Under the Wrapping

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

SUSANNA TAWNIE STOOD in front of her bedroom window—her bedroom window—and stared out at the graying evening. She didn’t expect to ever be standing here again. She wasn’t supposed to be standing here. Not after what she did to her roommates. She was supposed to pack her belongings into storage boxes and shove them in her car, while she slept on Anne’s couch until after the New Year. Homeless. It’s what she deserved, after all, for the pain and chaos she caused the two men she fell in love with and who she then devastated with her actions. However, what she deserved was not what she received. When she arrived earlier to pack her room and make good her escape, expecting both Brandon and Caiden, to be at work, the apartment was not as quiet as it should have been, her roommates having other plans.

She filled the back of her car with empty boxes from Maria’s Body Lotions when she left work last night, probably more than she needed. Definitely more than she wanted. The entire drive over to the apartment, she fought back the tears that threatened to undo her. There would be time for them later. Right now, she needed to focus and make her peace with her future. The only upside to the day was that the apartment would be empty.

The parking spaces closest to the front doors were vacant, the tenants all at work. She parked, grabbed a handful of empty boxes, and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, her breakdown floating just below the surface of her resolve. This is what I have to do. I brought this on myself, and they deserve to live without a constant reminder of my betrayal. She was no longer whole, and she could feel the pieces falling.

As she walked, all she kept thinking was that it was the last time she would walk these stairs, the last time she would unlock the front door. Opening the door, she reminded herself to take the apartment key off her key chain before she left.

Yet, something didn’t seem right. She stood in the doorway a moment, listening, and then—was someone cooking? The apartment held the scent of baking—cookies—peanut butter if she was right. Well, at least they’ve moved on with their holiday. It was odd that the aroma was so strong since they would have baked the cookies last night at the latest.

She passed through the foyer and into the living room—and stopped, eyes wide, heart pounding. Brandon sat in his favorite chair, the morning paper in his hands. No, no. He’s supposed to be at work. He glanced up at her, folding the paper and placing it in his lap. Bright colors around his neck caught her attention and, glancing down, she noticed he had made a tie out of different colored ribbons.

She was about to say something to him, but a noise in the kitchen stopped her. A different panic settled into the pit of her stomach. Oh my god, he’s got another girl already. Susanna was going to lose it, she knew. She could feel the panic attack boiling up inside, ready to explode and crumble her to her knees. He knew she was coming today to get her belongings. He did this on purpose. This is his way of getting revenge.

She turned her gaze to the kitchen, just as Caiden walked out, carrying a tray full of peanut butter cookies, a gold Christmas bow stuck to the top of his head. They’re both home? He smiled at her, his expression soft, welcoming. “Just in time to help me cut out the sugar cookies,” he said as he stood there gazing at her.

She just stared. She wanted to run. Wanted to cry. Wanted to crumble to the floor in surrender and fade away. And then his words penetrated her nerves. “The sugar cookies?”

“Sugar cookies. You know, reindeer, snowmen, bells. We made them last year, remember? Then we added sprinkles and M&Ms.” He turned to Brandon for help. “How could she forget our Christmas cookies? They’re tradition.”

Brandon stood, dropping the paper in the chair behind him. “Well, she does seem to be forgetting things lately. Her mind, I’m sure, hasn’t been working properly. I hear the holidays will do that to some people.”

“Should we get her checked out?” Caiden asked, a look of concern on his face, which contradicted his smile.

She bounced her gaze back and forth between the two of them, confused as to what either one of them was talking about or even why they were both home. They weren’t supposed to be here, and they definitely shouldn’t be here baking cookies and teasing her.

Brandon shook his head. “No. I think we can set her back on course.” Once he stood at her side, he reached out a hand and stroked the side of her face, his touch almost dropping her to her knees with his tenderness.

Caiden set the cookies on an end table and joined them, his hand reaching out, pulling the boxes from her hands and dropping them to the floor before taking hold of one of her hands. “You think we can make an honest woman out of her?” His touch was too much, and the tears started flowing, a sob breaking from her lips and echoing throughout the small apartment.

“Hey now, none of that.” Brandon brought her to his chest and squeezed her, his arms wrapping around her, as Caiden pressed his head against hers, his own tears dropping against her flesh.

“I…I don’t understand,” she said in-between her sobs. “Why are you two here?”

They pulled away from her but didn’t back up. “To keep you from doing something else without thinking it through,” Brandon said.

Caiden looked at her, his eyes full of the love she saw a few days ago, the love she thought was gone forever. “I told you I didn’t want you to move out,” he said, wiping the tears from his face.

“But I screwed everything up. I…”

Brandon put his finger to her lips, silencing her. “We all know what you did. And we’ll need to get through that. However, we can’t do that if you move out.”

“But…”

“Hush,” Caiden told her, his hand caressing her back. “Brandon and I have talked since you left Monday. We don’t know the logistics of everything, how it will all work, but we know we both love you. And we know you love both of us. So, we decided to give you the two of us for Christmas.” As he said the last, he pointed to the bow on top of his head.

She smiled as she gazed up at it. Then she reached over and straightened Brandon’s makeshift tie made out of ribbons, trying to absorb what they were telling her.

“You didn’t mean to hurt us. We get that,” Brandon said as he glanced down at her hands and then back into her eyes. “But you did. However, neither one of us wants to lose you.”

She gazed back and forth between them, her hands back at her sides, not knowing what to do with them. “But how can I be with both of you?”

Caiden laughed a little, the sound soft and musical. “Haven’t you already been with both of us?”

Brandon nodded. “Now, we want a chance to do it right, out in the open, with everyone involved.”

“We can do that?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “But I hurt you both so badly.”

“You did, and for that I will spank you later.”

“I might even watch,” Caiden said with a smile and a wink. “At least just this once.”

She still didn’t comprehend what was happening, but she grasped for it with all she had. “You both forgive me?”

Caiden kissed her forehead. “How could we not forgive you? Oh, I was pissed. I hated you for a while. Yet, I love you too much to let you out of my life. I’m not saying it’s going to be all right overnight, but I want us to try. As I said, we’re not sure of all the logistics yet, but we know we have to give it a shot.”

“Trust will have to be regained,” Brandon said “But I really think this is possible if we all agree to be open and upfront about everything. People have these types of relationships all the time. We’ve done it already to a degree. Now let’s see what happens when we all give it everything we have, without the secrets and sneaking around.”

“If you want to, that is.” Caiden looked at her, expectation in his gaze. “It’s going to be a balancing act for all of us, but you most of all.”

She couldn’t believe what she just heard. They both wanted her to stay. More than that, they were willing to share her with the other. Could this really work? “I love you both so much. It crushed me to think that I lost you both and how much I hurt you. I’ll do whatever it takes to make it work. I promise.”

They squeezed her again and, this time, she wrapped her arms around both of them, hugging them back. She felt two sets of lips kissing the top of her head. This was the best Christmas gift she could have ever asked for, being given the best of both worlds. Thank you, Santa.

Caiden pulled away, staring at her with wide eyes. “I do hope you got us each something equally as wonderful for Christmas.”

She busted out laughing, tears still trickling down her cheeks. She squeezed them both again. “I love you. Both of you.”

“And we you, pet.”

“Always, Princess.”

She had no idea how it would work, but she was whole again. They loved her, wanted her, and she would give them her all. She had a lot to atone for, she knew, and she would start immediately.

They spent the rest of the day baking cookies and smiling at each other. There were awkward moments, such as when one of the men wanted to hug and kiss her or play grab ass, and she worried about spending too much attention on one and not the other, but overall it seemed to go well for all three of them. She knew there was a lot to talk out as well as figure out, and she had no idea how it would all work, the three of them being in one relationship together. Yet, they assured her it would work, and she trusted them both.

Christmas lights started to appear on the houses across the lake and Susanna just stared at them as they brightened up the darkening sky. Christmas was a week away, but she felt as if she had already received the best gift she could ever receive, the loves of her heart.