CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Miller
I opened my eyes and looked around the bright bedroom, reaching for the warm body beside me. It was great to be back in the cabin though it was temporary. We were calling an agent to set up the sale of the condominiums this week and already put in an offer on the house. We all loved it.
I looked over at Ellie, seeing her stir in her sleep. Chris was beside her sleeping hard as he did, and I grinned. This was so fucking unusual but I couldn’t be happier. I leaned over to kiss her as she popped her eyes open and smiled at me.
“Hi,” Ellie said softly as she gazed into my eyes. I slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer for a longer kiss as she giggled against me. We came back last night and made up for lost time in every single room, leaving a mess to clean up today. I didn’t care as I found the skin of her neck and sucked slowly, easing myself between her legs. Ellie slept naked every night now. She practically stopped wearing clothes at all. I was easing inside of her when I heard footsteps downstairs, stilling.
“Who the fuck is here?” I whispered as I turned my head. There was a voice murmuring, and I strained to hear better before I moved to get some clothes.
“Miller? Are you here?” It was my mom, and I froze at the edge of the bed.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
She called my name again before she started up the stairs. I told Ellie to cover herself and Chris as I reached for some shorts, sliding them on just in time. Mom rounded the corner and looked into the bedroom with shock on her face. I opened my mouth to speak, realizing that everything was out there in the open.
“Miller. Chris?” Mom looked around and turned to face the wall in the hallway. “Oh my god.”
I stood and walked to the door, guiding her downstairs. Mom was stiff, and I glanced around to see clothes strewn all over the living room. It was a mess.
“What is going on, Miller?” Mom asked me as I sighed.
“She lives here with us. She doesn’t have a cabin, and we met her when she was going to a friend’s place.” I admitted, wanting the truth out there. “She has been here ever since.”
“You’re both… I mean. You are sleeping with her as well as Chris?” She asked in shock as I winced.
“We’re together, Mom. All of us. We’re together.” I said as she turned at the bottom of the stairs to look at me. “I didn’t want you to hear it like this. We were planning on telling you.”
“That’s disgusting. That’s not normal, Miller. You were in separate relationships before this and you can be again.” She covered her mouth with her hand. “Are you with Chris?”
“No, no, no. This is all about Ellie.” I assured her as she walked towards the door. “Mom, wait.”
“I need to process this. I need to talk to your dad and sister… they need to help me through this.” She mumbled as I watched her leave.
If my family knew, so would Chris’ parents. They were all so close and this would happen quickly. This would be as good as public.
I dropped my head and took a slow breath. I knew that I couldn’t do anything right now and walked back upstairs, turning into the bedroom. Ellie was staring at me with wide eyes and Chris was still sleeping. I shook my head and crawled back over her, spreading her legs with my knees.
“Miller? What happened?” Ellie asked as I kissed her again.
“She knows. They will all know. I don’t fucking care right now because I just want to be inside of you,” I told her as she gasped against my lips. The way that we made love this morning felt so free and we lost ourselves to it, waking Chris up as he looked over.
“Jesus. You guys didn’t get enough last night?” He mumbled as we laughed. We had both come loudly by now and I rolled beside her, slipping an arm over her stomach.
“We have some news,” I told him as Chris looked over at us. “My mom just showed up here.”
“She did?” He asked as he moved up against the pillows. “Did she see this?”
“Yeah. She walked in faster than I could hide it.” His face showed his shock, and I looked down at Ellie. “I just told her it was what she thought. There was no hiding it, not forever.”
“Fuck. She’s going to tell my family,” he realized as we both nodded.
“I didn’t know what to do. She caught me off guard.” I repeated as he nodded.
“It was going to happen at some point. I guess we’re lucky that we can support ourselves. Sort of,” Chris said as he leaned in to kiss Ellie’s cheek. “Think I can celebrate the way you two did?”
“I’ll make coffee,” I laughed as I stood to return downstairs. I knew that everything was going to go to shit for a while but our families loved us. They would be able to work through this. I started the coffee while I picked up the random clothes and carried them to the laundry room. This was my parent’s cabin and I would leave soon. I knew they liked to come here as well. We would rent a place until the sale went through and then move into the house. Chris and I could work more to bring in our own money and I knew that Ellie was willing to work. We would all do what we have to.
I heard Ellie giggle upstairs and glanced up. I should be jealous, but I loved them. He was like a brother to me and she saved both of us. It wasn’t normal by the standards of society and I should be jealous right now, but I wasn’t. This isn’t what I would have asked for at any point in the past but I was happier than I’d ever been. This was going to work out.
They came downstairs in robes and poured coffee.
“What’s the plan?” Chris asked as I stared out of the back window.
“We are going to put the condos up for sale. We have barely been there so a professional cleaning should do the trick. They’re in perfect shape. They’ll sell fast and we’ll be closing on the house before you know it. We can rent something until then since I’m guessing that Mom’s wanting to plan a visit.” Chris and Ellie stared at each other for a moment.
“He’s a planner,” Chris explained as Ellie looked at me.
“This is your family cabin?” I nodded.
“We’ve all used it from one time to another. It’s more of a shared one,” I said as Chris nodded. “Maybe they’ll accept this and we can all visit together.” I laughed. “I don’t think Mom will ever look at that bedroom the same again.”
“I don’t think I ever want to see her again,” Ellie said as she flushed. “I look like some kind of whore to them.”
“They will come around and we’ll talk to them. We can explain this then. You are so far from a whore, Ellie. This is love.” Chris assured her as she blushed again.
“I am going to call an agent about the condos tomorrow. I need to catch up on some stuff for work but we’ll find an apartment online.” I told them as they nodded.
Ellie made some breakfast and went for a hike with Chris while I caught up with the business. She was muttering something about too much food over the trip, making me chuckle. She looked amazing to me. Ellie was worth this strain that hung in the air right now as I worked. If people didn’t see that I loved her and accept it that was their loss. Ellie seemed to be doing okay without her family. She did look sad at some points over the holiday but she got through it.
We looked at apartments when they got back and found a nice three bedroom near the new house. I applied online and paid the fee, pushing the computer away once I was done.
“I think that we can buy some furniture for the apartment and just transfer it to the house. We’ll have to buy more but at least enough to get by so we don’t have to move too much.” Chris agreed as Ellie looked on.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Ellie
The last few days were crazy. I didn’t think that we’d be on the radar so soon after meeting Miller and Chris. I liked their families a lot when I met them. I felt like I was a part of something there and now I was sure that they all hated me. They thought I was some slut that was corrupting their sons.
They guys were handling everything for me. I didn’t have money to pay for any of this but I now had an apartment and an offer on a gorgeous house. I didn’t lift a finger for that but they were doing it because they loved me. They loved each other in a completely different way but they loved me. I could get a job when we were back in the city and help.
I walked out on the balcony and dialed Bree’s number. She answered in a cheerful voice, asking me how the holidays went. I considered my answer before telling her how great it was. I loved the food, and the families were fun and kind. It was pretty perfect. I told her about the morning after we arrived back at the cabin after that. Bree was stunned and remained silent for a long time.
“What happens now?” She asked as I sighed.
“We already looked at a house on the last day and they put down an offer. That was already in the works before all this. We did decide to rent an apartment in between the sales of their places and the closing of the house. They have money so there are no issues with any of that, apart from the fact that I’m mooching from them. I have nothing to contribute.”
“You work, Ellie. You can get a great job when you’re here. They know that you’re not using them for a meal ticket. You love them and it shows. I’ll bet the families accept it in time, Ellie. They are so close to the guys and if anything, they saw them happy during this visit. They know that you make them happy.”
“They know that I am sleeping with both of them right now. How long do you think that they’ll need to get that image out of her head?” I asked as she laughed weakly.
“Give it time. Let them spoil you after the way your family and Brent treated for you for so long. Enjoy it and make it up later.” Bree urged me as I smiled. “Give it time.”
“Okay. I will.” I went back inside and worked with the guys as a peace filled the room. We had been approved for the apartment quickly and we were going to move in at the end of the week. It was close enough to the condos that they could handle any business with the sales and work on location with the security company.
I could get a job. There wasn’t much to pack here other than clothes. We spent a lot of time hiking and enjoying the outdoors since Miller had no idea if he’d be welcome back. We made love in the bed up until the moment we left, overlooking the scenery and filling the house with our moans.
We threw them into the wash the day that we drove back into Aurora. I followed the guys in my car since it was clear. I needed to have some hold on my independence and driving was the first step. I looked back as we left, already missing the cabin in the woods as I headed back to reality.
The apartment complex was nice. We got the keys as soon as we signed some papers and walked over to the third story unit. I was quiet as I glanced around, finding it beautiful here as well. Miller unlocked the door, pushing it open to reveal a large living room and kitchen from the doorway. There was a hallway that probable led to the bedrooms and bathrooms that was long and wide.
“I like it,” I said as I walked in, allowing Chris to follow me. We all looked around at the cream walls and high ceilings, headed down the hall to look at the roomy bedrooms.
“I think this will do,” Chris said with approval as he grinned. “We need to get some furniture. At least a bed. Will anyone deliver this late in the afternoon?”
I laughed as I walked over to the window.
We went to a cafe and used their Wi-Fi to shop for furniture. We couldn’t get a bed until the following day and the other stuff for about three days so the Chris got a hotel room for us. I asked if we could get some dinner on the way, feeling stress hunger hit me as we left the apartment. I was used to the cabin and our steady, boring days.
We stopped at a restaurant to eat, sitting at a table and enjoying the fire nearby. I ordered a large plate of pot roast and coffee, digging in eagerly. The guys watched me, slowly taking bites of their own food.
“I’m sorry. I’m stress eating. I feel like I’ve turned your life ass upwards. You were living in a cabin enjoying your lives and now we’re in between everything.” I muttered as I stared at the table.
“Happy? We weren’t happy, El.” Miller said as I stared at him. “We were holed up with our bitterness and our misery in a place that we were more or less borrowing. I don’t know how long we’d be there without you.” I stared at him.
“He’s right. We’re moving forward with our lives now and we want you here with us. I know that things are bad with the families at the moment, but I think that things will be fine.” Chris promised me as he reached for my hand. “I feel like I am more active in my life than I was before. How about you, Miller?”
“I agree. This is going to be great, Ellie. We chose you. I told my mom as much.” Miller said, making me smile.
By the end of the week, the condos were packed with all the guy’s belongings. They bought them furnished already so decided to sell everything inside along with the units. We rented a small storage unit for their things until we were in the house and the apartment was furnished with a bed and some couches. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours.
It took me a few times to use that word. Chris and Miller assured me that I was a big part of all of this. They knew I wasn’t in this for their money and that I intended to help out when things settled down. They told me that they loved me as well as showing me many times in all the beds that we were sleeping in. I think I was finally accepting it.
I wasn’t happy with the silence of their phones. I thought there would be shock or anger from everyone and that they’d want to talk to Chris and Miller. There was nothing.
The guys spent a lot of time at the security company while I wrote at the apartment. I think they enjoyed being hands on over working from a laptop and it made me smile. No matter how we ended up here, they were happy. I was looking online for jobs, applying for some local writing gigs as well as an office job or two. I knew that I’d get something but in the meantime, I spent time with Bree. We had coffee and caught up the way that we were accustomed to, so I was happy as well.
I saw Brent walk into the shop one day when we were talking. I was meeting the guys for lunch in a bit and thought I’d kill some time. When he walked through the door, I turned my face towards the table and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to talk to him. Bree watched as he made his way to the counter, not looking around.
“Holy shit,” Bree cursed as the door opened again.
“What?” I asked as I peered through my hands at her.
“She’s pregnant.” I gasped and turned my head to see Leah, the very woman that he was cheating on me with. She was beaming as she walked inside the coffee shop and over to him for a hug. I hated both of them for a minute but then looked closer. They were happy, and I was happy. That was all that mattered. I turned my head and sipped my coffee, hoping that I wasn’t seen but not hiding under the table like I planned to before.
My phone chimed as I looked down to see Miller’s handsome face. Smiling, I checked the message to see that they were around the corner and Bree shook her head at me.
“You are so fucking in love. Forget those two. He did you a favor and apparently himself.” She watched as I plopped the hat on my head and stood up.
“I’ll call you later.” I walked towards the door and tucked the phone into my pocket. The door opened and Chris walked inside, followed by Miller. They grinned at me and I tilted my head at them. “I was coming out.”
“I wanted to collect you.” Miller said as he smiled into my eyes. I took his arm and Chris opened the door so we could all leave as I looked back. Brent was staring at me with surprise in his eyes as he pressed Leah’s growing belly with his hand. I smiled my forgiveness at him before leaving with the guys to hit the deli down the street.
It was all fine now. Things happened the way that they were supposed to. I had two incredible men that loved me and we were going to make it work for us.