay, jam room!” Jade squealed, “Let’s go!”

We headed towards the Jam Room.

Once in the room, we settled on various couches and bean bags in the room.

“So…” Paige trailed off.

“Yeah, what do we do now?” Eliza asked, “do we sit here and chat, or experience a mini JorDemi concert?”

I burst into laughter. Jordan chuckled too. “Guys, no need to be so nervous. We are also human beings, you know.”

“Please rephrase that, Jordan,” Shreya giggled, “We are not nervous, we are extremely star-struck.”

“Yeah, we are just a bunch of fangirls now.” Olivia said.

“Guys, just make yourselves at home.” I laughed, “You can go crazy with the instruments, but not too crazy, okay? These are costly af.”

“Yes ma’am.” Emily saluted, which resulted in another round of laughter and giggles.

Anastasia turned to Shreya, “Sing something for us? It’s been so long since we heard you sing.”

“Yeah, please sing something,” Jade said.

“Guys, don’t be silly, the queen of melodies is right here.” Shreya said, “I’ll sound like a dying cat beside her.”

“Girl, either you sing or you answer why you vanished from Instagram six months ago.” Anastasia said in a determined voice. A look of shock passed across Shreya’s face.

(Anastasia’s P.O.V.)

The look on Shreya’s face said it all. Clearly, she was keeping a secret from all of us. I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked back to find Olivia looking at me with pleading eyes that seemingly told me to ditch the topic. However, I was determined to go to the roots.

“So, what do you say, Shreya? Do you want to sing, or…”

Shreya’s eyes travelled back and forth between Demi, Jordan and all of us. Her eyes lingered a while on Olivia, then she sighed and spoke up:

“Why choose one when I can do both? But, there’s a catch. My answer will be in codes and it’s up to all of you to figure it out.”

With that, she walked to a corner where a few guitars were placed. She positioned herself behind a cordless mic on a stand and started strumming. We waited in anticipation as she closed her eyes and immersed herself in the melody.

Chapter Text

(Jordan’s P.O.V.)

Shreya began to play a tune that seemed so familiar, yet so new. The only thing I could make out of that tune was that it was one of Demi’s songs. I looked at Demi, silently questioning her if she knew what song it was. Demi had a glint in her eyes as she watched Shreya in awe.

“Marvelous!” She whisper exclaimed, “I never thought Skyscraper could be played this way.”

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

As I strummed the chords of Skyscraper, I looked at the eager faces of Anastasia, Paige, Emily, Jade, Eliza and Olivia. At a distance, Sara was staring daggers at me, but I wasn’t gonna stay afraid any longer. It was now, or never.

“You know… sometimes you meet a fox that pretends to be a butterfly,” I said, “but all it does is bite. I tried to share music with this fox, but every time I played a new song, it told me I was out of tune. So, I stopped playing, thinking maybe I was. And while everyone else was cheering, the fox kept whispering louder. The echo of the bite is still here… even though the music stopped.”

The group exchanged confused glances, the metaphorical language washing over them. I continued, my voice quiet but steady, “And as for the moon…well, the moon shines so brightly and lights up the sky. Have you ever noticed the star that is always so close to the moon? It shines so timidly, as if it is afraid of something. The moon loves the star, you know. The moon shines the brightest on a full moon night, hoping the star would realise the love it has for the star. What the moon doesn’t know is that the star is in a field of dandelions, wishing on every one that the moon would be hers.”

There was pin-drop silence in the room with Demi and Jordan looking at me with narrowed eyes and others looking at each other with confused faces, except for Sara, who looked as if she wanted to shoot fire from her eyes and burn me at that instant.

I sighed. Was this a bad idea after all?

Suddenly Anastasia spoke up.

“I think I figured it out.”

“Bullying, mental health, fear, and love. These are the key words, aren’t they?” Jade said.

I let out a sigh of relief. Still maintaining my façade, I said, “Don’t ask me, figure it out by yourselves.”

“I think I know what you mean, Shreya.” Demi said, “but I promise you, I’m not interfering.”

I smiled softly. It was time for me to leave this stage. My mission was accomplished.

I looked at my phone and exclaimed, “Oh, would you look at that? My phone is at 1%. I need to put it on charge. I’ll be back, guys.”

With that, I walked out of the room. While passing by Sara, we locked eyes and I did what I should have done a long time ago; I flipped her the bird. Taking one last look at the others in the room, I swiftly walked out.

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

I sat there, shocked and surprised as everything dawned on me in a flash. In a daze I whispered the last line Shreya spoke:

“What the moon doesn’t know is that the star is in a field of dandelions, wishing on every one that the moon would be hers.”

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see that it was Anastasia. “Go, get her,” she whispered.

I nodded yes and sprinted out of the room as if my life depended on it.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

I leaned against the headboard and closed my eyes. I could hear footsteps at a distance. I smiled softly, anticipating what was to come at me.

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

I heard Shreya leaning against the headboard, the soft rustle of sheets signalling her presence as I made my way up the stairs. Each step felt heavy with anticipation, my heart pounding in my chest. I took a deep breath and entered the room, finding her sitting there with a serene smile on her face, eyes closed.

Without a word, I reached her and gently pulled her up, wrapping my arms around her in a tight embrace. The need to convey everything I felt overwhelmed me. "I love you, Shreya, I love you so much," I said, my voice still shaky with emotion.

She whispered back, "I love you too, Liv," and I felt my heart swell. She leaned into me, and I could feel her warmth, her love. "I was too scared to admit it to myself," she added softly.

We stood there, holding each other, letting the weight of our words settle. Tears began to slip from my eyes, the intensity of the moment too much to contain. One of my tears landed on her shoulder. Sensing my emotional turmoil, she gently released herself from my embrace and cupped my face in her soft palms. In a swift touch, she wiped away the tears that were rolling down my cheeks.

"Don't cry," she murmured, her voice tender and soothing. "I hate to see tears in those captivating eyes of yours."

Her words made me hold her even closer, my hands finding their place around her slender waist. Our eyes locked, and in that moment, the world faded away.

I leaned in, meeting her halfway as I kissed her softly, yet with utmost passion. Time seemed to stop as we lost ourselves in each other, the kiss a tender exploration of emotions we had both kept hidden for so long. The room around us faded into a blur, leaving just the two of us in a perfect moment of shared love and vulnerability.

We pulled apart when air started to become a problem. I still held Shreya close, as if I was afraid to let go. We looked into each other’s eyes.

“I love you.” I whispered.

“I…love…you…too…” Shreya said slowly, her eyes twinkling with happiness.

I kissed her forehead, “I’m never letting you go again.”

Shreya hid her face in my chest and sighed.

We stood in the midst of the room, lost in our own world.

Chapter Text

(Anastasia’s P.O.V.)

“So, Olivia & Shreya… they had something going on between them all this while?” Jade asked.

I chuckled, “Those two idiots are head over heels in love with each other. All it needed was a push from fate to make them bump into one another.”

“And the bullying, it was Sara, wasn’t it?” Emily asked, her voice low.

“I believe so,” Demi said, “Shreya is too brave to call her out like that.

“True.” Jordan said.

“Wait, where did Sara go?” Eliza said in an alarmed voice.

We looked at the doorway to find Sara gone. Everyone began looking for her. Suddenly Emily shrieked, “She’s going towards the lovatic escape house and has a knife! We don’t have any time to lose!!”

(Sara’s P.O.V.)

Shreya thinks she’s too smooth, huh? Well, she’s not and she’s about to face the consequences for being over smart. I’m gonna KILL her!!!

I grabbed the biggest kitchen knife I could find and headed towards Shreya.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

Olivia & I were still locked in each other’s arms, never wanting to let go. Suddenly a loud, cackling laughter startled both of us. We pulled apart and turned to find Sara standing in the doorway, a huge kitchen knife shining in her hands.

“You think you are too smart, aren’t you?” Sara sneered.

“Back off Sara,” I said while shielding Olivia with my arms, “I’m done with your crap.”

“Ha ha, you can save your little girlfriend all you want, but who’s gonna save you?”

With this, Sara lunged towards me, trying to stab me. I braced myself for the impact and closed my eyes as I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

This was it. This was my end.

(Demi’s P.O.V.)

By the time we reached the lovatic escape house, we saw Sara going upstairs. I skipped on the staircase behind her and found her about to stab Shreya. I had to act quickly. I lunged forward and caught her hand. My insides were burning up in anger and disgust.

“Drop the knife, NOW!” I ordered.

Sara didn’t, instead she struggled to break free. But guess she forgot I was a purple belt in Jiu Jitsu. I swiftly twisted her hand behind her back which caused her to drop the knife with a clank. I kicked it away, out of reach.

I heard footsteps behind me. Without looking back I called out, “Jordan! Call Troy and the Cops, quick!” I heard Jordan say, “On it.”

Moments later Troy burst into the room and took Sara by the arms and pinned her to the ground. I let out a breath I was holding for so long as the cops came and took her away.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

When the knife didn’t hit me, I carefully peeked open my eyes and saw everything happen in a flash. My head started to spin and when the cops finally took Sara away, my legs gave away and my world turned black in front of my eyes.

Chapter Text

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

I caught Shreya as she was about to fall. I was too shocked and too stunned to speak as I lowered us down. Tears rolled down my cheek as realization set in: Shreya was about to die for me. In a haze I saw others gather around me.

“Liv, you okay there?” Demi asked. I vaguely nodded in response.

I felt Demi run her hand along my back in an effort to calm me down. Somehow that helped. I calmed down a bit, then looked at Shreya, who was still unconscious in my arms. Anastasia brought a glass of water from the kitchen and splashed some in her face.

That worked; Shreya stirred a bit then opened her eyes. She looked around for a bit, then her eyes landed on me. instantly she propped herself up and wrapped her arms around me. I hugged her tight and burst into sobs.

“Shh, Liv, it’s okay, she’s gone. She can’t harm us anymore.” Shreya soothed.

I simply held her tight and sobbed. I couldn’t believe everything that happened till now.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

I ran my fingers through Olivia’s hair in an attempt to calm her down as her body convulsed against mine with each sob. After a good while, her sobs turned to sniffles and then completely stopped as she broke the hug and looked at me.

“I can’t lose you…” she whispered.

“Shh…I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love you so much…” Olivia started to tear up again.

“Hush…no more tears baby, I love you too.” I wiped away the few stray tears on her face and kissed her forehead. Freeing myself from her embrace, I stood up, holding out my hand for her to take. Olivia stood up too, her grip on my hand firm and steady.

Others gathered around and engulfed us in a giant group hug. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Demi making some calls and talking to Jordan in a hushed voice. I freed myself and walked over to them.

“Thank you, Demi, for saving my life.” I said.

“Hush, I should be the one thanking you, for saving all of us from that huge threat.” Demi said, her voice quivering with emotion. Jordan nodded in approval, his eyes sparkling with gratitude.

“You’re very brave, Shreya.” Jordan said, “Not many can stand in front of a knife like that.”

I smiled softly, “I’d protect my loved ones at any cost,” I said, stealing a glance at Olivia.

Demi patted my head, “I get that, missy.”

“What were you guys talking about?” I asked.

Demi suddenly became serious. “About how to keep you away from the lawsuit that is about to come.”

My eyes widened in shock, “What?!”

“Don’t worry,” Jordan said, “We were making sure that you stay safe and that you don’t have to visit court or anything.”

“And that includes all of you.” Demi said motioning towards the others.

(Anastasia’s P.O.V.)

I was still processing everything. My first thought was whether Liv was okay. I felt someone stand beside me. I turned my head to see that it was Jade.

“Holy shit that was close.” She exclaimed.

“My thoughts, exactly.” I said.

“Do you think Olivia and Shreya will be okay?” Eliza asked.

“Absolutely,” Emily said, “They’ve got each other now.”

I walked over to Olivia who was looking out the window, lost in thought. I tapped on her shoulder which made her jump a little. Then she saw that it was me and heaved a sigh of relief.

“Liv, how are you holding up?” I asked.

“I…I’m fine.” Olivia said with a forced smile, but I could see the creases on her forehead.

“Talk to me.” I said firmly, “I can see that whatever happened is still bothering you.”

“I…I still can’t believe I was this close to losing her forever…” Olivia sighed, “And I hate myself that I let her go forward and stand in front of that knife. It should have been me protecting her, not the other way around.”

“Hey, don’t think like that,” I shushed her, “Whatever happened wasn’t your fault. And Shreya loves you too much to let anything harm you. Chill.”

Olivia simply sighed and looked away.

“Come on Liv,” I said, “You have to be strong, for Shreya, for both of you.”

“I’m trying, Ana,” Olivia said in a tired voice.

“Look, Demi is calling us, let’s see what she has to say.”

All of us gathered around Jordan and Demi. Demi cleared her throat and said, “My loves, it has been a pretty eventful day…” she trailed off as she looked at Olivia. As if on cue, Jordan started speaking, “So, I’d suggest, y’all take the rest of the day for yourselves. Just…take a lazy day and let this wear off, okay? Demi and I are gonna work on how to proceed with the complaint we made to the LAPD, okay? Take care, we love you.”

“Also, if you need us,” Demi spoke up, “We are right next door.”

“Sure, Dems,” Paige said, “We will reach out if needed.”

With that, Demi and Jordan left, leaving us to our thoughts.

“So…” Emily began.

“Yeah, we should give them some space,” Eliza said, pointing towards Shreya and Olivia, both lost in their own thoughts.”

“Let’s go.” Jade sighed.

We left the room one by one.

Chapter Text

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

As everyone left the room, I turned to Shreya.

“You wanna rest for a bit?” I asked. Shreya nodded in response. Then she went over to the bed and climbed into it, settling in a comfortable position.

“Can you sing something to me?” she asked softly.

“Of course I can, baby. Let me get my guitar.”

When I returned with my guitar, Shreya was still sitting up, and she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. I started strumming my guitar very gently. Her trance broke and she looked up at me with a smile.

I started singing one of my favourite songs:

“I met you in the dark, you lit me up

You made me feel as though I was enough

We danced the night away, we drank too much

I held your hair back when

You were throwing up

Then you smiled over your shoulder

For a minute, I was stone-cold sober

I pulled you closer to my chest

And you asked me to stay over

I said, "I already told ya

I think that you should get some rest…”

As I sang along, I noticed Shreya dozing off. I set my guitar aside and gently laid her down and covered her up with a thin blanket. I sat beside the window and watched the LA sunset roll down the sky.

(Demi’s P.O.V.)

Jordan and I sat in the living room, talking about today’s events. I was super stressed as I ended a conversation with my lawyer about what happened at the Lovatic Escape house. I pinched the bridge of my nose and took my glasses off as I set my phone on the table and sighed.

“How did it go?” Jordan asked.

“Not great. Looks like Shreya has to visit court after all. As the primary witness to what happened.” I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning against the headrest of the couch.

“That’s bad,” Jordan said, “last thing we need is the media to get a juicy scoop about what went down today.”

I simply nodded, not wanting to say another word.

Suddenly Jordan started chuckling. I opened my eyes and threw him a questioning look.

“Sorry, but it’s just so funny.” He continued chuckling, “you looked so hot when you were ready to crush Sara’s arm with that death grip, you know. Had it been a different time and place…”

I raised an eyebrow, “What would you have done?”

“This.”

He stood up from the couch and walked towards me, his eyes never leaving mine. Without a warning he pulled me up and kissed me. There was hunger in that kiss. There was raw passion. As I kissed him back, I felt shivers run down my spine.

After what felt like an eternity, we broke the kiss, gasping for air.

“You wanna move this to the bedroom?” Jordan asked, his voice hoarse. I simply nodded yes.

We stumbled upon the stairs, leaving a trail of clothes behind us. Once in the bedroom, he kissed me again, this time biting my lower lip, resulting in a low moan from me.

(Jordan’s P.O.V.)

I broke the kiss and moved towards her neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses down her collarbone. As I bit down on her butterfly tattoo, she inhaled sharply and clutched my shoulder tight, her nails digging into my skin. I pushed her onto the bed and crawled up to her.

“Look at me.” I said.

Her eyes fluttered open and I could see the same fire burning in her eyes. I was hard to the point it felt painful. By this time, we were completely naked, except for my boxers.

Without a warning, Demi reached out and tugged at my boxers, then pulled them off with one swift move.

“Fuck.” I groaned as she wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me closer, as if we weren’t close enough already.

As I entered her, I felt how wet she was and it aroused me even more.

We love each other, but tonight was not about love, it was about raw, primal lust. With each stroke, Demi’s moans became uncontrollable to the point she was screaming.

We came at the same time, the sound of our ragged breaths and rustling bedsheets filling the room.

Demi lay beside me, trying to catch her breath. After a while she turned to face me, her eyes still a bit cloudy.

“That was something.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Y-yeah,” I said.

“I love you so much.” Demi murmured.

“I love you too baby.”

“You’ll never let go of me, right?” Demi said, voice quivering all of a sudden.

I turned to face her. “Why are you asking this?”

Demi slowly turned to face me. a single tear rolling down her cheek.

“Because…” she said, voice cracking a bit, “I’ve always had people let go of me once the spark is gone and…” she trailed off and hid her face, sitting up and pulling the sheets around her.

“Hey hey, don’t think like that.” I sat up too and pulled her closer to me, “we’re engaged, okay?” I drew her attention to the engagement ring on her finger. “This….is for life, okay? I’m going nowhere. I’ll always be here, for better and for worse. Through the good and the bad days.”

“Promise?” Demi looked up to me, eyes still watery.

I kissed the top of her head, “I promise.”

We fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Chapter Text

(Shreya’s P.O.V)

I woke up at the crack of dawn, to find Olivia dozing off against the window sill. She was about to fall off. I quicky got up from the bed and caught her. She woke up with a jolt and smiled when her eyes landed on me.

“Hello there, princess.” She said in her groggy morning voice, while getting up.

“Good morning to you too.” I laughed.

We freshened up by 7 a.m. and headed downstairs where others were already eating breakfast that Troy brought. Seeing us, Anastasia gave a cheeky grin.

“Here comes the lovebirds!” she squealed.

I smiled and sat down at the table beside Olivia who had already sat down. The front door creaked open and Demi entered first, then Jordan. One look at them and the entire room fell silent. Demi had bite marks on her neck and scratch marks were visible on Jordan’s shoulder through the loose T-Shirt he was wearing.

We looked back and forth between Demi and Jordan, trying to suppress our smirks and giggles.

“Guys, what’s going on?” Demi asked, confused.

Anastasia spoke up between fits of giggles, “Demi…we know…that you know…that you look good without makeup…but…” she doubled over in laughter before she could finish the sentence.

“And for God’s sake girl,” Jade exclaimed, “go easy on the acrylics, would you?”

Olivia grinned, “Yeah, it could be a serious health hazard one day.”

Laughter rolled around the room as the two of them stood there, confused like anything.

(Demi’s P.O.V.)

I stood there, trying to make out what they were saying. After a while, I turned to Jordan who had the same confused expression as me. But then his eyes darted to my neck and he whisper exclaimed, “Oh Shit!”

My eyes followed suit to his neck and everything became clear as I gasped and quickly covered my mouth.

“Ahem Ahem!” Jade cleared her throat.

We sheepishly turned to face the entire group who had evil smirks on their faces.

“So…” Paige began.

“Yeah, we don’t want the details, eww.” Shreya said, covering her ears.

“Yeah, evidence is already visible in front of our eyes.” Eliza said, giggling.

“Guys, there’s nothing to make fun about,” Jordan tried to ease the situation, “All of us are adults here.”

“Yeah, right.” Anastasia said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Can we forget about this already?” I sighed, exasperated.

“Sure, we will stop talking about it.” Olivia grinned, “For now.”

“Thank you.” Jordan said.

“So…what are we doing today?” Shreya asked.

“Yeah Demi, what’s the plan?” Anastasia said.

“I was thinking,” I said, thoughtfully, “Maybe we could visit my parents and Matthew? It’d be fun.”

“Oh, and the puppies are there too.” Jordan said.

A collective squeal of “Yes!” sounded in the room. Everyone sprang up and rushed towards their rooms to get ready. I turned to face Jordan and traced the scratched with my fingertips.

“I’m so sorry about this,” I whispered, “Does it hurt?”

“Hush,” he placed a finger on my lips, “Don’t sweat it. It is a symbol of our love. Let it be.” He said, voice thickening with emotion.

“What would I do without you?” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him.

(Olivia’s P.O.V.)

Within ten minutes, all of us were ready and waiting outside beside Demi’s car. Well, all of us, except Shreya, who was taking forever to get ready. After a long while she emerged from the house.

One look at her and I was ready to drop down. She was wearing a gorgeous black saree with red border and there were intricate patterns woven in gold thread in the entire saree. She also wore matching jewelry and other accessories.

I opened my mouth to say something but no words came out. I was simply awe-stricken at how beautiful she looked. Well, others were speechless too. After a while, Demi spoke up.

“You look so…”

“Thank you, Dems.” Shreya said with a radiant smile.

Suddenly I felt someone smack my head.

“Ow.” I turned to see it was Anastasia. “What the heck?!”

“Close your mouth or you will catch a fly.” She said, smirking.

I shook my head and turned to see that Shreya was already boarding the car. I quickly boarded too and sat beside her. She gave me an inexplicable look and turned her head to look out of the window.

Slowly others got in too. Jordan started the car and we were off to visit Demi’s parents.

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

Tee hee, isn’t this fun? I decided to play a little hard to get just to see Olivia’s reaction. As I kept looking out the window, I felt Olivia try to hold my hand. I smiled to myself and simply freed my fingers away from her grasp. Through the corner of my eye, I saw Olivia get a little disappointed and frustrated.

The car glided along the road. The others kept talking while I sat there in silence, looking at the busy city passing by.

Suddenly I felt Olivia’s smooth fingertips along my midriff. The sensation was too much for me to handle as I shivered and threw her a look. Olivia averted my gaze and looked straight ahead, but I could feel her smirking. I rolled my eyes and looked out, again.

But Olivia wasn’t giving up so easily, it seemed. She raked her fingers along my midriff a second time, this time applying a bit of pressure. It was too much for me as I felt the heat rise in my cheeks.

“What’s going on, you two?” Anastasia, who had been sitting across from us, asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Ana.” Olivia said with a straight face. Through the rearview mirror I saw Demi wink at her and both of them chuckled.

I sighed and leaned against the window, hoping our destination would get closer.

Chapter Text

(Shreya’s P.O.V.)

The car gilded to a stop in front of Demi’s former house, now acquired by Demi’s parents. As we got down from the car, we saw that they were waiting outside. Seeing us, they smiled warmly.

“Come on in, guys,” Dianna said as she opened the door.

And…three puppies came scrambling at us: Demi’s puppies. Batman jumped onto Demi’s lap on an instant while pickle jumped on Jordan. Ella stood at one side, looking sad. I walked over to Ella and picked her up in my arms. Surprisingly, she didn’t try to attack me or grumble, instead she gave me the sweetest puppy eyes as I cooed and sweet-talked to her.

“Aww baby, no one to cuddle you, hmm?” I cooed.

Ella licked my face. I heard Demi say, “Wow, she isn’t this friendly.”

I turned to see everyone looking at me with wonder. I held Ella close to my heart and smiled, “What can I say, I’ve got my way with kids.”

“You sure do,” Demi laughed, “Mom, Dad, this is the entire team of lovatics I was talking to you about.”

“So nice to meet each one of you.” Eddie said.

“Dad, where’s Matthew?” Demi asked, “He said he’d be here…”

“Did someone call me?” Matthew chimed in from the doorway, “Demi, long time no see? Too busy with your fiancé? Or too busy making music?”

“Neither,” Demi giggled, “I’m busy with my lovely lovatics over here.” She said, motioning towards all of us.

“Oh, right, you did mention about your project.” Matthew said, “so, I’m assuming these are the winners?”

“Yes.” Demi nodded, “They are amazing.”

“Matthew, don’t worry, Demi is only saying that because we are present here,” Jade winked.

Anastasia smacked the back of her head, “Not funny, Jade.”

“Well, guys,” Dianna said, “You must be hungry. Come on in, food’s almost ready.”

(Demi’s P.O.V.)

After a while, all of us gathered in the dining room. Mom had made her famous lasagna and the aroma filled the entire household. I helped mom set the table, while dad chatted with Jordan, Matthew and the others.

“So, Demi, how has lovatic escape been so far?” Mom asked.

“Everything has been so good, mom,” I said enthusiastically, but then remembered that Sara had tried to kill Shreya the day before and trailed off.

“What happened, Demi?” Mom said, “Did something go wrong?”

“Actually, yes,” I said, “Remember how I said I had eight winners? Well, one of them tried to kill Shreya.”

“What?” Mom gasped, eyes widening.

“Yes, but we caught her red handed in time. We have filed a complaint and a lawsuit is upcoming.”

“But…why?” Mom asked, puzzled, “Why would she…?”

In a hushed tone, I explained the entire situation to her. Mom listened with wide eyes and didn’t say anything for a good while after I finished telling what happened. After a while she said thoughtfully, “You did the right thing. Just see that your image isn’t ruined in the process.”

I nodded. “My only goal is to protect my lovatics.”

“And our goal is to protect you.” I heard a collective voice say from my behind.

(Anastasia’s P.O.V.)

When I saw Demi trail off during her conversation with Dianna, I knew what she was thinking about. Since I was sitting closer to them, I heard everything and looked at Shreya, “Are you comfortable sharing what happened yesterday? I’ll share the story only if you want me to.”

Shreya looked down for a moment then looked at me and nodded yes. Bit by bit, I shared what happened the day before. When I finished, Matthew and Eddie gasped.

“Good Lord!” Eddie exclaimed, “That was lethal.”

“It was.” Shreya said in a low voice, “I felt like it was the end for me.”

Olivia wrapped one arm around her in a protective manner, “Hush, you’re safe now, that’s what matters.”

“Aww, look at the cuties,” Matthew gushed.

I secretly heaved a sigh of relief, when I heard Demi say, “My only goal is to protect my lovatics.”

I’m pretty sure everyone heard it, because, everyone joined me as I said, “And our goal is to protect you.”

Demi turned to face us with a half-smile and glistening eyes. Dianna had a beaming smile on her face, “Look Demi, your army is here.”

“Yay, my lovatics army!!!” Demi started to jump up and down, but stopped as her phone rang. She took a look at the caller ID and her face turned serious. “Guys, I gotta take this.”

She moved to a corner and spoke in a low voice. We only heard snatches like “tomorrow?”, “Oh, I see”, “Yeah, I’ll bring her”, “Okay, thanks”, then she hung up and turned to face us, her expressions grave.

“Shreya, my lawyer wants to see you this evening. He wants to prepare you for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? But what is tomorrow?” Olivia asked.

“The first court date,” Demi said in a serious voice, “I had requested for speedy disposal, and it seems they have fixed tomorrow for the proceeding.”

Shreya looked pale, but her eyes showed determination, “I’m ready, Demi.” She said.