Page 84 of Owning Emma

“I’ve got you something.” He scratched the back of his neck, nervously. “Well . . . both of you.”

I smiled coyly. “I’ve got you guys something too.”

It wasn’t much, but darn it, I was so excited about it. It was hard to shop for these two without them knowing. Everything I bought, I had to do through online shopping. Which wasn’t the worst, but I hated not getting the experience of wandering through the stores and aisles. But next year. Next year would be better.

I felt my pulse beat as I suddenly remembered what happened yesterday. But it was over now, and I didn’t need to have fear for my life or theirs. Next year, I could roam the aisles freely while shopping for my boys properly.

If there was a next year.

We hadn’t talked that far ahead, and I was too afraid to ask what happened next. At least right now. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I would ask them if they still wanted me around now that the threat was eliminated. But, now . . .

“I got you guys something, too,” Shaw chimed in as he sat next to me.

“I’ll go first.” I got up, reaching under the Christmas tree, trying to find the packages I placed under there. I handed each of them their gift, and they held it in their hand, staring at it like the paper was going to tear itself open and a monster would jump out. “Well? Are you going to open it?”

Roman swallowed hard before his face became an unreadable mask. They peeled away the paper, then stared silently at the gift in their hand. The seconds ticked by, amplified by the ticking of the clock in the room and still they said nothing. I began to fidget, feeling suddenly insecure over their presents.

“I . . . I didn’t really know what to buy and I . . . um . . . thought maybe you could use this. I had it made to match your bikes.” More silence. “I . . .”

A broad smile took over Roman’s face, and Shaw’s smile followed close behind it. “It’s perfect.”

Roman leaned over and kissed me while Shaw smiled down at his present, his fingers gently brushing over the metal and leather of the custom-made bike attachment designed to keep the enclosed knife within hands-reach at any time, just in case. I hadn’t known what to get them, but I thought maybe a knife and a custom holster might just say I care, but not scream I’m obsessed.

Which I was. I as so damn obsessed with these guys, but they didn’t have to know that. Yet.

Shaw gave me a kiss. “This is great, Emma. The best gift I’ve ever received.”

He sat his gift on the couch, then got up and grabbed the two gift bags sitting off to the side. “I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to give someone for Christmas.” He gave us each a bag then nervously rubbed his palms on the leg of his pajama pants. “I’ve never shopped for anyone before.”

I pulled away the tissue paper, revealing a soft fuzzy blanket. I rubbed my fingers over the material as I pulled it out of the bag. “I love it.”

“I just thought, well . . . you both always complain that I hog all the blankets so now you each have an extra one, just in case,” he explained.

Roman laughed. “That’s perfect since I’m always the one left freezing on the other end of the blanket piles.”

Roman got up, retrieving tiny boxes from the tree. “I had these made.” He shoved the boxes at both of us. “It’s hard, you know, trying to figure out what to call this. Us. It’s been weighing heavily on my mind because I don’t know what this is or what we are. I feel like whatever control I had, spiraled.”

I opened the box and my breath caught, Shaw’s reaction next to mine the same. Lying on a satin bed was a circle pendant with both their names engraved. He came up to me, removing the necklace from the box, brushing my hair aside and clasping it around my neck. Then he moved to Shaw, taking the thick cord of his pendant and placing it around his neck.

He pulled his own from his pocket and pulled it over his head. “I don’t know what to call us but I realized it didn’t matter. I love you both equally. Declaring my feelings traditionally when our relationship is anything but traditional doesn’t seem fitting, so I got us these. A token to prove to the world that we belong together, even when everything around us screams that we shouldn’t be.”

My eyes filled with tears as I looked down at their names engraved around my neck and I knew if I looked at the names on their pendants, I would find my name etched into the metal they both clutched tightly in their palms.

Shaw licked his lips as he worked through his thoughts. “Do you mean it? About it not mattering? I don’t want things to change between us. Ever. But declaring our love to the world, that’s a big step you can’t take back.”

“I don’t want to take it back. Fuck them if they have a problem with it.” He reached down and took both of our hands, pulling until we were both standing in front of him. “I want you. Both of you.”

Shaw’s lips tilted and he quipped, “Those Christmas movies? Any time frame on those?”

He wasn’t looking at me, but I knew exactly what he was thinking. I slowly trailed my fingers up Roman’s abdomen as he wrapped a hand around my hip. “I think Christmas movies could definitely wait.”

Shaw’s fingers fisted the side of Roman’s pajama pants as a mischievous grin took over his face. “Well, then, it’s the perfect time for one last present.”

His lips crushed against Roman’s as his hand palmed my ass, causing me to grind against their bodies. Then, we spent the next three hours gifting Roman his one last present.

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