Chapter 29
Rosalie
Iblow dry my hair as nerves fill my belly. It’s the morning of Christmas Eve, and I’m dreading everything about today.
Not only is being this close to Christmas filling me with memories of my mom, but I have to tell the guys that I can’t choose.
Nobody said anything about it yesterday, and I think they were giving me time to recover, but as of last night, I’m officially past my twenty-four-hour watch period.
I didn’t ask, but they all slept with me again last night, although we didn’t do anything other than cuddle. It was nice, having that last night with them, but it makes today even harder.
I don’t expect them to want me to stay when I tell them how I’m feeling. Where was I going to go when I left here? What if I couldn't find a decent job or a good place to live? Even though I’d saved some decent money lately, it wouldn’t last long.
I switch the blow dryer off and stare at my reflection. I couldn’t delay this any longer.
Taking a deep breath, I try to mentally prepare myself to break my own heart, and quite possibly a few others, too.
When I reach the kitchen, Leo is the first to see me. “Shortcake! What’s wrong?”
He runs over to me, cupping my cheeks as his eyes roam my face. “What hurts?”
“Nothing.” I shake my head and pull his hands from my face and take a step back from him.
I see a flash of hurt in his eyes that he tries to hide.
Fuck, this is going to suck.
“Can we, uh, talk?” I ask, glancing around at each of them. They glance at each other nervously before nodding and directing me into the living room.
“You three sit, I need to stand right now,” I tell them, gesturing at the couch as I start pacing.
The three of them sit side by side in matching poses, their elbows draped over their knees as they lean forward, eager to hear what I have to say.
“Ugh! You guys even listen well! Why do you have to be so goddamned perfect all the time?”
“Uhh… sorry?” Leo apologizes in confusion.
I pace the living room, unable to look at them as I start talking.
“I hope you know how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I—”
“Rosie—” Grant starts but I hold out my hand, stopping him.
“No, let me get this out, please,” I beg, and he nods, his lips pressing together tightly.
“I have loved every minute of working at Iron Oaks, of living here and just being with you three.”
“Why does this sound like a goodbye?” Asher growls.
“Because it is.”
All three abruptly stand and start yelling things out.
“You can’t just…”
“No fucking way…”
“Rosie, what’s…”
I wave my arms at them, and they grow silent.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do it. It’s an impossible decision. Don’t you get it?” I know I’m probably not making any sense, but seeing the looks of confusion and heartache on their faces brings tears to my eyes.
“Can we talk now?” Grant asks carefully.
I nod, wiping away the tears as he steps over the coffee table to stand in front of me.
“First of all, Leo?” He gestures to Leo, who jumps over the coffee table, landing behind me and wrapping his arms around me quickly, locking my arms against me as he pulls me against him.
“What are you doing?” I ask in confusion.
“Sit,” Grant instructs as Leo backs us up and drops into the large chair, pulling me into his lap as he goes. “We just need to make sure you don’t leave.”
“Leave?” I ask, glancing between Grant and Asher.
“That’s what you were trying to do, right? Leave?” Asher asks, coming to stand beside Grant with his arms across his chest. I bite my lip, unsure how to answer.
“Now, let’s figure out what’s going on in that pretty head of yours, one thought at a time. You said you can’t do it. Do what?” Grant asks as I lean back against Leo.
“Choose.” My eyes bounce between them as tears fill my eyes again. “I’m sorry.”
Grant glances at Asher. “Did you ask her to choose?”
“No.” He turns to Leo. “You?”
“Nope,” Leo says near my ear.
“Me either,” Grant says, looking down at me with a raised eyebrow.
“But we said that this… relationship was just until Scott was dealt with,” I say in confusion.
“Hmm, I guess we did say that. I guess now he’s out of the picture, we can change it.” My heart drops as I wait for him to elaborate. He bends over me, placing his hands on the arm of the chair as he hovers only a few inches from my face.
“What do you say, Rosie? Want to be my girlfriend?”
“What? I—” My eyes bounce over his shoulder to Asher. “Are you asking me to choose? I told you, I can’t do that, I love all of you.”
A slow grin spreads across his face while my heart hammers in my chest with a mix of excitement and fear. This is about to go really really bad or really really good.
“You love us?” Leo asks from behind me.
Nodding, I stare up at Grant nervously. “I’m asking you to choose us.” Grant says softly. “Choose me, and Asher and Leo.”
“All… All three of you?” I ask, hope blooming in my stomach.
“We’re a package deal now,” Leo whispers in my ear.
“So if you say yes, you’ll be my girlfriend,”
“And mine,” Asher adds.
“And mine,” Leo says before kissing my neck, right below my ear. I realize his arms aren’t holding me down anymore, his hands now gently rubbing across my body.
I reach up to cup Grant’s face as I ask, “You really mean it? I don’t have to choose?”
“Never,” he whispers before I push up and kiss him, pouring everything I have into the kiss. I open my mouth to him, showing him that he has all of me and he tries to lift me from Leo’s lap, but arms wrap around me pulling me back down and out of Grant’s grasp.
Leo turns me to look me in the eyes as he asks. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes.” I smile and nod as happiness bubbles up my throat and I laugh, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him. I pull back and whisper, “I love you, Leo.”
“I love you too, shortcake.”
I hug him tightly as he sways me back and forth for a few seconds before helping me to my feet and turning me to Asher.
I lick my lips as he pulls me against him. He wraps an arm around my back and dips me backwards. I cling to him as he smirks down at me. “I love you, baby.”
“I love you too, Asher.” The moment the words leave my lips he kisses me so hard my toes curl and my core clenches with need. He pulls me upright with a satisfied look as Leo gets to his feet.
“Now that’s out of the way, shall we get going?”
I look at Leo in confusion. “I thought the gym was closed today?”
“It is.”
“Then where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” he says with a smirk.
I pepper him with questions he refuses to answer as we pull on our boots and coats. After we’ve been driving for five minutes, I finally stop asking, knowing he isn’t going to tell me.
When we pull into the parking lot of my old job I frown in confusion.
“What are we doing here? You’re not firing me, are you?”
Leo laughs as Asher helps me out of the truck, keeping my hand in his as they lead me to the ticket booth. I’m still looking around in confusion, and it’s only when I hear Grant order four tickets that I finally clue in.
“We’re going on the holiday train?” I ask in surprise.
“Yeah, you had said you always wished you could ride it instead of clean it,” Grant says as he leads us to the entrance. Is this okay? If you don’t want to do it, we can find something else—”
“No! It’s perfect!” I say excitedly. “Especially since I’m not going to be the one to clean up later tonight!”
Asher leads the way on the train and finds us a set of four seats where two face the other two. It’s perfect.
And as the train moves through the local towns, with Christmas music playing overhead and holiday treats are passed out to us, I look at my three boyfriends, with smiles on their faces and realize that this train truly is magical.
If it wasn’t for the job cleaning it, I never would have stayed in this town. I glance over at the Christmas tree at the front of the car as light catches an ornament. When it moves, I realize it’s a small white angel swinging back and forth.
My breath catches as I think of my mom. What would she think of these guys? Of my new life? That reminds me that I left some things behind.
“Hey, guys?” I ask, turning to look at them. “I have some stuff I left in Parker Heights. Do you think you could help me go collect it sometime?”
“Of course, whatever you need,” Grant says, squeezing my thigh.
“Thanks, you guys are the best.”
“I’m not so sure about them, but I’m pretty fantastic,” Leo says with a smug smile as Asher smacks his shoulder with a scowl, making me laugh.
The train trip is way better than I ever imagined, probably more to do with the company than the train itself. By the time we get home I’m hyped up on sugar and eggnog.
“Do you guys want your Christmas presents now?” I ask excitedly.
“You’re the only present I want to unwrap this year,” Asher says, pulling me into his arms as he presses me against the kitchen counter.
“Hmm… I guess I should have just wrapped a bow around myself then.”
His eyes heat as he licks his lips. “Perfect, go do that, now.” He pulls back and pats my ass, gesturing to the stairs.
I laugh. “I don’t have any ribbon here, Asher.”
His eyes narrow as he looks me up and down. “I guess I’ll have to unwrap you as you are then.”
I jump back, holding my hands out. “Wait! What about the presents?”
“It’s Christmas Eve, presents are for tomorrow.”
“What about the stockings?”
“You want us to stuff your stocking, Rosie?” Leo asks with a smirk.
“No! I mean… I…” he pulls off his shirt and my brain goes blank.
“Santa’s not the only one coming down your chimney tonight.” I practically choke on his words as my eyes widen in shock.
Asher bends down and lifts me over his shoulder, his hand gently smacking my ass as he carries me into the living room.
I hear the crackle of flames and have to tilt my head to see Grant, laying out soft blankets on the ground in front of the fireplace.
“What are you doing?” I ask as Asher gently lays me down on them.
“What does it look like we’re doing?” Grant asks with a smirk. “We’re going to make love to you in front of the fire.”
“It’s romantic as shit,” Asher says, making me laugh.
He removes his shirt with one hand as I drool over the sight of him. Someone pulls my clothes off and it doesn’t take long before he’s laying on top of me, thrusting into me as I scream his name in ecstasy. “Asher!”
He looks feral as he thrusts into me. One hand supporting him beside my head while the other one flicks and pulls at my nipple, increasing my pleasure at lightning speed. "I can't… hold it…" I mumble as I feel myself ready to explode.
"Come for me, Rosie." His words have me screaming his name as my pussy convulses around him. His rhythm stutters then I feel him reach his own release inside me as I cling tightly to him. My body slowly stops shaking and he leans down to kiss me, I smile on his handsome face.
Before I can fully regain my breath, Grant flips me to my hands and knees as he plows into me from behind.
The wet sounds our bodies make as they slap together has my orgasm rising much quicker than I thought possible.
His fingers digging into my hips and holding me in place is something I never knew I liked, and when he grunts and I feel his own orgasm spill from him, it sets me off and I tighten around him as his name tears from my lips, “Grant!”
My body convulses for a minute until my arms finally lose any strength to hold myself up, my upper body collapsing to the bed as I try to catch my breath.
Grant slowly pulls out of me and lowers me to my side.
He moves over me and dips his head, kissing me gently.
He takes his time, exploring my mouth as if he has all the time in the world.
He strokes my face and his fingers slide into my hair and somehow, his tenderness starts to make me grow needy again.
As if my body knows I have one more man I need to feel inside me.
Next I find myself seated on a naked Leo, who's sprawled out on his back on the blankets.
At first he uses his hands on my hips to help guide my movement, but once I start riding him hard, setting my own pace for pleasure, his hands move to my breasts and his fast fingers help pull another release from me.
“Leo!” I gasp as he thrusts up into me and fills me with his cum.
“Fuck, baby, you’re incredible,” he groans through his own orgasm. I collapse on top of him and he gently strokes my back as we stare at the crackling fire.
“I think this might be the best day of my life,” I whisper quietly.
His arms tighten around me as he whispers, “Me, too.”
“When my mom passed, I wasn’t sure I’d even feel true happiness again. I felt guilty, as if by being happy when she’s not here, I’m dishonoring her memory.”
“But you know that’s not true, right?” Grant asks from where he’s seated at my side, stroking my back softly. “She would want you to be happy.”
I nod as a happy tear slips from my eye. “Yeah, I know. That’s all a mother ever wants, for her children to be happy.”
I tilt my head to look at Grant and Asher as I smile fondly. “You guys saved me.”
“You think we saved you, but you have no idea how much you saved us,” Grant tells me.
I roll my eyes and he nods. “It’s true. We were sort of adrift before you came into our lives. Not really living, just existing from one day to the next. You saw Iron Oaks, that was a good representation of how our lives were. Existing and not thriving. Not living like we are now, with you here.”
Did I really do that for them?
I lift a hand up for Grant and squeeze it in a silent thanks.
“I love you, all of you.”
He kisses my knuckles as they all mirror my words back to me.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes, knowing now what true happiness feels like.
It’s feeling loved and appreciated for who you are.
Being loved and loving unconditionally. Everyone has to deal with loss and heartache, bad times and hardships.
But it’s how you get through those that shapes your character, that make you who you are.
You can let the bad times and hurt get you down and keep you there, or you can pull up your big girl panties, take a breath and know that you have the strength to get through it, to take it one day at a time and create a better, happier life for yourself.
After all, your happily ever after is waiting for you out there somewhere, you just have to find it.