Fifty Shades Trilogy 1. Chapter 1

**First, I own nothing to do with 50 Shades. It belongs to E.L James, and I own nothing. This is my first time at attempting to write a story, so I hope it won't be too bad. Please do let me know if I should continue this, as I'm not sure if anyone would be interested in it. In this story, Ana left Christian right after the playroom incident, and Christian has missed her ever since. Eight months have passed, and he is determined to get her back again, however she had started seeing another man. Not sure if anyone will be interested, or if the plot is to anyone's liking.**

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><p>Christian listened to the orchestral music playing out of his stereo system as he stood by the window of his Escala penthouse, looking out at the bright and colorful lights of Seattle and the cars moving in the distance at this dark hour of the night. It was ten thirty at night, and he felt wide awake. Sleeping had become difficult for him, due to the absence of a certain someone in his life. There was a permanent heavy feeling in his heart, as if there was a deep cavity that couldn't be filled.<p>

His phone started buzzing in his pocket and he ran his fingers through his hair before pulling it out of his trouser pocket and checking the I.D of the caller.

It was Welch.

"Welch, talk to me," he answered, walking over to his stereo. "What news do you have for me? Have you found her yet? Tell me you have some very good news for me."

He turned the music down and listened carefully as his private investigator greeted him formally.

"Good evening, Mr. Grey. I have some news I think you will find very interesting regarding Miss Anastasia Steele."

Christian had waited to hear from Welch for a little over two weeks now, and, finally, the man had returned his call with some new information regarding the whereabouts of Anastasia Steele.

_Ana Steele._

It had been eight months. Eight months since she left him, claiming that she couldn't handle the requirements for being his submissive. Eight months since she told him he was fucked up- and Christian didn't dispute that. He was fucked up, and he knew that. He was fucked up more _now_ than ever, with Ana's absence in his life.

It was only by being forced to be without her that Christian came to understand a few certain things of how profoundly he felt for her. He loved her. But now she was gone, and it was obvious she had no intentions of coming back. Christian had assigned Welch to trace her every movement. Last time Christian heard, she had moved back to where her father was residing. The Blackberry he had given her seemed to be permanently switched off. He had no means to contact her. It was clear she wanted space. No, it wasn't just space she needed. She needed him out of her life for good- apparently. She wanted nothing to do with him, and that was hardest on Christian most of all, especially now that he knew he wanted her back and that his feelings for her were love.

"She's back in Seattle, Sir. She caught the earliest flight in this morning."

Christian felt his heart surge at that. _Ana was back. She was finally back._

"So she's back then?" Christian said, keeping his voice purposefully devoid of all emotion. "What other news have you got for me?"

"Er, she didn't come back alone, Sir. She brought someone with her. A man. A boyfriend, I think. They were holding hands."

Christian sighed heavily at that unpleasant piece of news. _So she came back, but she wasn't alone. She had moved on._ Christian knew he should have probably ought to feel happy for her. She has moved on- something he couldn't seem to do- and she has started a new life, and according to what Welch was telling him, she was probably happy and content with her new life. Only Christian believed himself to be an extraordinarily selfish man: If he was unhappy, what right did Ana have to be happy without him? How dare she be able to move on while he was stuck behind, always thinking back to those months with her and stressing on how he could have done it all differently? It didn't seem fair to him.

"In fact, they're out for drinks as we speak, Mr. Grey," Welch continued, and Christian felt himself perk up with interest.

"Where?"

"I'll text you the whereabouts now. Do you think you'll go to her?"

Christian smirked to himself._ Now that was a stupid question. Of course he would_. "Send me the details immediately when you can," Christian ordered, and he hung up.

Determination rose within him as he went into his walk-in wardrobe and got changed into fresh trousers and a black button-up shirt. He shaved his face and splashed on aftershave, and stared at his reflection in the mirror challengingly. He was ready for a fight, he was ready to see her. He didn't know how she would respond to seeing him again, but all he knew was one thing: He had to get her back, otherwise he would never be the same again. Christian had money, wealth, success, but ultimately it was nothing. It never made him happy, not in the way those few times of being with her had.

He was going to get Ana Steele back, whether it was selfish of himself to interfere on her or not. She was his, and no man was ever going to take her away from him. Eight months. He had gone _eight dreadful fucking months_ without seeing her and now she had arrived back in Seattle with a new boyfriend in her life. He was going to get her back, even if it was the last thing he could do.

By the end of the evening, she had better be underneath him on the mattress with her latest boyfriend a distant memory in her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you guys so much! Hope you enjoy this one. Next one Ana and Christian will meet again, I promise :)**

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><p>It felt almost surreal to Christian as he stepped down the staircase on his way to inform Taylor they had plans for the evening. He had dreamed of this moment constantly the past eight months; Of getting the chance to see Ana again, and make amends with her. To hold her in his arms and tell her he is sorry, so sorry, and that he is willing to try again if she was. Gail Jones, the housekeeper, was cleaning around the kitchen when he entered. He was trying to find Taylor, only the man who nowhere near his wife this evening.<p>

Mrs. Jones smiled at him kindly as she took in his appearance. He was dressed handsomely in a black dress shirt, and black trousers, which could only mean one thing: He was at last getting out of the penthouse to be sociable and interact with the outside world again. "Finally getting out of the house for some fresh air, Mr. Grey?"

"I am, Gail," he replied to her curtly. "Now where is your husband Taylor? I need him to escort me somewhere."

"I believe he's around here somewhere. I think I last saw him reading in the foyer. Will you be wanting something to eat before you leave?"

Like every other time Gail had asked him if he would like for her to fix him dinner, he declined politely, "Thank you, Gail, but that won't be necessary. I really don't have the time to sit and eat. I have work to do." _Like getting his girl back._

"Then you'll make sure you eat something substantial tonight, yes?" She told him with concern. "You look as if you have already lost a few pounds from under eating, Sir. Make sure you eat something, and not let your sadness take over you."

This had been the same painfully awkward conversation Christian had experienced around the house for a while now; He knew that Gail had a faint idea he was still upset over Ana, and having worked for him in the house for over four years now, he knew that she was naturally concerned for him and his health. Gail was a kind and understanding woman; much like her husband had grown to be over the years towards Christian. But Christian did not like them viewing him as weak, and he preferred to keep his suffering strictly to himself, in the privacy of his own bedroom.

It was funny how although he was surrounded by people constantly in his penthouse, he still felt alone.

He found Taylor sitting in an armchair by the front door, reading an Anthony Burgess novel. As if hearing Christian's approaching footsteps, Taylor quickly cornered the page he was reading, cleared his throat, and stood. Taylor was surprised to find Christian dressed and ready, as if he was planning to go out for the evening. Lately Christian preferred to stay indoors, unless it was something due to business. "Are you needing the car?" Taylor asked Christian amiably. "Do we have plans to head out this evening, Sir?"

Christian smiled at him, but Taylor saw the way the smile did not touch his eyes. "We do have plans for the evening, Taylor," he confessed. "I'll need you to drive me to a club Welch sent me the address to."

"Feel like drinking tonight, Mr. Grey?" Taylor's question was filled with irony.

"Not so much drinking, Taylor. It is more that Miss Steele has finally arrived back in town. I want to see her. Will you please get the car ready?"

"Of course, Sir." Taylor nodded and couldn't help smiling to himself.

Taylor couldn't deny he was relieved to hear that news. He knew Christian had liked Miss Steele very much and that she was the main reason for his dark attitude these past eight months. Now with her reappearance, Christian almost seemed his old self again. Christian had the tendency to be too stubborn and proud to admit Anastasia Steele was the reason why, but Taylor believed he could see through the man's exterior. The fact now that Christian was eager to leave the house after being virtually housebound for eight months was evidence enough Miss Steele affected him a lot more than he let on.

But she was back now and it seemed Christian had finally returned to himself. And, hopefully, she wouldn't be going away again.

Once seated in the plush leather backseat of his Audi while Taylor drove, Christian found himself feeling nervous more and more as the minutes went on by. One of his favorite piano concerto pieces was played around the car through the stereo, only he never heard it. His mind was stuck on other things, and he felt ill with nerves. Well, he wouldn't say he was nervous exactly; More so anticipating seeing Ana's face again, and restoring it in his mind. To have her not just a memory, but a real caricature of herself again. It had been too long and there were so many things he wanted to say to her, so many things he wanted to do.

He had missed her terribly.

He missed the way she would bite her bottom lip through awkward silences shared between them.

Missed her lying beneath him in the sheets, sated and exhausted. Missed the way she looked while sleeping, with her face crumpled by the pillows. Missed her small hands always trying to touch him, desperately needing to touch him, and not being able to fulfill that wish. That blush every time he said something inappropriate.

He still remembered, clear as day, their last and final conversation before the end; The way she had packed her things and wanted to leave the Mac laptop, car keys, and the Blackberry he had given her behind.

_"I don't want these things, Ana, they're yours,_" he had told her- something he had meant. _"Please, take them."_

_"Christian, please, I don't want them. I don't want anything that reminds me of you."_

_"Just take the Blackberry then. It's all I ask. I'll give you a call sometime..."_

And despite her unwillingness, she had cracked underneath the pressure and finally agreed.

She took the Blackberry with her, only it never seemed to matter that she did; She switched it off, and Christian had tried to call her a countless number of times, to no avail. He only was greeted with her answering machine, each and every single time he tried. She had shut him out completely. But then again, could he really blame her?

He had made a complete mess out of everything. All the grief he had felt during the past eight months, the listlessness- was all of his own doing. He had brought everything on himself. A perpetual darkness. A hole he couldn't dig himself out of, unless he saw or heard from her again. Only Ana didn't want that. He didn't know how she would react to him appearing tonight, and that unnerved him most of all. Would she be angry and use that smart mouth of hers that he loved so much? Or would she ignore him?

He couldn't help but wondering how much it was that she had moved on, with this other guy. Was it something serious? If it was, Christian wouldn't know how to take that. He wasn't too sure whether he could handle doing the right thing, which was inevitably letting her go and trying to move on himself as well. But he was far too selfish, and Christian wasn't ashamed to admit that.

He wanted _her_ back. _Just_ her. He wanted no one else _but her_. Eradicating anyone else in the way was not a problem to him.

Sighing through his nostrils and trying to ignore the tight knot in his stomach, he rested his elbow against the door and peered out at the traffic. He tried to distract himself by the night-life of Seattle- the cars and the bright headlights- but even that wasn't enough. He couldn't seem to stop thinking. He couldn't seem to stop anticipating.

His phone vibrated and he read Welch's text message. Apparently Ana was inside a club with her new boyfriend, and a couple of other friends she was catching up with. Kate Kavanagh was most likely one of them. Hopefully that fucker Jose was not included among her guests.

"Take the street on your left," Christian ordered Taylor. "She's in the club there. I want to see Welch first so pull up at the curb where he is and signal for him to come in."

Taylor did as advised and Welch, broad-shouldered and in his late forties, came into view. He let himself inside the car while Taylor tried to find a parking spot for them.

"Good evening, Mr. Grey," Welch greeted nervously. "I take it you received my information?"

"I did, yes." Christian turned in his seat to face him. The man's face was pinched tight with apprehension. "Who is he?" He tried to seem as if he didn't care, but he did. It was dangerously bothering him. He wanted to know the specifics. He didn't want Welch withholding anything from him, despite how painful it might be to hear it. "This new boy she is apparently seeing now, Welch. Who is he?"

"His name is Paul Clayton, Sir."

_Paul Clayton. _Christian pursed his lips, chanting the name repetitively inside his head._ Now why was that name so familiar to him?_

"His older brother owns Clayton's Hardware Store, Sir," Welch continued after a moment quietly, and it was then that the light bulb went off in Christian's head. _Ah, so she was dating that fucker she worked with at Clayton's apparently._ Christian remembered him; Not well, but well enough. He couldn't believe she was now dating that fucker after him. "He is currently studying Business Administration at Princeton University. Anastasia Steele went to visit her father Raymond Steele in Florida. Her and Paul Clayton crossed paths along the way, and they have been literally glued to each other ever since."

"I can't believe she left me, and now she's with him," Christian muttered under his breath bitterly. It was unbelievable of her. "She has seriously downgraded, that's for sure. How much does he earn annually while working part-time at Clayton's Hardware?" _Not that it was any of his business, of course. As if he even cared what that fucker made annually._

"Less than twelve grand yearly, Sir."

Christian smiled to himself. _Yes, she was definitely downgrading. What the fuck was she doing? _"And how did Miss Steele look to you, Welch? Happy?"

"I'm no good with these things, Sir." Welch hesitated for a moment, then he said uncertainly, "But yes, she did appear quite happy. He makes her smile and she seems relaxed with him, if that is what you're asking, Sir?"

Christian squinted at Welch thoughtfully. Ana hadn't been much of a big smiler when they were together. If anything, she had always seemed tense and on-guard around him, as if he was unpredictable with his moods and was someone she ought to have taken wariness of. And, to be honest, Christian had liked it.

It had gotten him off, and boosted his ego in seeing the way she reacted to him. He intimidated her and that was very clear. This was something he had reflected on the past eight months. He saw the way his mother and father reacted to each other; Even Taylor and Gail, when he saw them together. They didn't seem as if they were on pins and needles while in each other's company. Everything was on an even keel. Maybe that was where him and Ana had gone wrong?

"Has she given you any indication that she has missed me?" Christian asked next, struggling to keep his voice devoid of everything. He knew he failed the instance he began; His voice shook pathetically.

Welch hesitated for a very long moment again, as if worrying what to say and what not to say. Even Welch, it seemed, was wary of Christian's moods.

"It's fine. Answer me." Reaching over with a tight smile on his lips, Christian patted Welch on the knee companionably. "Don't hide anything from me. I want the truth."

"No," Welch choked out.

"No what, Welch?"

"No, Sir. It's a no. No, she hasn't given any indication that she was missing you. At least, not by her body language anyway. Not from what I have observed from her."

Hurt flashed in Christian's eyes and he deliberately glanced outside the window so that no one in the car could witness it. He gritted his teeth as a burning flash of anger throbbed in the center of his forehead. "Very well, Welch," he said coldly. "That will be all." As if scrambling for his life, Welch opened the car door and climbed out quickly. Bracing himself, Christian reached over and pulled the door open. "Well, Taylor. I'm going in."

"Good luck, Sir," he heard Taylor call politely. "And say hello to Miss Steele for me."

For some reason, Christian felt as if he was going to need all of his luck tonight.

**Hope this one was okay? Liking? Hating? I was thinking of doing it all from third person point of view. I hope that is all right? :)**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Thank you guys so much. Hope this wasn't a let down or that it was really bad. I feel so self-conscious about writing, so I apologize!**_

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><p><span><strong>Ana<strong>

"Get ready to be back home, baby."

Paul snaked his arm around Ana's shoulders as they sat in their designated seats for their seven-thirty in the morning flight back into Seattle and Ana forced a smile on her lips as she turned her head sideways to meet his eyes.

Every time she glanced at him, she couldn't help comparing him to a certain someone who previously played a big part in her life. It wasn't even something she was conscious of; It wasn't deliberate, it just tended to happen. Paul was blue-eyed and had the surfer boy look. Shaggy-haired and blonde. Tanned, slim but with some muscle, and only an inch taller than she was. He was probably better for her than that someone was. With Paul, there came no riding crops, or spankings. With Paul, there was just gentleness and hugs, and some light-hearted laughter along the way.

"You nervous?" he asked her gently.

Ana bit her lip as she considered his question thoughtfully. "Do I seem nervous to you?"

"You do, actually. You seem very, very nervous."

"Then I am." She drew in a deep breath and turned away from him, facing the round window of the plane. Outside, she could see the long stretch of the tarmac surrounding them and the sun only just starting to rise. "I am nervous. I don't know why, though. I guess it's the plane doing it to me."

Ana was dreading coming home to Seattle, after spending over nearly eight blissful months in Florida at her father's house. One of the main reasons for that was one person in particular.

_Christian __Trevelyan Grey._

Even thinking the name mentally in her head sent her pulse racing and her head feeling light and woozy. Eight months since she had left him. No less than a week after that, she had gotten the idea of heading to Florida to spend some time with Ray out on a whim. She knew she could never go back to how things were, with Christian. Those eight months away had been very therapeutic on her, and had given her a sense of clarity.

At first, it had been hard. She had booked a flight to Florida and only told Kate on the last day before she had to leave. She spent the first few nights in her bedroom secretly sobbing over Grey and all of his complicated shit. Moving on from Christian- it had seemed next to impossible to her, at first. But then as the days went on, it slowly became easier without him.

She had run into Paul Clayton, who had family members living in Florida as well, and they had become inseparable ever since.

Christian's absence had helped her greatly and the gaping wound inside of her heart began to heal up again until she no longer cried and mourned her painful decision to leave him like she had that day at his penthouse.

Still, she couldn't escape that last day shared with him. How bad it got. How he hit her with his belt, showing her the worst of it. She still sometimes woke in the middle of the night, trembling violently, feeling the welts fresh on her backside again, as if he was actually there in the room, standing over her, lashing out on her with slaps of the leather. She hated herself for falling in love with someone who was so messed up to begin with, but your heart wasn't something you could control and falling for Grey was easy.

He was charismatic and sinfully attractive. He had a gentleness about him, but he was also filled with darkness and an unspoken tragedy she didn't know the full extent of yet.

Many times, while sleeping in the guest room at Ray's house, did she visualize coming back to him in the middle of the night while she was alone. She imagined driving up into the driveway of his Escala penthouse. She would imagine swooping out of her car, feeling the crunch of gravel under the soles of her boots in the sweeping driveway. Taylor rushing forward and helping her out in opening the door for her, smiling, pleased at her reappearance. And Christian; Christian waiting for her... looking as good as ever. Him welcoming her in, her leaving abruptly instantly forgiven.

Christian taking her hand and politely exclaiming it had been months since he had last seen her, and that he was so very sorry how quickly things had gotten so out-of-hand between them. That the darkness inside him was no longer present, and that they should just forget about what happened and start anew, where there was no such thing as a Dom and Sub relationship and everything was normal between them.

He would accept her for how she truly was, and he would let her touch him and everything would be wonderful.

But Ana knew that would never happen. The baggage doesn't just suddenly vanish and, honestly, she couldn't handle dealing with his shit any longer. That didn't mean she didn't love him.

_You never forget your first love._

Ana had read that somewhere in a book, and she knew it to be true- from recent experience. She would never forget Christian Grey and thinking about him often set her stomach alight. But she had to move on and accept that things were never going to change. He had agreed to show her the worst- and she couldn't handle it.

But that was before, and now she had Paul in her life.

At first, she wasn't so sure about him. They had been buddies for a long time, and it was only when he begged her for a chance that she decided to take him up on it. Gradually she no longer saw him as something similar to a brother, but she started seeing him as more than that. It wasn't as intense as it had been with Christian, but she figured that kind of love only comes once in a lifetime.

Paul was no Christian Grey. He wasn't loaded with money, he didn't have housemaids or bodyguards at his beck-and-call. But she thought that was the main reason she fell for him and decided it wouldn't hurt to give him a chance in the first place. Paul was full of light- no darkness, like Christian was. Everything was always carefree and light-hearted with her and Paul, and when they spent time together, she didn't have to pretend to be somebody she was not. Paul had no baggage attached to him like a boulder weighing him down.

No, Paul was more like her. Getting by on a modest-income. It was easier to relate to him, and she didn't feel unworthy of his affections, as she had with Christian. Everything between her and Paul felt... even.

When they announced the plane was about to lift off, Ana looked down at her hands, saw they were shaking, and laughed quietly to herself. She shouldn't have been so nervous about being on a plane, especially not since Charlie Tango. But she was. Or maybe it had nothing to do with the plane at all, but the uncertainty of what was waiting for her back at home?

Would Christian want to see her and try to get her buried down into his shit again?

She couldn't deny she wanted to see him again. There was some curiosity there. Curiosity- that was all she would let herself see it as. She was with Paul now and she did think she was considerably happy with him. She missed Christian like hell, but it was getting easier. Still, she couldn't help letting her mind wander as the plane shook violently with turbulence.

She had lost her virginity to him. He had taught her many things about sex and exploring ones body, and how pleasurable it could be. They did things that, whenever she reflected on them, she would still blush and laugh to herself giddily about. He had taught her that sex shouldn't be something you felt ashamed of.

For those reasons alone, she couldn't forget him easily.

She bit down on her lip to suppress her smile as she thought back to how it felt being with him intimately. His hands and how he knew to use them so well. His sensual mouth and lips, and how it felt when they brushed over her bare skin. It had been great with him- the sex alone. Beyond great. Only he was too damaged, too dark. Too troubled, and she didn't have the strength to deal with his fucked-up ways. She had even told him she had fallen in love with him- and he looked absolutely horrified by it, as if he believed himself to be unworthy of loving. He didn't love her, he didn't feel that way about her, it was only about sex and some twisted relationship he wanted with her. She had grown to accept that now. At least with Paul she knew where she stood, and it wasn't all confusion and mind-games with him.

He didn't want to control her, or possess her, or send orders out her way. Everything was easy and light with him. No baggage. No Mrs. Robinson. Just Paul all to herself. No Fifty Shades of Fucked-Up.

Deliberately, she closed her eyes and told herself sternly to let it go, to stop thinking about what once was. Christian Grey was in the past, and it wasn't fair to Paul. Paul, who was sitting beside her, arm wrapped around her shoulder, smoothing her hair back from her face with his free hand. He leaned in and pressed his lips into her temple and Ana made herself grin widely.

"Still nervous?" he asked her, and the smile widened and became sincere for her this time.

"No," she said quietly. "You make everything feel better."

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><p>The instance they arrived at the airport after safely landing, Ana switched her phone back on and was bombarded with text messages from Kate:<p>

_Have U arrived safely yet?_

_Celebrations on UR arrival back home tonight? Drinks?_

She laughed nervously as she tightened the strap of her bag over her shoulders, reading out the messages to Paul.

"You want to go out tonight for drinks?" Paul asked her, and Ana cringed uncertainly. On one hand, she wouldn't have minded. She hadn't seen Kate for eight very long months, with limited contact with her. She knew it was only fair on Kate that they head out for drinks and catch up on everything she had missed while being away.

"All right," she surrendered. "We'll go out for a few drinks tonight. Kate still doesn't know we're together." Paul frowned at her and she sensed his upset. "I just haven't gotten the chance to tell her yet," she explained. "I wanted to do it in person. We'll do it tonight, I promise. It isn't like I'm embarrassed to tell her, or anything."

Paul cracked up suddenly and Ana was shocked by how easy he was taking it. He nudged his shoulder against hers playfully. "I'm just kidding, baby," he told her with a grin. "I'm not really that bothered by it. It's all good."

It was definitely going to take some time to get used to; How different Paul and Christian were, in temperament. But it was refreshing, and she grinned to herself as she nudged him back teasingly.

As they exited the airport, a sudden unnerving feeling came over her. The skin on the nape of her neck prickled, and she couldn't help but get the impression that someone was watching them. She looked around self-consciously, almost expecting- and fearing- to see Christian Grey suddenly there, standing waiting for her. Fortunately, there was no Christian Grey, though. Shaking her head at her stupidity, she laughed softly to herself and waited with Paul for his brother to arrive to pick them up.

All the while, meters away in the public parking area, she was unaware of someone tracking her every movement as they sat in the driver's seat of their car, staring out at the pair while sucking Diet Coke through a straw.

Welch. Christian was not going to be happy by the news she was now with another man. Welch found himself dreading informing him.

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><p>Ana couldn't shake her nerves as she got dressed to head out with Kate for drinks. Paul was to meet them there, without Kate knowing beforehand, where Ana and him would announce the news to her. Ana was thankful Kate had seemed to easily forget mentioning a certain someone in their conversations, so it spared everything from getting awkward pretty quickly.<p>

They got changed into dresses and high-heels and Ana was still retelling everything that had happened with Ray in Florida- deliberately missing one vital, key piece of information about Paul- when they arrived and stood in-line waiting to be let inside. That unnerving sensation of being watched again plagued Ana as they stood outside, but she couldn't see anyone around them that looked suspicious or as if they had been watching her.

She must be paranoid, she told herself anxiously. As if Christian would be watching her, or no less employing someone to watch over her. She was being ridiculous, but considering Christian's control-freak ways, she couldn't help but wonder if it was a possibility.

Paul still hadn't turned up by the time they had slipped inside and Ana was growing impatient with telling Kate. She had wanted them to announce it together, with Paul standing beside her in the flesh, but the wait was agonizing. She glanced around the bar, hoping to find him somewhere in the crowd, only he was nowhere to be seen at the moment.

She was startled from her crowd-searching when Kate shouted by her ear, "Are you having something to drink, Ana?"

"No," she shouted back over the music. "Not yet, anyway. You go ahead and get your drink first, though."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'll wait for you away from the crowd. It's too busy."

Ana pulled back from the bar and weaved her way through the crowd. The club was filled with bodies and people wanting to get smashed for the night. With all the people inside, she felt hot, even with just a dress on. She found a deserted corner and stood away from the crowd, keeping the back of Kate's head strictly in sight in case she got lost and couldn't find where she had gone off to away from her.

_God. Where the hell was Paul? Why wasn't he here already?_

For what felt like the millionth time that day, she felt that uneasy feeling creep up on her again. She didn't know or understand why she kept feeling the way she did; as if someone was watching her. Maybe she was only just being paranoid?

She saw someone out of the corner of her eye as they moved to stand beside her, but she didn't have the faintest idea who in the hell it was. They were just a tall, dark silhouette against the colorful lights pulsating around the club and when she glanced at them fleetingly, she felt her heart drop in her chest and had to do a double-take to make sure she wasn't imagining it. She stiffened, forcing her breaths to remain steady and deep as she met his eyes that just as quickly burned into hers and held her prisoner in their intensity. There was no real reason to panic, she had to remind herself. It was just a mere coincidence.

_Christian Grey. Here, now._

He looked just as she remembered- slightly better, though. Her memories of him hadn't done him any justice. He even seemed taller than she recalled; towering over her in his black clothes. Instantly, it was as if all those long eight months of being separated from him hadn't even mattered. It was as if he hadn't changed one bit.

He looked good, she had to admit to herself. Too good. The black shirt that was tucked neatly into his trousers reminded her of how lean and glorious he looked naked while kneeling above her on the mattress and his hair looked as if it had been combed through with his hands more than just a few times today; Something she recognized was a habit he did constantly out of sheer frustration or anger.

She watched a full-blown smile spread across his face as his eyes raked down her body, taking full inspection of the dress she was wearing, her heels, her bare legs- looking her over in return. He stepped slightly closer towards her as he examined her face closely, and Ana felt that blush she always had seemed to wear for him gracing her face without her control.

Seeing Christian Grey again the instance she arrived back into Seattle was the very last thing she was expecting to happen. It felt like a cruel shocking blow to her system; One she was having difficulty recovering from the suddenness of it all.

His voice suddenly came above the music and it was just as good as she had remembered it was, too. Maybe even better. "Laters, baby." It was a joke shared between them- only one they were privy to- but with the way he said it, it was laced with betrayal and sarcasm.

She realized then how much it had hurt him; Her going away for such a long amount of time. What she didn't expect was that he wouldn't have given up on her, though. She assumed he would have moved on like she had.

"Hello, Christian," Ana responded automatically, surprised and amazed by how normal her voice sounded. She hardly sounded affected at all, yet inside, every part of her was being sent erratically into overdrive. "I'm surprised to see you here. How did you know I would be here?"

She fought back a shiver as his eyes remained on hers silently as he ignored her questions. She had somehow forgotten how nerve-wracking it could be, being the sole object of his attention and scrutiny. Christian had always had an intensely unnerving way of staring at her.

"I said, how did you know I was here?" she tried again, but this time her voice shook, disappointing her. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction in knowing he was getting under her skin or that he was no less still capable of it despite their eight month separation from one another. "How did you find me, Christian?"

In worst possible timing, someone threw their arm around her shoulder and she glanced around in time to realize Paul had finally arrived.

"Paul," she sighed in relief, thankful for his appearance. "You made it, finally."

"Yeah, sorry. I got held up, baby."

Ana grew uncomfortable as she brought her gaze unwillingly back to Christian's face. He was staring at Paul, and she had been with him long enough to recognize how he was feeling. His gaze was somewhat dark and critical, and his jaw was clenched tight. Did he somehow know she was involved with Paul now? Surely not. "Er, funniest thing happened, Paul," she began weakly, trying to break the ice. "Christian suddenly turned up. I'm so surprised to see him. You remember Christian, don't you? You both briefly met one time at Clayton's."

"Of course. How could I forget?" Paul laughed and outstretched his hand towards Christian. "You're Christian Grey! I guess it's too bad I'm with Ana now, huh?"

Ana's face fell at his casual comment and she closed her eyes tightly. _Why did Paul have to say that? Now how was Grey going to react? Hopefully without violence._

"I remember you well." Christian's voice was frigid and as Ana reluctantly reopened her eyes, she was surprised to find the two men were shaking hands pleasantly. It was an awkward encounter- at least, in her view. She assessed Christian's reaction and still, he didn't look very pleased. His eyebrows were pinched and his jaw muscles were twitching as he finally brought his eyes to her face again. They were bright and luminous with something, a strong emotion; But she couldn't figure out what. "You look very well, Ana."

"Thank you," she whispered, trying to regain her breath. The shock and awkwardness of the unexpected situation was overwhelming on her. "As do you, Christian." He was still staring at her, and she felt her cheeks burn again with blood. "We better be off now," she said urgently, and she grabbed hold of Paul's hand to stress that point home. "Kate was at the bar, Paul, so we better quickly find her before she gets lost in the crowd."

"Oh, yeah. Good thinking, baby." She clung to Paul's arm for comfort and avoided looking Christian directly in the eyes as he nodded at them briskly.

"I won't leave you waiting then."

"Okay, goodbye," Ana got out in a rush, turning away hurriedly. "Shit, that was real awkward, Paul," she muttered under her breath as she hauled him away through the crowd.

"Was it?" Paul laughed loudly. "You look so embarrassed, Ana. So we ran into your ex. Big deal."

She could still feel the blood pulsing around her face as she peered up at him nervously. "Really? It was no big deal to you?"

"Yeah, really." He shrugged and his eyes softened as he smiled at her gently. "Sure, I'm no match for Christian Grey. I know that. The dude is rich as fuck, but you're with me now. He's old news, right?"

"Right," she nodded off-handedly, trying to fight the very tempting impulse to turn and look back at him. She still couldn't believe her eyes. Fancy running into Christian!

"So why should I feel awkward over something like that? There's no need, and you shouldn't feel awkward too, baby. Okay?"

"Okay. It's fine."

She couldn't shake herself out of it, though. Even when they met up with Kate who had finally found them with a drink in tow, Ana still felt as if she had just experienced a sudden shocking traumatic event. She told herself, over and over, not to dare look in his direction. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. But with a momentary slip, she found herself glancing over at him quickly. He was still standing by the wall where they had previously talked, his eyes still on her, watching her every movement. He still looked furious and as if he was expecting something from her. What, though? What did she deserve to give him?

They were over now, so what right did he have to look at her in that way? As if she had done something wrong to him, and that he was deserving something from her?

When Paul slipped his arms around her and even tried to engage in a kissing session with her, she discovered Christian was still watching. When Paul's eyes were closed, she let herself peek his way quickly, and his jaw was set tight, his eyes narrowed.

He was scowling, as if it was such a disgusting thing for her to be doing, in public, surrounded by all these people, as well as himself. It was disturbing; Her ex watching her as she attempted to kiss her boyfriend. Hadn't she told him that she had loved him, and he had made it perfectly clear on her that it was one-sided? How dare he?

Growing uncomfortable by their sullen spectator, she pulled away from Paul, resting her hand on his chest. "Sorry, I'm going to the bathroom," she told him. "I'll be back in a minute. I just need to freshen up."

"Are you okay?" Paul asked her with concern. Was she really being that obvious?

"Yeah, I'm great," she lied, forcing a smile. "I just feel a little... weird. Be right back."

She tried to remain calm as she squeezed her way into the crowd towards the girl's restrooms. It was all too much. Christian. Paul. Too much. She managed to get through the crowd avoiding Christian altogether and she applauded herself mentally for not caving in. In the bathroom, women were standing around near the mirrors and one girl was sobbing into her friends arms despairingly. She couldn't help but feel pleased she was no longer that girl- the one who sobbed over a man. The girl who cried in despair over Christian. Ana was just flushing the toilet and feeling herself coming to rights again when she heard a strange outburst of women outside from her stall.

"You can't be in here! This is the lady's room!"

"What the fuck, man? Get out of here! You can't be in here! Can't you read the sign or are you too drunk or something?"

"Ana?" Christian's voice suddenly broke out from all the women's disgruntled voices and Ana felt her breath hitch in her throat. She could hear him panting loudly. She swallowed dryly as she felt her heart race in a wild panic. _Shit. Christian had entered the women's restroom, following her! What the hell was he thinking? "_Ana, I know you're in here somewhere." Ana could tell he was trying to keep his voice quiet and under control. "We need to talk, urgently. Now."

She reeled back from the locked door and considered keeping quiet and hiding until he got the message and left. Only it was obvious he wasn't planning on leaving unless she came out, or at least let him into her cubical so they could have this talk he sounded so desperate on them having.

"Ana?" He wasn't leaving- that much was evident. "Where are you? I know you're in here, because I followed you in. So please, if you can hear me, open the door and let me in."

Shit! Did he already know which cubical she was in?

"Christian," she whispered through the door, hoping to sound as placating as possible. "While it was wonderful to see you again, I don't like you coming in here and bothering me like this. I would appreciate it if you would leave."

"Not until I talk to you first."

Oh, crap. She sighed deeply as she slowly unlocked the door. She had no choice and it was obvious he really needed to talk to her. She wasn't sure why exactly, but she could hear the urgency in his voice. This was serious.

She fixed her eyes on one of the buttons of his shirt so that she didn't have to face meeting his eyes. It was easier that way. "What do you want, Christian?" she hissed, hearing the own tired resignation in her voice. "Why are you being like this?"

She could still hear him panting unevenly as she caught the movement of his arm as he lifted it up near his head. Probably to comb his fingers through his hair. "You know why I'm being like this," he hissed back at her, and she could hear something coating his words. Was that hurt she heard in his tone of voice?

"I don't think I do, Christian." She could feel numerous eyes on her from the women standing in the bathroom. Last thing she wanted was to make a scene, so she kept her voice perfectly calm and quiet. "You made it perfectly clear on me that you didn't love me, and I couldn't handle your shit."

"Eight months. You've been gone for eight fucking months. I've waited for you to come back, and now, here you are." She could tell that he too was purposefully keeping his voice under control. He was trying to reign his temper in and, for that, she was thankful. "You left me no word why you were gone. I didn't even know what happened to you. I thought something bad might have happened to you."

"Well, it didn't obviously," she retorted back through gritted teeth. "I'm standing here, Christian. I'm here, and I'm safe and well. I'm still alive!"

"Eight months, Ana! And now, here you are, with some other fucker attached to you! You tell me nothing, and then you just come back, yet you don't even apologize for walking out on me without even so much as a fucking note that you were leaving!"

Spurred on by his words, Ana lifted her eyes and stared at him furiously. "I didn't have to give you a note or tell you anything," she shouted at him. "We were done the minute I walked out of your penthouse after you hit me!"

He stepped back involuntarily, flinching as if she had suddenly smacked him brutally across the face. And as far as reactions go, Ana couldn't deny that it was satisfying to see him look that way. She felt the slightest pang of guilt, but she believed it was completely warranted.

"You don't get the right to feel betrayed that I left, Christian," she told him, her voice singing with spite. "I'm with Paul now. So deal with it!" Ignoring him, she rinsed her hands under the tap and turned on her heel, her blood singing viciously in her ears. This definitely was not what she was planning to happen at all.

"You don't love him," he suddenly said from behind her tauntingly. "He mightn't be able to see through your little act, but I can. You don't love him. You're still in love with me, and you know it!"

She sighed deeply as his fingers found her hand and she turned and watched detachedly when Christian guided her hand up to his lips. His lips parted and she watched the way he took each tip of her fingers gently in his mouth, sucking and nibbling with his teeth. God, she almost wished Paul never happened at that moment. She almost crumbled right there and then at the feeling it stirred within her- that belly-clenching desire from before- and the way he gave her a tender and affectionate look as he lowered her hand from his mouth, still holding it gently in his hand. He used his other hand to play with her fingertips, stroking them.

"I want you back."

The spell was broken with his uttered words and she wrenched her hand away quickly.

"I'm with Paul," she repeated calmly. "So deal with it. Please don't make this any harder than it has to be."

**So they finally had their reunion. Thank you guys so much. I hope you're still interested? This is ultimately a Christian/Ana pairing, there will just be things in the way preventing it from happening at the moment (like Paul lol). I would love to know your thoughts, if any :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Thank you guys so much. Hope this wasn't a let down or that it was really bad. I feel so self-conscious about writing, so I apologize!_**

* * *

><p><em>"I want you back..."<em>

Those words taunted Ana and wrecked havoc on her mind as she whirled out of the women's restrooms. She wasn't sure Christian was hot on her heels, but she felt as if he was. How stupid could she have been, to come back to Seattle thinking that Christian would never have at least found some mysterious way to come into contact with her?

She wasn't ready for this. For any of it.

How she felt seeing Christian again was unexpected. She had felt something old and uncontrollable stir inside of her; Desire, and need. But she was with Paul now, and she had to get herself under control.

She saw Paul and Kate through the crowd, sitting at a table. Knowing Paul and Christian were in the same club- it turned her stomach. Once she managed to reach the table, she sat in the chair Paul had saved for her. She really had to get herself under control. She couldn't be feeling like this.

"Babe, are you okay?" Paul asked her with concern and, just to reassure herself, Ana reached down and took his hand, clenching it tightly from where it rested under the table near his thigh.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You just look a little... upset. Do you want me to buy you something to drink?" He asked her over the music and she shook her head vigorously. Drinking alcohol was the very last thing she felt like doing right now.

"No, I'm good. Do you want something, though?"

"Nah, I'm good. If you're not going to drink anything, then I won't either. Are you sure you're all right, though?" Bless Paul, and how much he cared about her. He cared about her, and he was actually sincerely concerned whether she was all right or not. He was never mercurial with his moods. She could read him easily, and she never had to worry what she said to him, out of fear of insulting him. Paul was a good man.

"Paul, do you mind if we head off?" she asked him. "I'm just not in the mood for staying out any longer. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, no. That's fine. What about Kate, though?"

Ana looked over at her friend, who was happily sipping a margarita. It was obvious Kate wouldn't have minded staying out for a couple of more hours. Ana didn't want to leave Kate alone in case anybody tried something on her while she was drunk. "Okay, maybe we can stay for a bit longer until Kate is ready to go too," Ana said grudgingly. "I don't want her to be stuck here alone all by herself."

"Is this about seeing Christian Grey, why you're not in the mood to stay out?"

Ana had to avoid his eyes as she shrugged uncertainly. Was this about Christian? Kind of. "I don't know, Paul," she admitted hesitantly. "I wasn't expecting to see him so soon. Everything just feels so awkward now, like it's going to be near impossible to enjoy this and have a good time."

She looked at Paul and smiled at him apologetically. She hated dragging him down into her shit with Grey too, but it couldn't be helped. She hadn't told Paul everything about what had happened with Christian Grey, since she was contractually bound. But what she did tell him was that she had felt serious about the man- something that wasn't reciprocated, something that Paul had made abundantly clear that he couldn't fathom why it had turned out the way it had.

"While I get that it would be awkward for you, you really shouldn't feel as bad as you do about it, baby. He's your ex, the first guy you were dating, and I get it. It's hard. But don't let running into him disrupt you from having a good night. You deserve to have some fun and to live your life however you want to live it. Everyone runs into one of their ex's sooner or later down the line."

_If only it was that easy..._

"I know. He just made me feel really uncomfortable."

"Well, me too," Paul admitted, and Ana stared at him in disbelief. Grey had the same effect on Paul, as he had on her? Surely not. "It was kind of obvious, the way he looked at me anyway, that he was pissed about learning you were with me. I mightn't know all that went on between you two, but I can pick up on some things. I wouldn't worry about him, babe. He's probably just jealous."

Oh, no. Grey jealous? That very idea was unsettling on her. She didn't want Christian to be jealous at all, because... who knew what he was capable of doing in that frame of mind?

"I don't want anyone to feel jealous," Ana said, laughing miserably at the thought. "I just want to move on with my life."

"Then forget about running into your ex. Just try to have a good time. I know how it feels, trust me. But Kate's here, and so am I. You haven't seen Kate in months. So just try to have fun with her."

Although Ana still felt skeptical over being able to enjoy herself regardless of what had just happened and what Christian had done, in bursting into the restrooms to talk to her, she realized Paul was right. She deserved to have fun and not worry about how other people- like Christian- were feeling or how they were going to react to new developments in her life. It was time she thought of herself and what made her happy. Time she focused on those around her, like her friendship with Kate.

"So Kate, how has everything been?"

"I've missed you so much, Ana." Kate laughed, took a quick sip of her drink, leaned over the table, and pursed her lips. "It feels as if these eight months have gone so slow without you." Her eyes flitted between Paul and Ana in surprise. "I still can't believe you two are together now. I never expected that to happen!"

"Me neither," Ana admitted quietly. She tightened her clasp on Paul's hand. "But I'm happy with how everything has turned out. Have you been happy?"

"I've been okay." Kate shrugged and shook her blond hair out of her eyes. "Elliot and I aren't an item anymore."

"Oh, really? Why not?" It hurt Ana a little, to hear Kate bring that name up so casually into the conversation. Elliot- Christian's brother- and Kate had seemed to have gotten along like a house on fire. She knew Kate had been really into him too.

"Things just didn't work out. I guess the same could be said for you and Christian, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Kate shook her head. "Elliot said he was real devastated when you left. Not that I care anyway. Truthfully, I'm glad you're done with him." That came as no real surprise to Ana; Kate and Christian hadn't gotten along very well. Still, her response shook Ana.

"He was devastated?"

"Yeah, apparently he was. Elliot said he was having a hard time convincing Christian to meet up with him. Elliot told me he wasn't in the mood to see anyone, after you left. I don't know what that's all about, though."

"Hmmm."

"But are you happy?" Kate leaned over the table and eyed her and Paul speculatively. "Are you happy with everything so far?"

"Yeah, of course." Ana forced a smile on her lips. "Everything is great and I _am_ so happy."

_"I want you back..."_

The look on Christian's face in the women's restrooms tore through Ana's mind as he said the words without any control of it and she fell into an awkward, conflicted silence. The look on his face had been so desperate and the words escaping from his mouth had been like an urgent plea. Of course, she still cared about him deeply and she never thought the day would come where she wouldn't. Despite all that had happened between them, all the fucked-up ways in which he lived, she knew she would never stop caring. But she couldn't let herself dwell on it, or him, anymore. She had to move on. And, hopefully, he would be doing the same.

* * *

><p>The cold breeze in the night-time air that fanned over Christian's skin was soothing as he waited outside the club by the curb for Taylor to return back to him with the car. He felt as if his skin was blistering from the inside out.<p>

His skin was hot and blistering with rage. An uncontrollable, fiery rage. Christian was astonished he didn't somehow miraculously combust into flames; He _was that_ aggravated and pissed-off by how wrong the night's events had turned out.

Everything- all his plans for the evening, his expectations- had backfired on him.

What he had expected to happen, in seeing Ana again, was for her to agree on coming home with him and then everything would have returned back to how it was before. He would apologize, of course, and they would have a discussion on where and how they went wrong, and then they would work at fixing it. Just the two of them, with no third-party in the way.

But seeing her with this Clayton fucker had thoroughly blew all his expectations for the night into smithereens. Forcing her to listen to him and confronting her had been utterly pointless. Why the fuck was she doing this to him? Was she purposefully going out of her own fucking way to make him suffer? Hadn't he suffered enough already with her eight month-long absence?_Fucking hell!_

He clenched his fists tightly and shook his head as Taylor finally made the drive towards where he was standing in the Audi. When Christian saw the lights of the traffic in front of the car illuminate Taylor's expression in the driver's seat, the man looked confused and disappointed that he had returned out of the club alone, with no Ana by his side. That made two of them then.

"Don't get your hopes up, Taylor," Christian muttered in irritation as he opened the door and threw himself down dejectedly into the plush leather seats. He slammed the door securely shut and raised a hand to rake his fingers through his hair slowly. "She's not coming with us tonight."

He heard the loud sigh Taylor gave out in the front seat. He didn't even need words to say how he was feeling. Christian understood him perfectly.

"I know. I saw her, though. Guess that ought to... count for something, shouldn't it? She looks well, anyway. Happy." He shrugged and tried to make his voice careless, as he went on quietly, " At least she's happy. It's all that matters. Or so I keep on telling myself..."

Taylor didn't say anything in response, he just stared at him through the mirror.

As Christian leaned back in the seat, resting his chin on his hand, he still couldn't shake off his annoyance. While it was wonderful to see her again, to see that delicious shade of pink on her cheeks when she had first realized he was standing there beside her, it was aggravating that she hadn't taken the bait and come home with him. He had expected her to take him up on his offer, and like the so many times continuously with her, she surprised him by doing the unexpected and going against what he was anticipating she would do.

He loved that she constantly kept him on his toes. Still, it was pretty fucking aggravating.

And having to see the way she reacted around that Clayton fucker, that was worst of all; She looked so relaxed and happy with him- something he rarely saw often when he was with her all those times. How the fuck was he meant to compete with that?

Sucking up his pride, he forced himself to address the man in the seat in front of him. "Taylor, do you and Gail ever... fight?"

"Me and Gail? Fight? Oh, all the time, Sir." Taylor's voice was hoarse and amused. "You probably don't realize it, but we're always fighting about something. It keeps the pair of us entertained."

Gail and Taylor fighting? Now that would have been a sight for Christian to see. He didn't think he had ever seen two people so content with each other, two people so in... in love. "And has Gail ever left you for another man?" It was a ridiculous question, Christian knew, but he was curious.

"No. We married early in our relationship."

"What would you do in a situation like that? If she seemed happy with another man, would you give up and let her go?"

Taylor was silent for a few seconds, considering that. Then he said, "No, I probably would not let her slip away so easily. I think I would at least fight for her, until I knew for sure it was a done-deal between us, Sir."

Christian chewed that over mentally in his head. "Fight for her? How?"

"I would just let her know that I am always there, no matter what. Let her see that if she needs someone in her worst moment, that I would be there first for her. Just to show her I never gave up on her. That, and flowers. A bit of romance."

"You think that's all it takes?" Christian asked doubtfully. "Hearts and flowers and romance?"

"Women tend to like that sort of thing, yes, Sir. Gail certainly does."

_Flowers. Now why hadn't he thought of that in the first place?_

"That's a very intriguing idea, Taylor." Christian pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. Seattle Flower Delivery. It was the perfect idea. "Yes, hello. I know it's late, but I would like for you to make a delivery, preferably in twenty minutes time. The address is..."

* * *

><p>Kate was heavy and giggling as Paul and Ana struggled to walk her inside to their apartment. She had drunk over three margaritas and two shots of tequila as the night had progressed and once Paul helped unlock the front door to let her inside, Kate sat down on the ground and started crawling along the floorboards to the bathroom. Ana couldn't help but noticing her friend looked a little green.<p>

"Paul, I think she's going to vomit," Ana exclaimed in fear, and then the two bent down and attempted the very trying task of dragging her into the bathroom before she vomited all over the floor.

Fortunately for them and with Paul doing most of the lifting, they got her near the toilet bowl and Kate cooperated with Ana as she held her hair back from her face while she dry-heaved loudly.

Kate was a mess. Her eyeliner was running down her face in murky streaks and she was trembling violently as Ana rubbed her back soothingly. Ana couldn't believe how messed-up Kate had let herself become with all those cocktails.

She peered behind her shoulder as Paul stood by the door, shaking his head. He looked rightly disgusted, and Ana felt a little ill herself. "God, she really needs to learn when the right time is to stop drinking, baby."

"I know. Poor Kate is going to have the worst hangover in the morning. Thank God we stayed with her though. I'd hate for anything to happen to her while she was like this."

"I know. Good thing we were there to make sure she got home safely."

The doorbell buzzed, and Ana stared at Paul, puzzled. Who the hell was there at this time of the night?

"Paul, do you mind answering that for me and seeing who is there? I've got my hands full."

"Yeah, no problem."

Ana listened carefully as she heard Paul open the front door to whoever was waiting outside. "Special Delivery here for a Ms. Steele," she heard a man's unfamiliar voice say. Who would be making a delivery for her at this time of the night? What was going on?

"Ana," Kate sobbed weakly, and Ana sighed as she knelt on her knees to comfort her friend.

"It's okay, Kate. You're just drunk. Keep vomiting it up and you'll feel better."

"I don't know if I can, though?"

"Just try. You'll be fine. I've got your hair." Turning away from her friend, she shouted out to Paul, "Paul, what was it? What's going on?"

"Um, Ana." He appeared in the entryway, and Ana felt her heart stop dramatically at the sight of him. He was holding a large bouquet of long-stemmed red roses in his arms. "These are for you."

"Oh, Paul," she laughed. "You're so romantic!"

"I... I didn't do this." Paul looked glum as he peered down at a white envelope that was attached to the roses. "I wish I had, though. Had I known you liked roses so much, I would have. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. But who sent them?" She had no idea who in the slightest would be sending her roses, but she couldn't deny the suspense was killing her.

"There's a card. You want me to read it?"

"Please do. I'm real busy with holding Kate's hair back."

"Okay." She waited patiently as Paul undid the envelope, and then cleared his throat gently, before reading.

_Ana,_

_Here are eight roses. Eight roses for eight months without you._  
><em>Eight roses for the eight months that I haven't stopped thinking about you since you left me.<em>

Paul closed the card up and stared at her uncomfortably. "And it has no name on the end of the card. But I guess we don't need to know who sent it though, huh?"

Ana stared at the roses, feeling that gaping hole in her chest opening up again. _Christian._ Christian had sent her roses, and a card. What the frigging hell was he trying to do to her?

She felt numb and empty as she fastened her hold on Kate's hair, turning away from Paul. She didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to do. It was probably what Christian wanted, as far as reactions went. It was embarrassing that Paul had to be the one to open the card and read it out to her. They both knew without a shade of doubt who the sender had been.

It occurred to Ana that she was going to have to contact Christian to set some boundaries and hopefully make it all very clear on him. But hadn't she been clear enough tonight? She had told him- firmly and very decisively- that she was with Paul now and that they were done. Why couldn't Christian get that through his head?

When Paul said goodbye, Ana decided it was time to see Christian. Her mind was still on the roses and the card he sent her, and she hardly felt it when Paul kissed her lingeringly on her cheek. Her mind was on nothing else but Grey, and she knew it was terrible of her.

She would go to him, and she would make things right. Tell him he had no right to send her flowers or cards with intimate writings in them. She was with Paul now, and he had better get used to that and stop trying to win her back- if that was even what he was attempting to do with it all...

Not really knowing why she was putting so much effort into her appearance, once she saw Kate was safe and sound, sleeping in her bed, she went into her own bedroom, pulled open her wardrobe and found the nicest dress she had. It was a fairly revealing, blue lace dress, and she slipped into it, then found a pair of tan ankle boots to wear and retouched her make-up.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and shook her head sadly. What was she doing? Why was she going to great lengths to dress up just to turn up at his Escala Penthouse to talk? Why did she even worry about how she was dressed before she saw him again? What if he believed it meant she was trying to impress him, that she wanted him back in return?

Hell, why was she even willing to put herself into this situation? They were probably just only going to argue again, and she felt as if she had enough of it for one day. She grabbed the flowers and the card and carried them out to the car, sitting them in the vacant passengers seat as she started the ignition.

She couldn't help but notice her hands were shaking as she gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove. The illuminated numbers on the dashboard told her it was already past one in the morning, and it was probably stupid and wrong of her to go to his house at this hour of the night, but she believed it couldn't wait.

She had to do it right now and put him in his place before she lost her nerve completely. This definitely could not go on- and she sensed that Paul had become uncomfortable over Christian sending her romantic gifts.

It wasn't fair on Paul.

As she drove her car up into the private driveway of the premises where he lived, she felt unnerved as she couldn't help noticing someone was leaning casually by the glass windows in one of the rooms inside far up on his floor. The lights were on inside his part of the building, the curtains not drawn. Ana had a faint idea it was Christian, and she was certain it was his room that he was standing in.

Putting the car in park and collecting the flowers and the card, when she turned to glance up at the window again, she noticed the shadow standing there had disappeared. Christian had probably noticed her car pull in now. He was probably waiting for her the instance she reached up to his floor in the elevator.

That made things easier then, she thought.

She sucked in a deep breath and straightened her shoulders as she made the walk towards the the foyer of Escala. Hitting the button on the elevator to take her up to his floor, she found herself growing more and more anxious by the second. Once the elevator opened, she stood inside, trying to calm herself down. She met her reflection in the mirror, taking the moment to push her fringe out of her eyes as she felt the elevator move higher and higher above the building towards his floor. Once the mechanical doors slid open on his floor, she found that she didn't even have to knock when his front door creaked open and she saw Christian standing there, leaning against the wall. He looked both pleased and anxious at the sight of her.

He had a glass of white wine in his hand, and Ana noticed, with some admiration, that the black shirt he had worn earlier was unbuttoned all the way down. She caught a very generous glimpse of his chest and his finely sculpted abdominal muscles and the hair trailing down in a line towards his groin below his belly button. She blinked heavily for a moment before deliberately turning her eyes away from him appropriately.

Paul, she reminded herself sternly. Paul. Paul. Paul.

"Hello, Ana. I'm surprised to see you here after what happened tonight. I didn't think you would come ever again. Why don't you come inside?" He moved back, as if almost expecting her to come in. "Would you like something to drink?"

The offer was too tempting on Ana, but she made herself shake her head. "No, thank you," she whispered, pleased by the determination in her voice. "I just came here to give you these back." She held the roses and the card out to him, noticing the shaking of her hands as she did it. "While I appreciate the gesture, I can't accept these, Christian."

"Oh, really? You can't accept them?" There was something there in his tone. Something she couldn't figure out.

She stuck to her guns. "I can't accept them. Please take them back."

"You can't or you won't?"

"I _won't_, Christian."

She risked a quick glance at his face, finding him staring at her speculatively. Like always, she had no idea what was running through that mind of his. "Why don't you come inside? You look cold."

"I am cold," she admitted in a small voice. "But I won't be coming inside. Please, take the roses and the card back already so I can just go."

"I don't want them, and I'm not taking them from you. They're yours."

"I'm with Paul, Christian. I thought I had made that perfectly clear on you tonight. You can't just send me cards and flowers. Paul had to read the card out to me tonight and, as you can probably imagine, it wasn't pleasant. For _either_ of us."

"So Paul read it out to you?" She could hear the twinge of amusement in his tone, and when she glanced up at him, Christian was doing nothing to hide it from his expression either. His eyes were alight with it. "How did that fucker take it?"

"Don't call Paul that," Ana snapped, glaring at him. "Don't disrespect him. Paul's a good guy."

"Why don't you come inside?" Christian suggested again, and this time, he held his hand out to her, making the offer doubly tempting on her. "I'm assuming this conversation is going to take a while, and if we're going to do this, I'd prefer for you to be inside in the warmth."

Ana bit her lip as she stared down at his outstretched hand. She felt troubled and unsure of what to do. She knew it was wrong to go inside, especially with him dressed the way he was with his shirt unbuttoned, but at the same time, it was cold outside.

So seeing no way out of it, she slid her hand in his and he backed away from the door frame, helping her inside. Even something as simple as holding his hand presented her with a feeling of wistfulness so responsibly she moved her hand out of his and gripped the bouquet of flowers tightly instead.

"Can I get you something to drink?"

"No. I don't plan on staying here long."

"You and I both have different plans then," he murmured under his breath wryly.

She ignored him as she sat the roses and the card on the armchair in the foyer. She wouldn't permit herself to step any further into his house than the foyer, because she knew that if she did... there would be no turning back. She couldn't risk it. Not at all.

"I think I'll be off now, Christian. I think I've said all that needs to be said. I just hope you'll listen and understand what I'm saying." She moved to leave, to flee, but suddenly his hand caught her elbow, holding her back. The action alone made her stomach muscles tighten and Ana heard her breath hitch in her throat.

"Are you happy?"

She sighed inwardly. It seemed as if everyone was asking her this question ever since she got back to Seattle. "I am. Well, as happy as I'm able to be anyway."

"With him?" He said it as if uttering the two words alone had left a foul taste in his mouth. Maybe Paul was right after all? Maybe he was jealous?

"That is hardly any of your business, Christian," she replied shortly. "Now please, let me go."

"Just answer me. Are you happy with him?"

"I'm as happy as I can be," she answered readily. "He's a great person. He makes me smile and makes me feel relaxed on the inside. I am happy with him, but there are... moments where it is hard."

"Have you missed me?"

Yes, she had. Sometimes. Some days more than others. But she didn't feel it was right to tell him that. "I haven't," she whispered, trying to sound convincing- to both Christian, and to herself. "I have accepted that we're over now, and that we both should move on. Maybe you should learn to accept it, too?"

Flinging her elbow free from his grasp, she turned around slowly to look at him. He appeared as if he was struggling to come to terms with what she had just told him. Maybe she was a better liar than she had given herself credit for? His eyes searched hers for a moment deeply, perhaps hoping to catch a glimpse of a lie in them. Then he sighed deeply and shook his head slightly as he turned and placed his glass of wine on the table near the wall. Now that his hands were empty, she prayed he wouldn't try to touch her with them. If he did, Ana had a feeling it would be her undoing.

"Well, regardless of what you are saying, Anastasia, I know you've missed me." His voice was low and full of confidence. "And I meant it; what I wrote down in that card, and also what I said tonight. I miss you and I want you back, all to myself. Just you and me."

Ana felt a spark of anger at his words. "You want me to be someone I'm not," she pointed out, her voice trembling. "I can't be that person you want me to be."

"I want you any way that I can get you. I think you're perfect the way you are. I thought I had made that obvious."

"Well, you haven't! And with Paul... I can be myself. He doesn't expect me to be somebody that I'm not. He's not... like you."

"He's not like me?" He repeated and his voice turned abruptly bitter. "So that's why you're with him? Just because he's not like me?"

"That isn't the only reason why I'm with him. That isn't even the reason. This doesn't even have anything to do with you, the reason I'm with Paul now!"

"Do you love him?"

Oh, Jesus. Why did he have to go and ask her that?

"I'm leaving now," she said firmly, making up her mind. They were getting nowhere. "I refuse to answer anymore of your questions. It's too late for this shit."

"You told me that you loved me. Does that still stand?"

She felt a sudden dangerous urge to hit something as she spun around on the spot to glare at him. He was impossible. "Why does it even matter, Christian?" she asked him. "I'm with someone else now. I'm happy. Now why can't you move on and find your own piece of happiness? It's been eight months since we last talked!"

"Yes, and it would have been less if you had let me fucking reach you, Ana! I tried continuously to call you, yet you shut me out! You never gave me a chance! All of this-" Panting hard, he waved his arm around the foyer, anger blazing in his eyes "-could have been resolved by now, but instead you took the shitty way out!"

"Why do you even care so much, Christian? Why? You made it clear to me that me falling in love with you was the ugliest damn thing on earth! And now, here you are... asking me if I still love you? What the fuck?" Now that he had gotten her started, Ana was finding it impossible to stop. "You did that on purpose, didn't you? I bet you're so glad that Paul had to read out that card! You wanted him to find it, didn't you? You want to... to drive him away!"

"You're right." The words were a barely audible growl. "I _do_ want to drive him away, because seeing you with him, it... it fucking kills me, Ana. I want you back, and I want that fucker to get away from you!" His eyes suddenly roamed down her clothes and Ana fought the impulse to slap him. There was a hungry, greedy look there. He probably was expecting her to fall at his feet. Well, over her dead body. "You didn't just come here tonight to give me back the flowers and the card I sent you! You came here because you want it as much as I do! You miss it!"

Losing herself, Ana laughed bitterly. "Oh, really? And what do I want, Christian? Miss what? What am I missing exactly?"

"Have you fucked him?" The question came out of his mouth, so unexpected to her, that Ana gasped loudly in outrage. How dare he have the gall to ask her that, like it was any of his business? "Are you fucking him?"

"Don't you dare ask me that," she whispered menacingly. "I cannot believe you just asked me that!"

"You haven't fucked him yet," he muttered, so self-assuredly. "I can tell. I can read it in your eyes."

She felt a glow of heat rushing up to her cheeks. Paul had tried to make the moves on her, only Ana hadn't felt ready to go all the way with him yet. Still, how dare he! How was this any of his business in the first place?

"And what if I have? What would you do to me if I have fucked him? Would you hit me, like you did before I left? Lash out on me with your belt?" It seemed that it was still a raw topic for Christian. Ana saw the way his mouth fell open and his eyes flash with regret before he composed himself and swiftly put an angry mask back on his face.

"If I could take back what happened with the belt, I would, believe me. But you didn't use your safe-word, did you?"

"We're going around in circles," Ana whispered tiredly. "We're not getting anywhere. I'm leaving."

"You keep saying that, and yet you're still here, aren't you? You never came here just to argue with me, did you? It wasn't about the flowers either. It's been eight months." He started moving towards her, a glint in his eyes, and Ana backed away quickly, holding her hands in the air. "You miss it with me. Just admit it."

"I don't miss anything with you."

"You've gone without it for eight months, and so have I. Have you thought about it since then?"

She looked away before glancing up at him again. She could feel that same old effect he had on her seeping its way in again. It hadn't changed, not even now. "Thought about what, Christian?"

"About us. About how I make you feel. How good it felt when I was inside you, how right."

Despite her efforts, Ana felt the blood running to her cheeks. Even after all this time, he apparently hadn't lost his touch. How could it still be like that, even after all that time away from him? Going to him was the biggest mistake she could have ever possibly made.

"I'm sorry, but... I'm going now. You have no right!" And using her legs before they failed on her, that was exactly what Ana did. The elevator doors took less time than they had before to open, much to her relief. She didn't think she could have withheld him for any longer.


	5. Chapter 5

**I own nothing to do with Fifty Shades Trilogy. I'm just a fan.**

**I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update. I couldn't remember my password annoyingly enough, so I apologize for keeping you guys waiting. I'll update frequently now that I've gotten back into the account, so very sorry! Thank you so much for the alerts and the reviews I have received, I really appreciate them.**

**So, here we are, finally. Hope you enjoy. I won't keep you waiting so long ever again!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter Five<strong>_

Once Ana got back home inside the apartment, she went into her room and got changed into a long T-shirt for bed, thinking the night over. It was almost three o'clock in the morning and Ana ought to have felt dead tired, yet she didn't. She felt wide awake. Even when she climbed into bed and switched the lamp off in her room, letting darkness surround her, her mind still ceased to switch off.

Tonight had been so overwhelming. She wasn't sure how she felt and she blamed Christian for that.

Their argument had left her in a state of high alert. She still couldn't believe the gall he had to ask her such personal questions- such as whether or not she was in love with Paul, or if she had fucked him. Really, Christian had no right. It was none of his goddamn business. It left her fuming, yet also, confused, as far as her relationship with Paul went.

When Ana woke up the next morning and got dressed for work at Clayton's, she found Kate already up and sitting huddled on their sofa covered in a blanket. Kate looked as if she was experiencing a hangover from hell; Her face puffy, mascara still smeared down the rims of her eyes.

"Hey, you look terrible," Ana said, deciding to be honest.

"Tell me about it," Kate groaned. "I feel like shit. I had to call in sick today. I was doing bathroom runs by the hour last night."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have drank so much alcohol, huh?"

"You're right, and I know that. I shouldn't have. It's just... what's the point of heading out if you're not going to get drunk? You know how I get." Her friend grimaces at her. "I just took two Tylenol's and it hasn't seemed to help any with the headache. I swear, I feel like utter shit, Ana!"

Ana sighed at her friend pitifully while she went to the fridge, getting out a few homemade sandwiches to take to work for lunch.

"Anyway, enough about me. Did you enjoy yourself last night?"

"Yeah, it was okay." Ana shrugged, finding her satchel to put her lunch in. "Apart from having to carry your heavy ass into the bathroom, it was all right."

"God, Ana. I'm so sorry about that!"

"No, it's fine. Paul and I were just glad that you came home with us."

"Oh, yeah. Speaking of Paul..." Kate's voice took on that meaningful edge and Ana immediately felt uneasy. Maybe she shouldn't have brought him up? "You and Paul Clayton, huh? How does that work out, the whole seeing each other every day at work thing?"

"I just got back from Florida, Kate," Ana corrected her. "But I'm sure it'll be fine. It'll be how it usually is."

"Are you two, you know?" Kate raised her eyebrows at her. "Have you two, um, done it yet?" Ana fixed a look of warning at her. This was so typical of Kate; Always prying for unnecessary details.

"God, Kate. Do you really need to know the answer to that? About whether Paul and I have had sex yet?"

"Of course I do," Kate said, sitting up with interest. "I'm supposed to be your best friend. That's what friends do, isn't it? They pry into each other's sex lives for all the gory details."

"I don't remember being that way with you when you started seeing Elliot?" Ana pointed out stiffly. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I never asked anything about any personal details like that?"

"Oh, come on, Ana. You're no fun. How is it with him? The sex, I mean?"

Ana felt herself flush as she bit down on her lip, considering what to tell her. This was what had always annoyed her about her friend; Kate didn't know the meaning of discretion. "Fine," Ana surrendered, slipping her satchel over her shoulder while Kate shuffled around on the sofa to make more room for her. Kate was watching her eagerly as she sat. "We haven't, um, gotten to that stage yet. There, happy?"

Kate was unnervingly silent for a long moment. Then she laughed out loud. "Seriously? Not even once?"

"Never. I mean, we've made out and all. He's... felt under my shirt. That's about it, though."

Kate erupted into even more laughter, aggravating Ana. "Oh, my God. You two have been in Florida all that time- and nothing? God, what have you two been doing while you've been away? Not screwing, clearly..."

"Quit laughing, Kate. Why are you so surprised? We've agreed to take it slow. I told him of my... past experiences, and he agreed to take it slow. He said he doesn't want to rush me."

"But do you want to screw him?"

Ana cringed at the direct question. "I don't know," she shrugged. "I've just got some baggage there that I'm still trying to move on from."

"By baggage, you mean Christian Grey, right?" The name spoken aloud alone made Ana feel sick.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. And he came to the bar last night."

"Shit, really? Grey came to the bar last night?" Kate made herself more comfortable on the sofa, like she was getting settled in to watch a soap opera. "I didn't even realize. How'd that make you feel?"

"He followed me into the women's restrooms and there was a huge group of women standing around waiting to pee while we argued. How do you think it would make me feel?"

"Jeez, Ana. He followed you into the bathroom?"

"Yeah, he did. He said he... he wanted me back. Then when we got home and put you near the toilet, a delivery came. Christian had sent me flowers and a card so I went back to his place to give them back. I was firm with him, told him that I was with Paul now and that it was completely unacceptable. Then I left." It felt like a huge weight that had been previously baring her down had been lifted, while talking to Kate about it. She realized she had to get it all off her chest somehow.

"Yeah, so... what happened between you and Grey anyway? It was all so sudden. I mean, I just got a text from you saying you were going to see your father and spend some time with him in Florida, that you and Grey were over, and that was that. What happened between you two?"

Ana hated Kate's curiosity then. Talking about the shit that had happened with Christian was not something she particularly desired to do. "I don't really want to get into that too much, Kate," she admitted quietly. "And, yeah, I'm sorry I left so abruptly without a proper explanation. I just felt that I needed to do it; I needed to do something drastic to get it all out of my system to really successfully put all that shit that happened with Grey behind me."

"And he wants you back? He told you that?"

"Yep." Ana sucked in a deep breath. "That's what he said. Apparently he wants me back."

Kate seemed to think that through carefully for a second."But you're with Paul now?"

"Exactly. I've moved on and Christian, he hasn't. Or so he made it perfectly clear on me..."

"But _have_ you?" Kate asked doubtfully, with care. "I mean, have _you really_ moved on? You really don't feel anything lingering there for Grey at all?"

Ana huffed out a snort of derisive laughter. What a ridiculous question. "Well, of course I have lingering feelings for Grey," she admitted, not without her fair share of uneasiness. And, if she had to be perfectly honest with herself, irritation as well. "He was the... the first person I was with. I mean, I lost my virginity to him. You can't really forget something so big like that, can you?"

Kate's face was scrunched up with sympathy. "Yeah, guess not. Losing your virginity to a guy, it's pretty big. I still have a thing for that guy I lost mine to, in high school. It never really leaves you, that first time shared with somebody. But you know what I mean, right? Aside from the fact that he was the one that you lost your virginity to, are you sure you still aren't remotely... interested?"

It was a loaded question. Ana took a long time to reassess her feelings. Yes, she had to admit that when her and Christian had run into each other last night at the club, the way he had looked at her... still so intensely. Well yes, Christian still hadn't lost his affect on her, even after all that time and distance away, those eight months. There had been a spark of relief emitted within her, when Christian had expressed how he had wanted her back. How desperate he looked, how determined. But she just couldn't go there. Not ever again. There was too much shit there, too many issues.

"What does it matter, if I do somewhat miss him, Kate? I'm with Paul now, and Paul, he's..." She paused for a moment, unsure of how to describe it. She felt a swell of tenderness go through her at the thought of him. "He's been so great with me, so patient. Sure, he mightn't be up to Christian Grey's standards, but he's... also got his better points than Grey as well."

"Yeah, you've definitely downsized, in the wallet department anyway," Kate muttered wryly with a faint laugh.

"I don't care about money," Ana corrected her defensively. "What does money have to do with any of this?"

"I'm sorry, Ana. I was just making a joke. It was silly, sorry."

Desperate to drop their uncomfortable conversation, Ana checked her watch. She was due to start her shift at Clayton's hardware in no less than fifteen minutes. If she didn't start making the drive there now, she'd end up getting in late. "Crap, Kate. I better run."

"Okay. Love talking to you." Kate reached over, hugging Ana hard.

"Yeah, you too. Feel better. Make sure you eat something carbs heavy for your hangover."

"I'll try," Kate groaned, unenthusiastic. "Have fun with your lover boy at work."

Ana sighed as she stood, fixing another stern look onto her friend. "Come off it, Kate. See you later."

"Okay, Ana. Bye!"

Getting in her car, she arrived at Clayton's in Portland just barely in time. When she got inside, Mrs. Clayton, Paul's mother and her manager, gave her a hug while patting her cheek. It was somewhat intrusive, working with Paul's mother and having her as her manager. Already, she seemed to know that her and Paul were dating, which meant she would be meddling now and then. If Mrs Clayton started asking Ana to refer to her as her mother-in-law, Ana would be seriously annoyed. So she was dating the woman's son, but it was still at that stage of just being fun. Her and Paul were more so friends than anything, except they were... extremely close friends, who made out every so often. It didn't mean Ana had serious intentions to become a Clayton in surname anytime soon.

Ana had just slipped into the staff room to stow all of her belongings securely away in her locker, when Paul made himself known by sneaking up behind her and covering her eyes. She felt her heart thump in her chest at the unnecessary surprise. "Paul," she whispered in annoyance, pulling his hands away from her face. "Was that really necessary?"

"I'm sorry," he laughed. "I was just fooling around. Didn't mean to scare you that badly, Ana."

"Well, congratulations. You did."

"Well, then. I'm sorry, baby." His arms came around her, pushing her body firmly against his, and he gave her a brief kiss on the lips. When he pulled back to peer down at her with a grin, Ana couldn't help grinning back at him.

"You're forgiven now," she said quietly, smiling so wide that her mouth began to hurt.

She felt like no woozy lightheaded mess, and she didn't think she had, not even simply once, every time they kissed. Not even after a long and intense make-out session together. Paul didn't seem to affect her like Christian had. When Christian would kiss her, those long months ago when they were together and she was something of his submissive, he'd kiss her and it would be like a fireworks-going-off-and-trumpets-blaring type of reaction.

If Ana had to be completely honest, everything with Paul was different in comparison to how it had been with Christian. But on a positive note, there was also no insecurity there. With Paul, she hardly cared whatever silly and playful things came out of her mouth. And Paul didn't care either. She could be herself around him, without any fear of any repercussions; Like getting her ass spanked or getting punished. Ana could say anything she damn well pleased to Paul.

"How was your morning?" Paul asked, his arms still around her.

"It was all right. You should have seen Kate, though. After last night, she was so messed up."

"Oh, I bet she would be. She was pretty drunk last night."

She remembered what she had to say to him. "Thanks for that, too," Ana said quickly, looking Paul deeply in the eyes so he knew she meant it. "For helping me with Kate. You're the best."

"Oh, I would hope so. You're pretty great yourself." Paul moved in to kiss her again, but they were disrupted when Mrs Clayton entered the staff room. She looked between the two of them disapprovingly.

"Cool it down, kids," she warned the two of them sternly like they were teenagers. "Ana, your shift has started. There's some stock I need you to put on the shelves. Can you do that for me?"

"Oh, of course, Mrs Clayton."

She tried to get herself free from Paul's arms, only he wasn't budging. He was doing it on purpose, trying to get her even more flustered than she already was, in front of his mother. His arms only dropped at his sides respectfully when she rammed her elbow into his chest.

This was one of the bad things about working in Clayton's now that Paul and her were together. Ana had a feeling that Mrs Clayton was going to become a serious problem.

"You too, Paul," she went on, fixing a deadly serious look on her son. "No more playing around. It's time to work."

Not wanting to get in her managers bad books, Ana quickly excused herself and went into the storeroom dutifully, finding stock that they needed to fill the low supplies on the shelves with. She grabbed a box filled with unopened plastic packages of wall hooks used to hang up picture frames that she recalled when walking in for her shift was low, and she struggled with the nearly eight kilo box as she kneed the storeroom door open to get back out onto the floor. Already, since the morning hours had picked up, the store was fairly busy with renovators looking for certain products they needed, or builders and plumbers that needed tubes or screws.

Her arms were straining against the heavy weight of the box and all it took her was a mere second for her to lose grip and for the box to fall on the linoleum floor at the start of aisle she needed with a loud thunk. Ana looked around to make sure no one had seen the incident, before she bent down low, getting on her knees. Wrapping her arms around each side of the box, she was just about to hoist it back up while following safe lifting procedure, when she glanced to her left and... instantly, he was there.

Christian. Goddamn him. She almost had a heart attack, right then and there.

She definitely wasn't expecting that to happen. Hadn't she made herself perfectly clear on him last night that they were done and over with, and that he ought to move on and live his life? Apparently not.

"Christian," she yipped in surprise. She sounded too breathless, too... shocked, and she hated it. "What... what are you doing here?"

He ignored her, kneeling down himself, his eyes on nothing else but hers. Then she felt his hands touch hers as his arms came around the box, startling her. His fingers were warm as they brushed her knuckles and at the mere harmless contact alone, she got sudden flashbacks, featuring those hands of his. The way it felt when he would push his fingers under the cups of her bra, thumbs swiping over her nipples. The way his touch alone would make her feel as if she was on fire. The way he'd glide those long slender fingers over her skin, down her naval, between her legs at the most intimate part of her. She found herself relived then that Christian hadn't the ability to read her mind, yet when she let her eyes focus on his face again, she saw the way a ghost of a smile was playing along those lips of his. Those lips.

_God, she really had serious mental problems..._

She realized his intentions belatedly then. He was attempting to help her with the box. Instead of feeling grateful deep down on some level, it only served to piss her off. Ana felt her ears tingle with heat.

"I've got this," she said, her voice coming out too loud.

"Here, allow me to help you."

"No, I've got this, I said. Let me do this." Mainly she just wanted his hands away from her, for his fingertips to stop touching her knuckles. It was unnerving, how he made her feel simply by touching her in the smallest and meaningless of ways.

A bit too forcefully and rudely, she might as well of admitted, she pushed his hands away before doing it all herself, her body trembling as she maneuvered all of the boxes weight into her arms. She managed to stand, although not very steadily. When she dared to let herself glance at Christian again before brushing past him hastily with the box, she saw he was evidently just as pissed off as she was. His jaw was tense and clenched tight. She thought he appeared slightly wounded by her refusal into letting him help her. She saw the way his dark grey eyes narrowed.

"I was just trying to do the gentlemanly thing in helping you," she heard him mutter.

"I can handle it, but thanks all the same," she got out under her breath, her back facing him. She waddled towards the area in the aisle that she needed and with some relief, she dumped the box down by her shoes. She could already feel the soreness in her arm muscles. "I'm not an incompetent child, Christian. I'm perfectly capable of lifting eight kilos of weight."

"Oh, I think I'm completely aware of just what you are capable of, Anastasia," he said, somewhat warmly. Damn. Why did her full name still have to sound so good coming from that softly-spoken, attractive voice of his?

Talking to him without having to maintain eye-contact seemed to help.

"And you never answered my question just then, did you?" She got down on her knees, finding the box cutter in the apron. She switched the blade fully open with her thumb and it took all the concentration she had to slice the lid of the box open with the blade. She couldn't afford to get too self-conscious, not when she had a very sharp tool in her hand.

"What was the question again?" He was playing dumb, she could tell that much. Ana grumbled a curse-word under her breath.

"You know what I mean." Steeling herself mentally for it, she lifted her head to glance up at him questioningly. He was wearing the exact finely tailored suit that she recalled him wearing when they had first met, that fateful morning, while Ana had filled in for Kate in doing the interview for her on him when she was sick. It looked just as good on him as she had remembered, of that day. Possibly even better. "Why did you come here, Christian? Why did you come by my workplace? To distract me? Argue with me and make a scene like you did in the women's restrooms at the club last night?"

"Actually, I plan to be on my best behavior while I'm in here. I don't want to cause you any trouble."

She took notice of the tie he was wearing then. It wasn't deliberate, really. Her eyes just decided to make notice of and acknowledge it without her control. It was the very same tie he had used during their bondage sessions. The same tie! Was this some part of a scheme for him? Was it deliberate, him wearing the tie while being fully aware that it was the same piece of clothing that had played a big part in their playroom history? What was he trying to accomplish with it all?

"Really? You don't intend on causing me any trouble?" She spat the words out through her mouth bitterly. The man was unbelievable. "That's hard to believe, seeing as you're here right now like this. What do you want from me?"

Ana stole a quick glance up at him before looking away again. She started removing the packages out of the box. A slight frown had been marring Christian's brow, heaven knows why.

"I think you already know exactly what it is that I want from you."

"What? Cable ties? Rope?" When she glanced up at him again quickly before stating to push the stock neatly on the shelf, she saw a gleam of amusement in his eyes, although he still remained straight-faced.

"Cable ties? Rope? Not even close. Try again."

"To pester me to death then?" she retorted.

"No, not that either. I was actually thinking more along the lines of-" Christian stopped talking abruptly for some reason. Ana wasn't entirely sure what that reason was, until she saw that he was staring at someone along the end of the aisle. His look was rather intimidating and dark. Whoever Grey was glaring at now, Ana was willing to bet that they were nearing the point of wetting themselves. Unable to help it and her curiosity getting the best of her, Ana turned to glance behind her shoulder herself. Who she saw standing there, tanned arms crossed against their chest over their apron, frown on their face, made her heart skip a beat nervously.

Paul.

Was it all about to turn into a cockfight, between Grey and Paul? Ana hoped not.

**Hope you enjoyed this one and that you are still interested in the tale? Feel free to let me know :)**

**PS. Sorry about the mix-up of locations, I'm from Australia so I'm no way geographically correct with Seattle, Portland, Escala, etc. I'm sorry. Hoping you guys could look past it. **


	6. Chapter 6

**_As obvious, I own nothing to do with 50 Shades. _**

**_Hope you enjoy this one. I'd love to know your thoughts :)_**

**_Chapter Six_**

This was like Ana's worst nightmare personified.

Paul and Christian in the same building, having a potential stand-off. If anything happened in the next few seconds, it would have spelled a disaster where Ana would likely face losing her job. While working at Clayton's wasn't the most glamorous job in the world, it was somewhat enjoyable and it also helped her manage to pay the rent she halved with Kate to afford the place they were currently staying at together.

"What are you doing later tonight once you finish work?" Christian asked in a quick and quiet voice; tearing through the panic debilitating Ana at the possible showdown that was going to happen once Paul reached them.

She glanced back at Paul anxiously, gnawing on her lip. He was clearly concerned and wondering whether to intervene and save her from her persistent ex. Ana shook her head at him with a forced smile so he knew everything was fine, that there was no trouble. Just like that, the tension seemed to leave her body when Paul nodded before moving away out of sight again. Confident now that nothing unpleasant was going to happen, she glanced back up at Christian again, her stomach in knots.

"Why, Christian? Why do you want to know what I'm doing after I finish work?" she asked suspiciously. "What's it to you?"

If he was hurt by her fake hostility in any way, Christian certainly didn't show it. He smiled at her, like he found her reaction towards him amusing. "I simply wanted to know if you would like to join me for dinner tonight. Would you?"

Ana felt her heart drop suddenly. He was asking her out to dinner? After all that had happened last night and what she had said to him, he was asking her out to dinner? Even though she had made it perfectly clear on him that she was with Paul now, that they were finished and that she had moved on, here Christian was... daring to ask her out to dinner while ignoring everything else? He definitely was the most frustrating man she had ever met.

_Had everything she had said to him last night sailed past his head?_

He was staring at her, almost desperately waiting for her to agree. Damn it, if she didn't feel tempted to...

"I finish late tonight," she said lamely, the only viable excuse she could come up with off the top of her head. "I finish around... six-thirty. Once the store closes."

Christian shrugged nonchalantly. "Then I'll wait."

God, why wasn't he getting it? A storm of frustration blew through her. "As I told you over and over again last night, I have a boyfriend now, Christian." She tried to speak as sensibly as she could, despite the overwhelming emotions that flooded her. "I'm not going to just go out to dinner with my ex. How is that even fair to Paul?"

There, that did it. Just the mere mention of Paul was vastly becoming a major buzz-kill to him. She could see as much, when she caught a flicker of something resembling annoyance in his eyes. "I don't really care what is fair to Paul and what isn't, Ana. I care about you, hence why I am asking you if you would like to join me for dinner this evening. It's all I'm asking. For you to join me for dinner tonight. Just you and me."

"Then no. There's your answer," she muttered, a bit too quickly. The hurt look that came across his face made her feel more guilty than she would have liked. "I'm with Paul now, and I don't feel its right that I go out to dinner with my ex. So no, I won't join you for dinner tonight, but... thank you for asking. If it was Paul asking maybe, then... yeah. I would, but... it isn't so..." She grimaced, tossing her head in embarrassment at her nonsensical rambling.

It seemed as though he was having trouble digesting her refusal down. He nodded once, bringing a hand up to rake his fingers through his hair while he blew out of his mouth shakily. The look on his face alone very nearly made her crumble and submit.

"Fine, Ana. But I'm sure there is always a way that I could eventually make you change your mind." His tone went low and vaguely threatening.

"You can't threaten me into having dinner with you," she pointed out quietly in outrage. "Maybe there might have been a time where you could, but... things have changed." She tried to sound strong and confident, yet the shakiness of her voice failed her. "You no longer have any power over me." _God, if only that were really true..._

"Then you seem to be forgetting something crucial about me," Christian said after a moment.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"That I always love a challenge, Miss Steele." He licked his lips as his gaze slid down her slowly in a way that made her heated all over. "Clearly you've forgotten that about me. But I do hope you know that this is one challenge I fully intend to win."

"Challenge?" Ana repeated, unnerved. "So this is your latest challenge, in trying to convince me into heading out to dinner with you?"

"No." A smile came across his face, one that she recognized as one of his secretive ones, like he knew something she didn't. It didn't sit very well on her, and Ana felt her stomach somersault in uneasiness. "It's more than about the dinner."

She shook her head, baffled. "What else is this about then, Christian?"

"So you really won't go out to dinner with me tonight?" he asked her again, ignoring her question.

"No," she ground out in frustration. "Haven't I already just said that? No, I won't be going out to dinner with you, not now and not ever. Not while I'm with Paul."

She caught the disturbingly cold and calculating look that came across his face after he sighed heavily. "Very well. I suppose I'll just have to find another way then, won't I?" Before Ana went to cut him off, he finished with an abrupt, "Have a good day, Miss Steele." Then he turned on his heel, exiting the store at a speed that was impossible for her to comprehend.

Ana watched him go, shaking her head in disbelief._ What the hell was all of that really about?_

She sighed heavily again, trying to push their conversation to the back of her mind in order to focus on getting her work done. Once she had placed all the stock on the shelf, she went out back, flattening the box out to put it in the garbage disposal. She could feel a tension headache coming on, due to Christian's sudden appearance in the store and him asking her out to dinner.

Ana had to admit to herself that maybe, just maybe, if Paul hadn't been in the equation right now, she would have been eagerly agreeing to dinner with him in a heartbeat.

So she did still have feelings for Christian. Being back in town and him staging all of his little run-ins so that they could meet again effected her in a massive way. That attraction she had first initially felt for him was still there. Hell, she could hardly so much as look at him without thinking back on those times spent in the Red Room of Pain together. It was terrible to feel that way, especially when there was Paul to think about now. Ana just couldn't deny it, though.

She heard the bell ding at the desk out front, and shaking everything off mentally as well as she could, Ana rushed back out, finding a female customer at the counter waiting to be served. Forcing a smile on her face, she served her and, fortunately for Ana, the afternoon rush began, which meant she was kept preoccupied for the rest of her shift.

Once her shift finished for the day, Ana clocked off, meeting Paul in the stock room while he unpacked supplies to store on the shelves.

Ana stood for a moment quietly near the doorway without him knowing, watching him from behind while he concentrated on unpacking the boxes of stock. Paul had a wonderful sense of humor, where they would laugh a lot together, quoting movies in funny voices. They could be goofy together, not overly... loved-up and sentimental. Really, Paul was like her closest male friend, with the exception that they kissed, but in the best possible way. She studied him in the tight white crew-neck shirt he was wearing and his cargo pants. Where had the time flown? Already, they had been spending time together dating for very nearly six months flat. Eight months full of separation from a certain someone and yet, still, she was still hung up on him, no matter how much that wound in her chest had seemed to lessen with Paul's company.

He was on the opposite side of the spectrum when it came to Grey; Not damaged or a control freak. Not mercurial with his moods. Yet why couldn't she feel as intensely with him as she apparently still did with Christian?

"I'm done now," she said to him, eager to get home. She smiled down at him glumly from where he was kneeling when he glanced up at her. "I've been dying to finish my shift. I definitely feel a headache coming on." She felt too hot, too flustered, and unable to get in the right frame of mind to work.

"You feeling okay?" he asked her, worried.

"Yeah, I am. It's just been an... incredibly long day." An incredibly long day seemed ever the understatement.

"I noticed _the rich_ Christian Grey dropped in?" Paul didn't sound in anyway too concerned or annoyed, which relieved her. Then again, he probably had serious right to be. He was her ex, after all. Ana had heard that guys didn't particularly like that; An ex putting the moves on their new girl, yet with Paul, he hardly appeared as if he was worried at all. "He looked like he was bothering you, was he?"

Ana shrugged, trying not to give too much away. "Not really. He just wanted to... talk." She thought back to how Christian had the nerve to look at Paul, the almost dangerous glint to his eyes. Ana had been so certain that a cockfight would have happened between the two, considering how possessive Christian could be. Eager to forget about it, Ana got out quickly, "What time did you say you finish tonight?"

"Probably six-thirty, once the store actually closes. Mom needs me to stay back."

"Okay." She bent down to give him a quick kiss on the lips, running her hand through his blonde hair. "Have fun, then."

"Yeah, right, baby." He rolled his eyes at her with a laugh. "I definitely miss being back in Florida, away from this."

"Well, think of all the many lives that you are saving here," Ana said, as a joke. "There are so many builders and renovators out there that desperately need their hardware. We're saving their lives, one screw at a time."

Something about leaving the workplace after an entire day there was always oddly liberating and freeing.

Heading out into the parking lot to where her car was parked, she couldn't help grinning to herself. That stressful tension headache seemed to drift away once she sucked in a few deep, steadying breaths of fresh cold air. It had been raining sometime while she was inside Clayton's Hardware, though she hadn't realized or heard the rain pelting down on the roof. Shivering, Ana ran to the car, unlocking it hastily to get inside under cover.

Then she caught the piece of paper someone had stuck between her windscreen wipers. Ana's heart sank as she quickly snatched it off and huddled into her car, shutting the door quickly. Just her luck, it was probably a speeding or parking fine, though Ana couldn't remember speeding in the car since returning back into Seattle.

The paper was completely damp when she turned it over, the black ink splotchy and smeared. Squinting her eyes to read it, she understood what the piece of paper was then. It wasn't a parking ticket or anything close to it.

_Dinner tonight at Cargo's at 8_

_Reservation booked under surname Clayton._

_-Paul._

Cargo's was a new restaurant that had opened in Seattle recently. Ana laughed to herself quietly as she reread the drenched note a couple of times. How sweet of Paul. Why wouldn't he have just saved her all the trouble and just mentioned it while she said goodbye to him?

Suddenly, having spent a hectic day stuck in Clayton's seemed worth it, if this was the surprise from Paul that she was going to receive.

* * *

><p>"So Paul asked you to dinner tonight at Cargo's? That new posh restaurant?" Kate asked, hovering around Ana after helping her choose what to wear for the evening.<p>

Ana had wanted to dress up and look nice- but not look too overdone that it was pathetically obvious. She had borrowed one of Kate's most elegant dresses; A white halter neck that seemed almost bohemian in style, and a pair of Kate's small gladiator heels. Now Kate was helping Ana with straightening her hair while they talked.

"He did. Is it really that posh?"

"Um, yeah. When it opened a couple of months ago, it gained like five stars. Apparent the food is really expensive. I've heard its like a hundred bucks alone for a pissy, little entree."

"Really?" Ana asked in shock. "I'm pretty sure Paul wouldn't be able to afford that, if it is that expensive like you say." From experience while working at Clayton's, Ana knew firsthand that the pay wasn't that big. "I wonder why Paul asked to go there of all places then?"

Kate laughed in excitement suddenly, staring at Ana with wide eyes. "Maybe he's planning to propose?"

"Yeah, right," Ana laughed. "Somehow I really doubt that..."

"I've heard that some guys do that. They invite their girlfriend to a really expensive restaurant, buy her dinner, then propose. Either that, or Paul must secretly be rich."

Ana really didn't think that was possible. Every time her and Paul had hung out in Florida, he had seemed especially tight and cautious of how he spent his money and where it was going. It just didn't make sense, Paul asking her out to an expensive, five-star restaurant then. Something so extravagant like that, she could probably see Christian doing that_. Christian..._ She immediately steered her thoughts away from him. She could not go there.

Once the time to leave finally came, Kate assured her that Ana looked good before Ana got into the car and made her way towards Cargo's. The drive took roughly twenty minutes and Ana thought she understood immediately what Kate was saying, if the decor outside was anything to go by. It did look like a seriously lavish and expensive restaurant. The building had evidently gone through reconstruction and was newly painted. As Ana found a place to park across the road, she looked around, trying to spot Paul's car somewhere.

She didn't. His car wasn't anywhere that she could see it, among the shiny modern models. Maybe Paul was running late? At least he told her in advance the reservation name their table was booked under.

Taking the moment to check her reflection in the mirror, she made sure all of her make-up was perfectly in place and that her hair still looked decent, before she climbed out and locked up. The weather hadn't improved since she finished Clayton's, though it was no longer bulleting down with rain, but misting. The air was cold and frigid and Ana shook violently as she crossed the road towards the big sign out front that said CARGO'S.

Once Ana pushed her way inside, she sighed in relief. The building was warm and there was a lit, crackling fireplace that radiated heat from across from the reception desk. The walls were painted white with little designs on the ceiling that made the atmosphere of the restaurant both intimate and homely. As she approached the well-dressed woman waiting behind the desk, Ana gripped her clutch tight in one hand while rubbing one of her arms with the other, attempting to make her goosebumps disappear.

"Hi, um, I'm here for dinner tonight," Ana explained uncertainly.

"Do you have a reservation for a table?"

"Yes, actually. It's for Clayton. My boyfriend made a booking tonight, I think?"

The woman glanced down to her computer screen, searching, while Ana tried not to start fiddling nervously too much. _What on earth was taking so long? Paul had actually made the reservation in advance, hadn't he?_

"Ah, yes. Here we go," the woman said pleasantly at last, with a kind smile. "A table for two, reserved under the name Clayton. Right this way, please."

Ana inhaled in relief, following the woman quickly. The main dinner area was even bigger than the area out front where people came in. There was another fireplace secluded off from the tables, and each table was sectioned off by a floor-to-ceiling length bamboo divider so that dinner could be eaten in peace without having to worry about people watching.

Ana gave her long hair a shake around her shoulders as she followed the woman anxiously, her heart beating dangerously quick in anticipation to see Paul. They hadn't been out to dinner much, certainly not in a restaurant that seemed as posh and fancy as this. When the woman stopped by one of the dividers, Ana felt her stomach clench.

"Here we are, ma'am. He's just through there." The woman waved at the section of the divider that was open. "He arrived quite early. If you both just sit down, I'll have a waiter come by you in about fifteen minutes time."

Ana felt her brows pinch in confusion. _Paul was here already? But she hadn't seen Paul's car anywhere outside? Maybe his mother dropped him off then?_

"Oh. Okay, great." She smiled at the woman nervously. "Thank you."

She followed the end of the divider, wondering how she was going to squeeze in past such a narrow space. She made a noise of amusement, knowing that no doubt, once she reached Paul on the other side, they would both share a laugh about the absurdity of it all.

"My God, Paul," she slipped up with a laugh, sliding through the divider end ungraciously. "This is really kind of ridiculous. I can't believe you did this." Turning around, she went to face her dinner guest with a wide smile. "This was so-"

Seeing who was sitting there in the seat across from her at the table, Ana felt her words immediately falter and die in her throat. Her stomach sank and her heart felt as though it had ceased functioning in a dangerous way as she met Christian's expectant gaze. _Was this some kind of a wicked joke?_

"Christian, what... why are you here?" she spluttered, feeling as though the world had suddenly caved open to swallow her up. She glanced around at the table and the divider, looking for Paul to appear. "Where's Paul? I... I thought that Paul-"

"-There is no Paul," Christian said, looking as though he was greatly enjoying himself. He clearly did this on purpose, and now, he was enjoying watching her reaction. "Paul didn't make the reservation for dinner tonight. I did."

Ana stared at him blankly, still not understanding. She watched as Christian leaned back in his chair, his eyes on nothing else but hers. Then, as if he was now satisfied that he had effectively managed to mind-screw her, he rose to his feet, stepping towards her.

Ana's eyes took in what he was wearing without really wanting to; In a newly pressed gray suit jacket and trousers, with a black button-up shirt. He looked as though he had put a lot of effort into dressing well for the occasion, damn him.

"Please, sit." Christian was still watching her warily while he made a grand gesture in pulling her chair open for her. As it all brutally sunk in barely a minute later after the residual shock had left her, Ana folded her arms across her chest, staring at him in disbelief. _This had to be a joke, surely? What the hell was Grey playing at?_

"You," she spluttered in fury. "You wrote that letter that you stuck under my windshield, pretending to be Paul? It was... you that did that?"

Ana got her confirmation when Christian had to lift a hand to press his knuckles to his lips for a moment. She could tell he was finding it difficult not to laugh.

"It was me, yes. All of it, Ana." He seemed to have to take in a deep breath before all the humor left his expression and he looked composed and somber again. "Please, sit. I took the liberty of already ordering us some wine, which should arrive to us shortly. I thought the least I could do was allow you to order yourself your own dinner from the menu."

Ana felt his hand touch the lower part of her back as he tried to nudge her into the open chair, but she held herself completely still, her arms still folded. _This was unbelievable! Infuriating!_

"How dare you, Christian," she spat out, going to great lengths to make sure she kept her voice low in case someone happened to hear them through the divider. "I thought this was all Paul's doing, that he was asking me out to dinner tonight. Shit, I even told Kate that he was!" Ana felt so mad that she was surprised steam wasn't bellowing out of her ear lobes. "How could you do this to me? This is all clearly amusing to you!"

She could see it was amusing to him, considering the way Christian looked as though he was trying not to laugh again. _What a conniving bastard!_

"I mean, you... you tricked me! You knew that I wouldn't agree to go out to dinner with you any other way, unless you made me think I was going out to dinner with Paul!" Her first instinct to leave and storm off in a huff was winning.

Just as she turned to leave, her plan was foiled when suddenly Christian slipped in the way, blocking her from exiting the narrow space of the divider that was her only exit. Simply because she couldn't handle so much as bumping into him, Ana moved backwards quickly away from him. When she glanced up at him in annoyance, she saw that he definitely wasn't amused any longer. The serious, uncompromising look on his face was almost deadly.

"Let's be honest here, Ana," Christian began, his voice low but with a dangerous undercurrent in his tone, "I never once said that I was going to play fair."

"Play fair?" Ana repeated in outrage. "Is this all a sick game for you to find some wicked enjoyment out of, Christian? Tricking me? Lying and pretending that you were Paul just to get me here in the first place?"

Still blocking her only way out, Christian sighed heavily, lifting a hand to slowly rake his fingers through his hair. Why did he have to look so frigging good while doing it?

"Sit down, Ana," he breathed after a moment, as though she was being an errant child. "I have you here and I have no intentions of letting you slip away so easily again anytime soon."

Had Christian lost his mind ever since she left those eight months ago? Considering his behavior right now, Ana wondered if he might have.

"You can't force me into sitting here all night with you," Ana said angrily. "You may think that you can, but you can't. I want to leave, right now." She couldn't look him in the eyes while saying it. For some reason, Ana believed her resolve would crack completely if she did.

She caught him take a few slow steps nearer and she stepped back. _Danger. Danger. _If he touched her, Ana knew she would have no hope of keeping strong and firm then.

"I'm leaving now," she said in a definite tone, seeing her way out once she saw that to the side of him, her exit was left open and free. "Goodbye, Christian.

Straightening her shoulders and darting forward, Ana had no idea what happened when suddenly Christian's arm came around her waist, catching her and tugging her back. Her clutch dropped out of her hand to the floor and using both hands, she attempted to pull his arm loose from around her waist so she could get free, only it was no use. When a noise escaped her mouth, one of Christian's hands shot up to cover it to silence her, and with a maneuver that seemed unfairly easy for him, Christian had her landing heavily on her backside to the chair.

He wasn't going to let her leave. No matter how many times she tried to make a run for it through the divider, Christian would have only caught her and easily pulled her back in. She was stuck.

"Now that all of that is settled, I think it is safe to say that finally we can begin," Christian said in a hoarse, breathless voice as he grabbed his chair, dragging it disturbingly close to where Ana's was. "The wine should be arriving in just a second, and then we can order some dinner." His tone was dry, like he was enjoying every second of keeping her with him against her will. _Then again, hadn't Christian always been particularly bossy when it came to her?_

Both of them panting heavily from the struggle, Ana knew exactly what Christian was doing when he finally sat an inch away from her chair in his, his head conveniently blocking the exit through the divider as he leaned back in his chair. While exhausted from the struggle with him, Ana could still feel the anger simmering away inside of her as she folded her arms over her chest again self-consciously.

When she shot what she hoped was a terrifying look at Christian, she discovered that he was studying her, his eyes taking in her dress, her bare legs that weren't covered underneath the table, both approvingly and salaciously. Now she wished she had worn something ugly. It wasn't her fault, was it? After all, Christian had lured her under the false pretense of this being a dinner date with Paul. How was she to know? It wasn't like it was intentional, after all.

"Have you seen Dr. Flynn recently?" Ana asked, unable to help it.

Christian's brow marred in confusion. "I have, Ana. Why do you ask?"

"Because what you are doing, right now, to me, isn't exactly something a sane person would do. I think you should schedule in more regular appointments with him."

He made a deep noise of amusement at the base of his throat. "I suppose you're right. I'll be the first to admit that these eight months haven't exactly been easy on me, Ana, In fact, I'll admit it was sheer torture." His eyes were unnervingly intense and sincere as they stared deeply in hers. Despite everything, a wave of pity flooded through her. "But this, it was the... easier alternative that I could come up with."

"What other alternative was there?"

"Other than killing the fucker that you are with now?"

A new hot flash of anger surged through Ana at his words. "You wouldn't," she said in horror.

Christian shrugged, his face impassive. "I don't believe that there is much I wouldn't do for you, if it didn't mean that I could get you back in some way. I really did mean what I said, before."

Startling her, Christian took one of her hands, squeezing gently while running his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. She hated it. Despised it even, that even although eight long months had passed and that, though she was with someone new now, the pleasant effect of him touching her still hadn't lost its power on her.

"I want you back, Ana. I think I have already worked out by now that I am greedy and... selfish. Even if it means playing dirty and doing things like this- even at the risk of you hating me in the end- I'm fully prepared to do it."


	7. Chapter 7

**_As obvious, I own nothing to do with 50 Shades. _**

**_Hope you enjoy this one. I'd love to know your thoughts :)_**

**_Chapter 7_**

Trying not to show how effected his touch still made her feel, Ana drew her hand away, clasping her fingers together safely in her lap instead. If they were going to do this- have dinner together- then Ana was fully determined to be on her best behavior.

She had always prided herself on being a somewhat trustworthy and faithful person. Just because she was stuck in a forced position with having dinner with Christian, it didn't mean she was going to lose all inhibitions now. It wouldn't be fair to Paul, and the idea of hurting him by going behind his back in any way, it made her feel very nearly ill with guilt.

She could see that Christian was not at all happy that she had deliberately taken her hand away from him, preventing any personal and intimate physical contact from happening between them; She saw the way his grey eyes narrowed slightly, the way his jaw muscles twitched as he stared at her tightly joined hands in her lap, before he leaned back in the chair, resting one elbow on the table. He stroked around his chin with his fingers in a way that seemed almost contemplative as he stared at her fixedly, his other hand resting on his right kneecap.

The fact that he had seemed to read her body language enough to make the conscious decision to no longer go out of his way to hold her hand or touch her- it made Ana's entire body loosen in relief.

"How've you been?" he asked her gently after a moment, startling her.

It definitely hadn't been the question Ana was expecting of him; Half of her had honestly expected Christian to fly into a quick and sudden, possessive rage, telling her that she had best dump Paul and come home with him, under no uncertain terms. Or for him to express his still-burning anger at the very least due to her leaving for the past eight months.

"I haven't been so bad," she said quietly, though at the back of her mind, she knew herself that it was almost a lie. The first few months without him had been exactly as he had described it to her. Torture. With Paul's appearance into her life, a healing, less-painful brand of torture. "How have you been, Christian?"

"That's a ridiculous question, wouldn't you think?" There was a wry bitterness coating his tone. "Eight months ago, I came to your apartment that you shared with your friend Kate, hoping to repair things with you. I hadn't heard from you for days- though, I hadn't assumed anything was strange about that at the time. Well, imagine my surprise when I turned up. There was no... you there, just Kate." His eyes narrowed at her as he peered at her thoughtfully, his fingers still stroking around his chin. "I had made the attempt to call you on your Blackberry the day before, yet you wouldn't answer. I kept only getting through to your voicemail. At first, I assumed that you were simply avoiding me, but then... Kate told me everything I needed to know. She didn't tell me everything, of course. She didn't know the exact details of where you had gone herself, but she had told me enough."

Ana felt goosebumps raise along her arms at the foreboding look he was giving her. It was almost as if he was chiding her.

"You weren't simply avoiding me by not answering your phone. No, you had gone one better, hadn't you?" His voice dropped to a lower level, with nothing but menace in it. "You had left the state without even so much as leaving me a note." Breaking through his severe look, a faint smile came across his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I'm sure I don't need to bother telling you how both incredibly pissed off and helpless it made me to learn that you had actually left, do I?"

Ana could feel another argument coming on. _When was it ever going to end? _

She could feel a lump building in her throat, and when she started to reply, her voice sounded too croaky with nerves.

She had to clear her throat gently, before saying, "While I can understand how you may have felt hurt by it, can you really blame me for leaving so abruptly the way I did, Christian? I know it was probably rash and... abrupt, but I was hurt and I felt like I needed a quick way out."

"And what is so wrong with being like a pair of civilized adults and actually talking it through instead of running?" Like it was that easy. Would he have even listened to her?

"So this is just the true reason why you did all of this?" Ana burst out in frustration. "You just set this whole thing up so that we could fight and you could make yourself feel better in placing all the blame on me? Is that it?"

"No, that is hardly the reason I did this at all."

"Then why?" she prodded in confusion. "Because if you did just do this because you were looking for a fight with me, then... honestly, Christian, this is wearing thin."

Christian's eyes roamed down her body slowly, taking her in again. Paul had kissed Ana three minutes straight with less effect. She felt a strange tingling sensation break out across her body. "I did this because I wanted to have the chance to talk this out with you. That, and I thought you could do well with a decent meal in you."

Ana tried to keep a straight face, yet the laughter escaped her incredulously. "Wow, you haven't changed one bit in these past eight months, have you? You're still so concerned about what I eat."

She caught the way his eyes closed briefly at the sound of her laughter, before he reopened them again. The tenderness shining there in his eyes for her was almost disarming. "I suppose that's true. I think I will always be concerned about your eating habits, Anastasia. With that said, you do look as though you have lost a decent amount of weight since the last time I saw you."

Ana studied him herself, noticing the thinness in his cheeks. He definitely looked as though he had lost a few pounds since the last time she had been with him, though Ana couldn't tell if that was just a simple trick of the light. "You're one to talk," she muttered. "You look as though you've lost a bit of weight to me yourself, Christian?"

He sighed loudly, nodding once. "Possibly," he said, his voice barely audible. "I'll admit that eating hasn't been one of my main priorities lately these past eight months. Half the time, I found I couldn't stomach anything."

Ana felt her heart drop as she stared at him with pity._ Had Christian been just as effected as Ana had after how badly things had ended between them? Had he been hurting just as much as she had? _

At first, Ana had believed it couldn't have been possible.

Christian had literally everything at his feet; Wealth, handsome good-looks. Extraordinary toys to play with in his spare time, Charlie Tango being one of them. Could her leaving him all those months ago have truly effected him that profoundly?

Ana had just thought he would have simply bounced back and found a new submissive, just as quickly as she had left for Florida. Maybe even try again with one of his previous subs. Could he have really found it just as difficult as she had?

Kate's words came back to mind, on what she had told Ana at the club that night. Elliot, Christian's brother, had told her that Elliot had been having trouble convincing Christian to meet up and hang out with him, that he was devastated. Could that really have been the truth, after all?

"While I'm still palm twitchingly mad that you left, its hard to maintain it when you do that with your lip the way you do..." Christian's soft and husky words broke through Ana's concentration.

When she peered back up at him from where he sat barely inches across from her, she realized then just what she was doing.

She had her bottom lip between her top front row of teeth, worrying it, while she thought what Kate had said properly through. She hadn't even known what she was doing, seeing as she was wading that knee-deep in her own private thoughts.

Christian had used to always make it quite clear on her just how turned-on he became whenever Ana bit her lip.

Judging by the look in his eyes as they stared at her mouth, how heavily dilated his pupils were, Ana could see- not without some relief- that, despite all that time and distance away from him, she still hadn't lost her effect. He was quite plainly mesmerized.

When Ana released her lip quickly, he had to tear his eyes away from her, focusing at the lit candles on the table instead. Ana thought she heard him clear his throat hoarsely, as if he had something stuck in it.

Christian still hadn't clearly lost anything on her, either. Ana felt suddenly warm- too warm. This was definitely a big mistake, being in a small area with Christian like this. While Ana trusted herself not to do anything that would betray Paul, she thought she knew Christian pretty well. He had made it clear to her that he had no intentions of playing fair; as though this was all a big mission to him to do... something. _What was he trying to accomplish in doing all of this? What was his motives?_

Fortunately for Ana, the waiter arrived with a bottle of wine, making that tension seem to disappear from her wonderfully. For a few minutes, everything was silent and peaceful while the waiter removed the cork from the bottle of wine with a flourish, pouring red wine into two glasses. Ana was very thankful for another person's presence in the room other than Christian's. She was starting to feel overwhelming already.

"Thank you," Christian said to the waiter, though Ana caught the annoyance in his tone. Apparently he felt they were being interrupted. "I think I can fill our own glasses of wine next time."

"Yes, Sir. I do hope you both enjoy, and I'll come back in ten minutes once you are ready to make your orders for dinner." The waiter left just as quickly as they had entered after placing two menus on the table, leaving Ana wishing she could have somehow called them back. Being alone with Christian was definitely starting to worry her.

"You're very impatient?" Ana observed apprehensively. "It's like you are almost wanting to hurry?"

"And I wonder why that is? With you, I don't know how much time I have left," he explained, the words low and spoken through gritted teeth. "Last time you left to another state before I could even so much as get an actual word out, so pardon me if I'm being a little antsy right now, Anastasia. In all things considered, I believe it is reasonable for me to be feeling that way. Wouldn't you?"

She was definitely learning a lot tonight. Apparently she had actually upset him a lot more than she thought possible. Now he was getting agitated, fearing she was going to make an attempt to escape through the divider again any second now. While Ana felt bad for making him feel that way, she also couldn't deny it made her relieved.

But she couldn't do this; She couldn't have this conversation, not now. She didn't feel ready. She would have much preferred avoiding it all together and put it off for as long as she could.

"Should we have a look at the menu?" she asked, trying to sound unconcerned by his behavior.

Christian stared at her for a long, impassive moment, before he shrugged. "Very well. We'll look at what we can order, and then we can focus on this very overdue discussion that we need to have."

Judging by the way he said it, Ana realized he wasn't going to be taking no for an answer. Christian couldn't be distracted easily; No, he was fully determined to talk it out with her. He was a man searching for resolution. He wanted to talk it over with her, and he wanted to right there and then, in the restaurant. No ifs or buts.

Christian opened one of the menus up before pulling his chair in closer next to the side of hers, resting both arms on the table as they both leaned over to read the list on the menu together. Kate was definitely indeed right; The food was extremely expensive, in the hundreds dollar mark for just a mere few oysters on the entree.

While Ana tried to concentrate on figuring out which main to select from the menu, she found it extremely difficult for the words to properly sink in and make sense. It wasn't easy, not when Christian was so close the way he was, his shoulder resting against hers.

It had been so long since they had even breathed the same air together, so long since she had felt his body brush against hers. While his shoulder was covered by the thin material of his jacket, she could still somehow feel the delicious heat and energy radiating off his body.

Reminding herself of Paul and picturing the hurt expression on his face had he ever seen the pair of them having dinner together like this, she was pleased that it had the similar effect as someone throwing a bucket full of ice-cold water on her without warning.

"What are you having, Ana?" Christian lifted his eyes from the menu to glance directly at her and, at such a close angle, it was dangerously tempting.

"Um... I'm not so sure yet. What are you having?"

"I intend to have the sirloin steak in the peppered onion sauce, with the green vegetables and mushrooms."

"Okay, I'll just have the same then," Ana suggested, with a shrug. It wasn't as though she wanted to have what he was having, of course. Really, she just wanted the evening to be over as quickly as humanly possible.

Mirth flashed in his eyes as a lopsided smile came across his mouth. "Like old times, Miss Steele, eh? Me ordering for you?" Then the smile left just as quickly as it came. "And what do you want for dessert?"

"No dessert," Ana got out in a rush. If they had dessert, it would mean longer hours spent in the room close to him. "I don't feel like dessert. One meal is just enough for me, but thank you." She could feel Christian watching her suspiciously as she lowered her eyes, staring at the red wine in her glass instead.

"Very well then," he sighed loudly, closing the menu. "No dessert. I'm pleased. I was much planning on having you for the dessert anyway. Eating you seems far more appetizing than all of that cheesecake and mousse that they were offering on the menu."

Ana's gaze snapped up without her control as she gaped at him. _Was he fooling around with her? Damn him. Why did the idea of him eating her have to sound so sexy?_

Christian met and held her gaze as he ran his tongue over his bottom lip, moistening it. Her cheeks felt as if they were burning as she glanced away hurriedly.

_Don't even go there,_ she warned herself. _Think of something else. Anything else but how good it would feel to have his tongue on you._ Ana knew from experience just how well Christian used his tongue. _God, how he uses his tongue..._

The waiter arrived, saving Ana yet again unknowingly from a potentially dangerous situation. Christian was just as rude and abrupt as before, explaining what they wanted for dinner and that desert was off the menu for both of them. Once the waiter leaved, Ana wished yet again that they would come back and not leave her helplessly alone in a hazard like this.

"I saw how relaxed you were with that fucker. At the club last night." Christian's sudden change of subject left Ana's head whirling.

"What?"

"With that fucker? How relaxed you were? It was different from how you always were with me."

How to instantly get Ana's hackles up: Insult her boyfriend. "Please, Christian," she whispered in warning. "Don't call Paul that, especially not in front of me. He has a name, so use it."

"I don't give a shit what his name is. He's still a fucker to me regardless. I want you to be that relaxed around me."

What he was telling her was unbelievable. Ana almost laughed out loud at the sheer nerve he had. "Well, it is different with Paul. I won't pretend it isn't. With Paul, he..." She hesitated for a moment uncertainly, glancing up at his face. She didn't want to make him mad. But if anything, Christian was staring at her attentively. He wanted to know. "Paul doesn't intimidate me. He doesn't make me feel like I have to walk on eggshells constantly around him- like you do. With him, I can almost be myself. I can... say anything and do anything, without having to worry that he might flip a switch and get angry and punish me due to that."

Christian shook his head, frustration evident in his eyes. "You can be yourself around me?"

"No, I can't. You wanted me as your submissive, and it just... it didn't feel like a real relationship to me. There was all of these rules with you; Don't touch you, obey, don't go against your opinion... or else get punished." She sucked in a deep breath. "There's... none of that with Paul. It's just a normal relationship, where we laugh and have fun. I don't have to worry that he'll want to punish me in anyway. I can... be myself, truly myself."

"Like I said to you, those previous eight months without you, they have been... torture for me. Very difficult, but at the same time, it was also... very revealing. It made me learn a few certain details about myself. I've thought about it a lot, seeing as there was hardly anything else I could do but to think. You wouldn't let me contact you so all I could really do is think and hope that someday soon you would come back."

Ana thought she knew where his words were heading, but she didn't think she had the power or strength to listen to them. This couldn't happen. Not now, not when she wasn't ready. Not while she was in a relationship with Paul.

Ana started to push her chair backwards. "I think I need to go to the bathroom for a minute." It was the only excuse she could think of to make.

Christian caught the movement of her chair, his eyes narrowing. "No, you don't," he said immediately, causing her to stop stock still from where she stood. "You don't need to go to the bathroom right now, Ana. Do you really think I'm that blind? I know what you're doing. You're planning to run again, aren't you?"

How he knew her intentions so well, Ana had no idea.

"Really, Christian. I'll be back in just a-"

"-Do you love the fucker?" The blunt question almost made her lose her balance as Ana sank back down into her chair, defeated. Christian turned to look at her, his expression serious. "Paul. Are you in love with him?"

Yet again, she hated that he had to ask her that. Ana still didn't know the answer to that herself. She glanced away from him, staring at their untouched glasses of wine to buy herself a bit of time. "I... I don't know. All I know is that I'm... very fond of Paul. I like him a lot, and he's been really great to me."

Christian didn't say anything for a long moment after that. She caught out of the corner of her eye his arm move as he combed his fingers through his hair. When she peeked at his face quickly, she saw that he was no longer looking at her. He was staring at the table, a fleeting and distant look there in his eyes.

"And what about me, Ana?" Finally, he glanced over at her with a look so hard and intense that it felt almost as if he was capable of staring straight through her to her very brain. He licked his lips, hesitating for a moment, before asking, "You told me you had fallen in love with me before you left eight months ago. Is that now in the past tense?" His eyes scrutinized her face gravely, an anxious gleam in them. "When you are here with me, now..." Reaching over, he placed his large hand in her lap, his fingers stroking her thigh, "... Do you feel that you still are in love with me at all?"

Ana felt her stomach constrict painfully as she glanced down at what his hand was doing, resting in her lap. His long, slender fingers made her skin tingle as he rubbed them in a repetitive motion on her inner thigh. God, it had been so long since he had touched her, since they had been in bed, naked together. She had to fight the impulse to grab his hand, to guide it up higher between her legs underneath the fabric of her dress.

"Here's what I want you to do for me, Ana, and I won't repeat myself." The sharpness in his tone caused Ana to immediately glance at him. His face was slack in a way that told her Christian was just as aroused at being able to touch her again as Ana was; his lips slightly parted, breaths coming out slow and urgent. "If you feel any semblance of love for me left at all, then you'll break it to Paul. You'll end it with him, and you'll come back to me. You'll be mine again, like you'll always be, because... you _are_ mine, Ana."

_She was his..._ How he said that was in such a definite tone that had anyone heard them, they wouldn't have doubted it whatsoever that she truly was.

It was as though he'd expected them to instantly fall back into that same old routine, now that she was back in the state; Where she'd try to be his willing, obedient sub, allowing him to order her around. _You do this, you do that or else I take you over my knee. _Hadn't he learned anything at all during their time away from one another?

While Ana still felt the same as before when she had left him, physically, emotionally; She thought she had changed in other ways. She would no longer let him boss her around anymore, not if she could truly help it. This was where Ana thought their problems had mainly lay.

"Honestly, I feel like I'm standing on an already frayed wire that is just about to break here," he went on, his voice gruffer. "I want you back and if I have to keep enduring seeing you with that fucker, seeing where he puts his hands on you, how he makes you smile... I swear, I may very well end up killing him." His taunting words were disturbing.

"You have to learn to let me go, Christian," Ana flared anxiously. "You need to stop saying scary things like that, even if you mightn't truly mean them."

"But I can't let you go, Ana. Not now. You just need to admit that you haven't gotten over me anymore than I have gotten over you. I know you- I can read you like a book. You don't love Paul, not in the way that you love me. And you being away from me for so long, the reason I couldn't let go, is because I realize that... that I love you. I've never been in a hearts and flowers vanilla relationship before, but I'm willing to try with you."

Ana had to look away at his declaration. She felt as though her heart was beating dangerously fast in her chest. Hearing him say what he was saying, that he even loved her... it was like someone had punched a fresh hole into her chest over and over again.

Christian had said that he wasn't going to play fair. And by telling Ana he loved her? Hell, that was the dirtiest trick in the book. How could he even stoop so low as to get that deep into the game, playing with her heart like that? And to think of threatening not only her, but Paul's life in the process? Intimidate her, like he always does. One minute he says he wants to see her relaxed around him. Then in the next, he gives her good reason not to be.

"Please, Christian. I really do need to go to the bathroom," Ana managed weakly, staggering to her feet again. His hand slid off her leg, leaving her thigh aching from the loss of contact.

She wasn't sure if Christian knew what she was going to do in the next few seconds, but obviously she looked convincing enough. He eyed her suspiciously for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Fine, you can go to the bathroom. If you aren't back in at least five minutes time, then we'll be having problems. I'll have to resort to tying you up to the chair and force-feeding you. Something tells me that you wouldn't want that, would you?"

By the look on his face, Ana knew he wasn't fooling around.

But as she grabbed her clutch quickly and slid through the divider end, she broke out into a brisk jog, running outside the building to her car; The crisp cold air slicing through her dress and cooling her overheated skin wonderfully.

Christian was bound to be incredibly mad at her for running again, she knew. But it was the only thing she could think of doing to save herself, to avoid having to admit the truth and to avoid the possibility of having to have that hurtful conversation with Paul.

**Hope you enjoyed this one? Please do let me know what you think, as I love knowing.**

**What do you think? Should Ana give in or let him sweat a little but more? Should she tell Paul her feelings?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm not sure if it will be a disappointment or not. Drama abounds. I really do hope this isn't a terrible chapter, I haven't been in much of the right mind frame to write so I'm sorry!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Collapsing into the drivers seat of the car, Ana tried to breathe deeply, working hard to keep the grief from overwhelming her. The rain that had started heavily bulleting down on the windshield offered her a sense of distraction as she reached for her phone on the dashboard, fingering through her contacts.

What had she done, really? She had fucked everything up, all on her own. All the pain of these past eight months, all the mess... it was all her fault. She was hurting Christian- and he had confessed to her as much inside Cargo's restaurant.

Now what would happen with Paul? How much would she hurt him once she had the inevitable and overdue conversation with him about where their relationship was heading and where their feelings truly lie?

Finding Paul's number in her phone, she pressed the dial button, holding it up to her ear while she focused on nothing else but the sounds of the rain drumming down on the car around her.

Paul answered on the second ring. "Oh, hey baby. What's up? I wasn't expecting you to call?"

She had to clear her throat in order to make her tone neutral and as normal as she possibly could. "Hey, yeah, it's me. Are you home by any chance?"

"Um, yeah. I got home two hours ago. Have a massive craving to get my game on after being away in Florida so long. I've just fired up the Playstation 3." Paul was a big gamer; When they spent time together in Florida, he would often gush about games she hadn't heard of before. "Why? Where are you? It sounds very... loud where you are? Are you outside in the rain?"

"Actually, I'm sitting in the car. I was thinking about coming over." She inhaled in deeply. "Are you home alone?"

"Yeah, of course I am. Everything okay?" Maybe Paul sensed the anxiety in her voice or maybe he had come to know her well enough by now over the months to recognize when something was off with her, she didn't know.

"Um, yeah. I guess everything's okay. We just really need to... talk."

There was a moment of silence on his end. "Talk? That sounds very... ominous?"

"Don't worry." She succeeded in making her voice sound brighter, thank God. "It isn't for anything bad, I promise."

"Okay, well. See you soon then?"

"Great. See you in about... fifteen minutes. Bye."

She hung up, tossing her phone back on the dashboard before slotting the key in the ignition and starting the car. She fixed the headlight beams so that she could see safely through the dark and on the slick wet road, then glanced towards the entrance of Cargo's restaurant, though not even entirely sure why she was bothering.

Her breath hitched in her throat and her heart seemed to stop beating as the world seemed to screech to a sudden stop when she discovered Christian was standing outside the entrance, his hands shoved deeply in his trouser pockets.

While it was difficult to see through the rain and the lack of lighting, she thought she caught his head moving in the direction of where her car was. Had he noticed her? Was he mad? Knowing him, he was bound to be so very angry and livid over her up and leaving him again. Really, could she blame him though if he was?

Ana felt a very uncomfortable urge to vomit when Christian started walking across the road towards where she sat in the car. Bracing herself, she unclenched her trembling hands from around the steering wheel, yanking the window open enough for him to peer in.

She felt relieved that the darkness of the evening obscured his expression when he knelt down towards her half-opened window.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Ana?" While she couldn't see his face, unfortunately for her, she heard the disbelief and anger in his voice as he muttered the words at her. "I knew it, I knew this would happen the minute I let you out of my sight. Is this how it is going to be from this point forward, with you always running to get away from me?"

"There's just something I realize I need to do," she answered as calmly as she could.

"And it can't wait?" Oh, yes. He was angry. Beyond angry. "It can't wait until we finish dinner, Ana? I went through all this effort, hoping that we could resolve this, and yet... you do this to me? _Again_?"

"It can't wait, Christian. I'm sorry. I need to go see-"

"-Who?" He cut over her, resting a hand against the top of her car. "Let me guess: That fucker? Don't you know that you can't run from me, not again? I let you once, and its not happening again, not ever." Ana thought she almost heard fear in his voice, though she wasn't sure whether she was just imagining it. "I've lost you once for eight full fucking months, and I'm not going to let it happen again. This time, if you leave, I'm following straight behind you."

"Please, _I'm not planning_ on going anywhere. It won't be like how it was, when I left for eight months, Christian. I'll still be here in Seattle tomorrow," she insisted, her voice trembling in all her desperation to make him understand. "I just need to go see Paul. I need to... talk to him and try to set this straight. Can you understand that? Please?"

"Fine," she heard him sigh.

Unwillingly, he stepped back from the car, allowing her room to move. Rolling the window back up, she pulled back onto the road, stealing one quick glance at him in the mirror from where he stood helplessly by the road, staring after her car, that same grief hitting her again.

It took all she had not to cry. How had she let herself get into this confusing, mind-boggling situation? She wasn't over Christian. Maybe she hadn't ever even started getting over him?

How was she going to do this to Paul, though? Even rehearsing it through in her head... it petrified her, the idea of upsetting him. Paul had been so amazing to her, so patient and helpful in getting her to forget Christian and her feelings over the months. How was he going to react to this? To the fact that Ana had no idea how she felt about him, and that, as far as Christian was concerned, her feelings for her ex were still very much alive?

Once she pulled up into Paul's driveway, she saw the main lights were on inside his house. She already felt on the verge of crying as she made herself get out of the car, locking it up quickly.

The rain was still beating down as rapidly as it had been when she left the restaurant and as she ran towards the front door for some cover, the sight of Paul ushering her inside while handing her one of his baggy jackets to put on to keep herself warm very nearly pushed her over the edge alone.

"Thank you," she said through chattering teeth as he helped zip the jacket up, his hands lowering to hers as he rubbed them in-between his to create some warmth with the friction of his own palms against hers.

"You okay, baby?"

No. How could she possibly be okay? "Yeah, I'm fine. The rain picked up pretty quickly."

"Come into the living-room and sit on the couch. You'll feel warmer in there."

Ana had only been to Paul's house once before, and briefly. It was a small one bed-roomed house, with an inbuilt kitchen and living area. As she followed him towards the living-room, she sighed in relief as the warmth and shelter the compact house offered washed over her immediately.

She sat on the couch, still shivering violently, while Paul sat beside her, an arm snaking around her shoulder while he rubbed her arm gently. The jacket he had offered her seemed to soak up the moisture in her soaked dress wonderfully.

"What are you playing?" she brought herself to ask, looking at the TV. He was playing a game where he was on some kind of pirate ship, though the picture was frozen as he must have paused the game as soon as he had heard her car pull up into the driveway.

"Just Assassin's Creed. You need anything else?"

"No, I'm good thanks."

"You're still shivering though? I can get you a blanket?"

"No, really, Paul. I'm good. I'll warm up soon enough."

He nodded and grinned at her, all innocence with that lop-sided smile of his, and Ana's guilt resurfaced. God, how could she do this to him? He had been so great to her, such a good... friend. How much was this going to hurt him? But this had to happen, she told herself sternly. There could be no putting this off. It wasn't fair, to anyone. Not to Christian, to Paul, to herself. If only she hadn't gotten herself into this situation in the first place...

"So you said you needed to talk to me about something on the phone?" Paul prompted uncertainly, and Ana sucked in a deep, unsteady breath.

Jesus, where did she even start? Mentally rehearsing it in the car hadn't even prepared her at all for any of this.

"Yeah, I did. I really wanted to... ask you a few things that we haven't talked about yet."

"So tell me." Ana stared at him for a long moment, her entire body screaming in resistance. What to say? How to not hurt him so much? "Please, just ask me already, Ana," Paul pleaded gently after a moment of silence on her end. "You look so... sad. It's worrying me."

"Okay, well. I was just wondering, seeing as we haven't discussed it before, not even after six months of being together but... how do you feel about me?" It wasn't exactly what she wanted to say, but it was a start.

"How do I feel about you?" Paul laughed, a bit awkwardly and embarrassed. He looked away from her, rubbing his fingers around his forehead. "Well, firstly, I think you're... awesome, Ana. I think we have a lot of... fun together. Right?"

"Right," Ana agreed with a nod. "But what you feel about me, do you... love me?" She stared at him desperately, seeing the way his cheeks reddened. He couldn't seem to look her straight in the eye.

"Well, we're awesome friends, right?"

"Friends? So we're just like mostly.. friends to you? You like me just as a friend?" she asked curiously, hoping for him to give away more.

"I like you a lot, Ana. I really do," he said, without looking at her. "When we saw each other and started hanging out in Florida, spending time together away from at the hardware store, I could see you were... sad. Something had happened, and you were still upset by it. I just wanted to be good to you, and try to make you happy. And it seemed I was succeeding, for awhile there anyway..." He sighed loudly, shrugging. "But also, you know, I'm not blind. I've noticed how things have... changed ever since we got back here together. Some part of me was maybe even already expecting it."

"Changed?" Ana repeated warily, shaking her head. What was he trying to say?

Finally, Paul met her gaze, smiling weakly. "Well, yeah. Ever since we first started dating, I've kind of felt that... you were only giving me half of you and not... all of you. That's why I've kind of held back myself, you know? I kind of knew that, once we got back here... it would change because really, you were still not over your ex."

Ana had to avoid his eyes, swallowing down a dry lump that had developed in her throat. _Had Paul really noticed even before Ana had, that she still was not over Christian?_

"I felt sorry for you in Florida, I guess. You just looked so... sad and I suppose I wanted to make you happy again, like how you looked before whenever you came into Clayton's to work. And when you said yes to being my girlfriend, I was so happy but at the same time, I held back too, you know? Because I could sense that, despite how hard I tried to make you feel good or make you laugh, it... wasn't enough to get you completely over whatever had happened with your ex." Paul cringed, as if unsure whether to continue, "And I'm not blind obviously. I knew things had changed the instance we got back and he showed up at the club that night. Just how you... react around him, and at work today especially. You two still have... stuff that you have to resolve, and I don't think you are completely ready to let him go and move onto something new with me."

"I'm sorry," Ana admitted sincerely. "I thought that I was doing okay, and that I was actually putting what happened behind. But... being back in town, having to endure seeing him... it makes me realize that maybe _I'm not_ over him like I felt I was when I was in Florida with just only you there." She smiled at him tentatively. "Maybe it was the whole out-of-sight, out-of-mind thing?"

"Well, what do you want to do?" he asked her softly. When she glanced up at him, she saw Paul was watching her, ever so patiently. "I mean, where do we go from here? Do we keep doing this despite knowing at the back of our minds that he's always going to be someone you'll not be completely over or do we... end this and just remain good friends?"

She hesitated. "I don't know what to do, Paul. All I know is that I'm... _so_ sorry."

Paul pulled her to him, and Ana pressed the side of her cheek against his warm shirt, closing her eyes. Whatever had happened in initiating this conversation, she hadn't expected this; For Paul to be so intuitive, to have seen already that perhaps Ana wasn't as over Christian as she had denied and deluded herself into believing she was.

"You're so amazing and patient," she said softly into his collar, lifting her arms to wrap them around his waist tightly. "I wish I could feel so many things for you, but I just..."

"I get it," Paul whispered, stroking her hair with his hand. "I kind of felt that we were mainly good friends, anyway. Well, I knew that_ I_ liked you more than _you_ liked me."

"This doesn't mean that I don't care for you in anyway. I do, but you deserve so much better. I just don't know how to let go of him, how to make myself feel differently..." She couldn't go on, the sudden lump in her throat suffocating her.

"It's okay, Ana. I had a feeling this was coming anyway." He lifted his chin from its resting place on her scalp and Ana brought her face out from his shirt, peering up at him deeply. "Just remember that ex's are ex's for a reason."

"I know. I'm _so_ sorry."

She felt lighter, lighter with the goodness and relief at finally explaining to Paul her true feelings, and for him having confessed his own about her.

When Ana woke the next morning, she realized she was in a bed with someone else, their bare back pressed against hers, their legs tangled around hers in the messy sheets. Lifting her head from the pillow, she turned to glance at the person sleeping beside her.

It was Paul.

She pressed her lips together, fighting a smile at how idiotic she was for forgetting what had happened last night and how she had come to stay at Paul's place. Paul had insisted she sleep over, seeing as the weather hadn't improved since their talk and he didn't feel it right for her to be driving home in such terrible conditions so Ana had agreed.

Sitting up, she realized she wasn't wearing anything except her bra and underwear and, as far as she knew- and remembered- Paul was only wearing his boxer shorts. The sheets were around his stomach, a forearm draped around his eyes protectively to shield them from the glare of the morning sun coming in through the open blinds. A surge of tenderness and relief pummeled through her at how unbelievably well their conversation had gone last night, at how understanding and compassionate he had been.

Yawning loudly and stretching her arms, she stood from the bed quietly, shivering at the cold air that hit her bare skin. Finding the quickest piece of clothing she could, she grabbed the jacket he had lent her last night, shuffling into it and zipping it up all the way before heading into the bathroom to use the toilet.

When she came out of the bathroom and back into the room, Paul was finally awake, sitting up against the headboard. He grinned at Ana, making her stomach knot with fresh guilt.

"You look cold," he offered, patting the space on the mattress beside him. "You don't need to leave just yet, if you don't want to? I would never kick you out even after everything that's happened."

"Okay then." She hurried back over, climbing under the sheets as he threw them over her bare legs. "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings too much?" she asked hesitantly. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't planning for this to happen, but it... it just did."

"It's okay." He shrugged, then frowned. "I won't pretend that I'm not at least a little hurt here, Ana. It's almost like... I was the rebound guy. Then again, it was my fault too, in a sense. I knew you were still getting over someone yet I still pushed you into it, didn't I?"

"No, it really wasn't like a rebound thing at all," she protested, then she had to reconsider. Terrible as it made her seem as a person, maybe that was partly it? "I guess there _was_ some part of me deep down that knew I shouldn't have agreed to being your girlfriend, especially not when I knew I was still having difficulty getting over everything. But you_ really did_ help me, and I have come to really like you as a person."

"Just not as much as him?"

Ana hesitated, biting her lip. He seemed as if he really wanted her to be honest so she didn't bother trying to soften the blow. "I think that's mainly the issue, though. I don't really think that I can... ever _love_ someone as much as I did with him. Or _like_ them. I know its messed up to feel that way, but... its just how I feel."

"Do you think you'll get back together with him?"

"I don't know," Ana confessed apprehensively. "Probably not right away, anyway. We have a lot of... issues to sort out and its hard to let myself be in a vulnerable position again where I can willingly trust him. I think I mainly just want to be alone for a while, and try to sort out the issues I have of my own. And I don't want to be insensitive towards you by suddenly going back to him, because... I don't want to hurt you even more than I already have."

Paul seemed to consider her words in irritation, passing a hand over his face. "Well, you have already hurt me. What difference would it make if you hurt me a little more?"

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><p>Christian felt like his mind wouldn't stop turning and turning as he paced around the house. He felt as though he hadn't slept at all after having come home from the restaurant after Ana left to talk to Paul. He had found himself wide-awake at three a.m in the morning, where he had went into the Playroom, trying to distract himself by keeping himself busy with trying to do other things like throwing out the things she despised the most. Then he had played his piano for what felt like over two hours in order to make himself feel tired, to little success.<p>

It was obvious sleep didn't want to come to him. Really, it was to be expected; He couldn't remember a time where he did have a decent night's worth of sleep in the past eight months due to Ana's absence. Having seen her, it still hadn't helped improve his sleeping patterns.

He checked his phone again for the fiftieth time that morning, growling in frustration. He had expected her to call him to explain what she had felt the need to discuss with Paul, at the very least. Only she hadn't. He couldn't tell whether she had seen Paul to end things with him, as per Christian's wishes, or if she had just gone to the fucker to reconcile things with him.

Frankly, it was the not knowing that was doing his head in.

_Why hadn't she contacted him back to let him know what was happening? Where was she right now? Why didn't she acknowledge that he had practically put his heart on the line last night by telling her he now realized he loved her?_

He had even sent Welch out in the early morning hours in order to find some information on Ana's whereabouts, whether she was home or not. Even his usually trustworthy and reliable P.I Welch was AWOL on him this morning. _Where the fuck was everyone when you needed them the most?_

Half an hour later, a call came through. Welch.

"Welch, what's happening?" he asked impatiently. "What news do you have for me in regards to Anastasia?"

"She's stationary at the same address as last night." A painful throbbing sensation came across Christian's cranium as he tried to process Welch's information in. What the fuck was that supposed to mean? "She's been at Paul Clayton's for the full night, sir. Still there, as we speak, from where I am parked outside across the street."

He gritted his teeth, breathing heavily as the meaning of Welch's words finally sank its way in. "She's been at his house all night?" He barked out.

"Yes, from what I have worked out, she has, Sir. And may I add, she's walking around with little clothes on..."

_With little clothes on?_

Christian's hand that was holding the phone shook and he was that enraged, that he found he had difficulty speaking. Instead of saying goodbye, he slammed the phone down against the hard floor of his penthouse, watching the phone bounce and smash in half, the battery scattering a meter away on impact.

His head was pounding furiously and the lack of sleep was definitely not helping in calming his mood.

In a burst of rage, he grabbed the porcelain fruit bowl on the breakfast counter, chucking it on the ground as flashes of what no doubt had happened between them tore through his mind vividly, reaching for other items within hands length, smashing and causing havoc on everything within close proximity that he could find.

_Paul, that stupid fuck, laying on top of her..._

_Ana panting and mewling for more, her glistening front teeth gnawing on that delicious bottom lip... Paul touching her, caressing her, fucking her..._

_HIS._

_Ana was all HIS. Not Paul's, the fuck._

_KILL HIM! _

By the time he was finished, Christian was wheezing loudly, shaking from head to toe, the heaviness in his heart so profound and painful, he felt like screaming at the top of his lungs. His eyes felt damp and when he lifted an arm to swipe it below his eyelids, it occurred to him with some shame that he was actually sobbing pathetically. He shouldn't be sobbing; He should be proactive, planning his next move. Head into action, instead of dwelling and losing his composure. The same approach he had taken when being competitive with his business strategies ought to apply here.

Showering and getting dressed to work, it offered the soothing distraction he needed for a few hours at least.

But as he was buttoning his crisp white business shirt up, folding down the lapels neatly, he couldn't ignore the undeniable truth:

Ana had stayed over at the fuckers house all night. Welch had seen her wearing next to nothing when he had looked in through the windows of his house. It could only mean one terrible thing.

_Ana had chosen the fucker. And difficult to swallow most of all, she had even dared to fuck him._

It was time to bring out the big guns. Unleash hell on all.

_**A/N: Hope this one was okay? I apologize if it was a big disappointment. Thank you all so much for your encouragement and the PM's urging me to write and update, it means the world to me. What do you think of recent developments to the story? Glad Ana and Paul broke things off? Startled by Christian's breakdown? Hating it? Liking it? Please do let me know :)**_


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Fifty Shades Trilogy, Drama, Romance