CHAPTER TWENTY
Ellie
I didn’t know Chris’ family as well as I did Miller’s yet. I looked around the table as they ate and talked, feeling that they were as close as the one waiting a few doors away. My guys grew up well, and I longed for that in my own life as I looked down at my plate. Looking back, my parents had always controlled me. From what I’d seen, Chris and Miller had love and support from their families.
I kept eating as I realized that they needed to be here. It wasn’t that they were far from Aurora being at the cabin, not in miles. I just couldn’t see another several months passing before they saw them again. From there, I wondered what would happen. I could move back into Bree’s small place or rent something of my own. I could still see Miller and Chris if we didn’t live together. I just didn’t want to.
When we were finished with dinner at that table, Miller looked at his phone.
“Mom says it’s ready. Want to come over, Chris?” He asked as he looked at both of us. “She made those pecan sweet potatoes that you like.”
“Let’s go.” Chris said as he grabbed our plates and brought them to the kitchen. I watched as Miller followed and shook my head.
“It was delicious. Thank you,” I called out to his parents sitting beside each other a few feet away. “It was nice meeting all of you.”
“We’ll see you soon. Those boys wander from one house to the next like they did when they were little.” I smiled at the words, thankful that there was some semblance of normalcy in their lives.
What wasn’t normal was that we walked away from both homes. Miller laughed as he led me down a path, followed by Chris. I glanced up to see a tree with a structure in it ahead of us, squeezing Miller’s hand.
“What is that place?” I asked as Chris reached out to touch my hair.
“Our old clubhouse. Great idea, Miller. We haven’t been here for years.” Chris said as he laughed.
“It’s dark. I can’t get up there,” I protested as Miller pulled up the flashlight on his phone. He showed me that it was just a few steps to get in and I took in the dark building.
“Our moms told us to keep it low. They didn’t want us to fall,” Miller explained as he started walking up the smooth planks. He opened the door and flashed the light inside, chuckling. “Everything is still here. The furniture is a little worse for wear but it held up in the weather. I followed him into the small room and looked around with a smile. Chris grabbed a blanket and dropped it to the ground before he pulled me against him. Chris kissed me deeply as I wrapped my arms around his neck. Miller stepped behind me and kissed my neck as excitement tingled up and down my spine.
I switched off to kiss Miller at some point and we took off the clothes that were in the way. I dropped onto the blanket and felt one man behind me, taking me slowly as I moaned. A mouth covered my nipple that was bared by a hand and I whimpered.
“I love you,” I said to them both as my body tightened around the clock inside of me. I didn’t care who it was though I sensed it was Miller from the feel of it. I knew that it would be Chris next and I rocked against him, seeking my release. His heat filled me before I came, moaning slowly.
I felt someone move under me and found them with my pussy. I slipped over them, tracing the chest underneath me to feel that it was Chris. I rocked over him, feeling him nudge the sensitive spot deep inside as I dropped my head back. We did this until we both came and I closed my eyes. It was a little uncomfortable to do right after the meal but worth every second.
We dressed and made our way outside into the brisk air.
“That was insane,” I laughed as I watched Chris fix his Henley. “I never thought it would be possible in a treehouse.”
“We’re going to show you the world, baby.” Miller promised me as I felt his lips on mine. We walked to his house as I kept fixing my appearance, walking inside to laughter.
“There you are. Get a seat.” Monica called out as she loaded up the table with dishes. I followed them and we sat the same way that we did at Chris’ table. I was surprisingly hungry, but I remembered what we just did as I took the dishes being passed my way. I got to know everyone over the next few days, spending equal amounts of time at each house. I ate more than I ever thought I would.
The guys took me around to their favorite places. We ate at a diner they grew up in and I looked around the small room with a smile. I was sitting next to Miller and across from Chris, who was teasing my calf with his foot. Miller had his hand on my thigh and I sipped my soda. We’d spent a couple hours in a hotel today making up for lost time and I was starving. Again.
“So, we’ve been talking,” Miller said as I caught his tone. “The families want us back here full-time, Ellie.” I nodded, not surprised. “We have the condos to go back to so that isn’t a problem, but we want you to be with us.”
“How?” I asked as I looked around the table.
“Pick a place. Maybe we’ll all stay in one and sell the other. Hell, we could rent you your own apartment if that’s what you want. I don’t care,” Chris told me as I smiled. “If we’re here, they’re going to find out. I am not going to pretend like we have been this entire time. It’s too damn hard.”
“They like me right now, Chris. I don’t want to ruin that.”
“They will at the end of all of this, too. I am just thinking out loud right now,” Chris defended himself as I looked at Miller beside me.
“We’re going to go to the cabin for now. We can talk about it as we get ready to return,” Miller told me as the waitress brought our food. I looked at the burger and fries, reminding myself to go on a lot of hikes to work off this extra weight.
I dropped the subject as we ate, enjoying the greasy lunch. We were leaving tomorrow morning and might as well enjoy the remainder of the trip. We headed out to the car after we were done and I yawned as Chris grinned wickedly at me.
“Tired, Ellie?” I was just about to answer when we heard someone saying his name. I looked to see a blonde with soft features who was giving him a scared look.
“Chris. I thought you might be here.” He tensed beside me and I frowned as she looked at me.
“Lisa,” he spat out the name as I realized that this was his ex-fiancée. “What are you doing?”
“I wanted to apologize to you… for everything. I’m so sorry.” Her voice was filled with remorse and I pressed my lips together before looking at the ground. Chris wanted to marry this woman at some point before she hurt him. If that hadn’t happened, none of this would be happening. We were all together because of bad partners that did the same thing to all of us. That was so weird.
“It’s over. I’ve moved on,” Chris said in a dark voice as I looked up at him. “Go live your life, Lisa.”
“Chris,” Lisa said in shock as Miller cleared his throat.
“Let it go, Lisa. It’s over.” He suggested to her as she gazed at him.
“She’s sorry, too.” Lisa said, looking right at him.
“Go.” Miller repeated as she turned to walk away. We all watched in silence as I played back her words.
“She?” I asked as Chris sighed.
“Lisa is friends with Miller’s ex-wife. Soon to be ex. That’s how I met her.” I realized how much their history tangled together as I frowned.
“Oh.”
We got into the car and Miller started it, sitting still for a moment. He pulled out and drove down the street, turning into their complex.
“What are we doing?” I asked as he parked.
“We’re going to look closely at both places. Decide which one you like, and we’ll sell the other. They both have three bedrooms so they’re plenty big enough.” I stared at him for a moment as he looked back at Chris.
“Seeing her made me realize that we need to hold onto this. To you. I didn’t feel what I feel for you for Kris. Did you feel it for Lisa?” Miller asked as he stared at his friend.
“No,” Chris replied as I raised an eyebrow. “I want this. I want you, Ellie.” We got out of the car and I looked at the condominiums. I took in every detail as I walked through them, hearing the voices in the kitchen. They were both nice but Chris’ was a little darker than Miller’s. They used darker tones and wood in it and I preferred the windows and the light in the other one. I wasn’t sure how much heart the guys put into their decision to buy but they left this to me. I needed to tell them what I wanted.
I headed to the kitchen and heard them talking about bedrooms and a balcony. Frowning, I walked up to them and noted that they had pictures of a house on the screen of the laptop.
“What are you doing?” I asked as Miller smiled at me.
“We decided to look at houses while you walked around. This one is a few blocks away near that river we took you too. It’s a four bedroom with three bathrooms and a gorgeous view. If we sell these, then we can pay off a good chunk of this right away. What do you think?” Chris asked as my eyes widened. “It’s two thousand square feet. It’s big enough that we will have some space and offers the same thing that the cabin does.”
“You want to buy a house with me? For me, I mean? I don’t have a lot of money to help out with this. We’re so new.” I protested as Chris cupped my face and kissed me.
“It’s new but we love you. We want this.” Miller told me as I moaned against Chris’s mouth.
“I love you.” I told them as I smiled.
“Do you like the house? We can try to see it today.” I stared at Chris and he raised his brows.
“Yes. I’d love that.”