Fifty Shades of Habits
Summary: Old habits die hard, and with temptation around every corner, Letty is finding it difficult to not slip back into certain parts of her past. Away at college and on her own for the first time, with the eighteen-year-old be able to resist temptation, or will she slip right back to her old ways?
AN: Welcome all, to the sequel for Fifty Shades of Trouble. I'm trying to write this in such a way that you don't have to read Fifty Shades of Trouble, but it would be highly advised in order to fully understand the storyline. It's Christmas break from school, which means that I should theoretically have quite a bit of free time to write, so hopefully you'll get pretty frequent updates but no promises. Also, full disclaimer, I'm a college student, but know next to nothing about Yale University, so if technicalities are off in this story, just go with it. Without further ado, here's the new story!
Chapter 1: Prologue
Letty POV
Three Years Post Fifty Shades of Trouble
"You did it Kid." Dad smiled at me proudly as we pulled up outside of what was about to be my dorm at Yale University—Vanderbilt Hall, which is where all the freshman of my residential college—Saybrook—were housed.
Even though Dad joked about me bashing his name by choosing Yale over Harvard, he was ultimately very proud of me. I had made a huge turn around in the past three years. When it came down to Yale or Harvard, my final two choices, I had honestly just liked Yale better, and I wanted to make my own legacy at a university, not follow in my siblings' footsteps.
As I stared at what I was initially amazed by—the place I would spend my first year as an "adult", I felt intimidated. I found myself suddenly wishing that I had chosen University of Washington or somewhere closer. I was on the literal other side of the country, and after they left today, I would be a long way away from my parents.
"You'll do fine, Darling." Mom offered as she reached over to squeeze my knee.
Mom had chosen to ride in the back with me as Dad finished out the drive that we had been making for the past few days. We had stopped in various cities around the country before finally making it to New Haven.
"I guess we shouldn't delay it any longer." I mumbled.
Dad found a parking spot fairly close to the entry of the dorm, and he, Mom, and I all made our way inside the dorm, and in the line to check in.
"Letty." I heard my best friend say from behind me.
"Rocklin!" I threw myself in his arms and he reciprocated the hug. "How was the drive?"
"Fine. Dad drives like an old man though." Rocklin teased.
"Yeah, yeah, make fun of your old man." Laurence rolled his eyes as he ruffled his son's hair.
"Key word Dad, old." Rocklin chuckled.
"I'm glad you two will be in the same building this year." Mom told Rocklin as she gave him a gentle hug. "Keep an eye out on her, would you?"
"Mom!" I blushed.
"Please make sure Rocklin doesn't make me a grandfather." Laurence told me.
"Dad!" Rocklin blushed.
"Letty! Rocklin!" I heard from behind us.
"Macy!" I squealed.
Macy had come a long way in the past two years. After the trial, a lot came to light about what a lot of my friends were involved with too. Dr. Rob and Nora were furious with Macy and Liam. They forced both of their children into rehab centers and in the meantime, they moved to a different home less easily partied in, and Dr. Rob and Nora stopped traveling. Macy and I had made up soon after she got out of rehab. Now, she was going to be one of my five roommates.
"Rob, Nora." My father greeted the two.
"Carrick, Grace." Dr. Rob greeted my parents with a smile. "Laurence."
The adults all started to make small talk as we waited in line, and eventually, we were all checked in and given room keys. Macy and I were in one of the three bedrooms attached to the living space. Rocklin was right across the hall from us.
"We'll have to go furniture shopping for your living room once we get you all settled into your bedroom." Mom told me as she began unpacking a box.
I teared up as I pulled out a picture of me holding my two nieces and my nephew. Teddy is three now, Ava and Phoebe both around one, and it's hard to imagine only seeing them on breaks. It's hard to imagine only seeing my siblings and parents on breaks too.
"You'll see them more than you realize." Dad told me as he realized what I was looking at. "Your siblings will probably be visiting you more than you want. That goes for your mom and I too. We can't stay away too long."
"Sorry." I sighed as I wiped my eyes. "I didn't expect to be getting so emotional today."
"It's okay Darling, it's a big change." Mom told me. "Here, I found your bedding. Let's get your bed made up, you always like it when you have your bed made."
I nodded in agreement and headed over to her. I was a little obsessed with my dorm décor. Macy and I had gone shopping with our mothers at Urban Outfitters for all the decorations and bedding and such that would go in our actual bedroom, and I had loved everything I had chosen. My bedding specifically had two different sheets, both white with black designs. The first set had stars and moons, the second set had sloths on it. My comforter had constellations on it and was black with white designs. I had two throw blankets for my bed, one with constellations that matched my comforter, and one plushy white/gray blanket. The throw pillows were cool too—which I had four of. One was a sloth, another was a llama. There was a white with black designs, and a black with white designs, and then Macy and I had got matching letter pillows that had flowers around it to match tapestries that we had bought, also from Urban Outfitters. Everything I got really matched my aesthetic as of lately, and I was happy with it all.
"Mom, have you found my bedding yet?" I heard Macy ask Nora.
"I just found all of your wall art. Dad's probably bringing it in." Nora told her.
"I guess I'll hang all that up then." Macy decided. "Can you unpack all my school things and put it in some sort of organization on my desk?"
"Knock, knock." I heard.
I froze. I knew that voice. Mia.
"MIA!" I squealed as I turned around and literally threw myself into my older sister's arms. "What are you doing here?"
"You didn't think I would let my little sister move into her freshman dorm without me, did you?" She asked with a laugh.
"Or us." Elliot's voice sounded and I turned to see him and Christian.
Literal tears filled my eyes as I threw myself onto both of them, one arm wrapped around each, which was impressive considering they each had a box in their arms.
"You guys." I whispered, tears freely flowing down my cheeks.
"I wish Liam would've surprised me." I heard Macy sigh.
"You don't give me enough credit Sis." Liam walked into our much too small for the amount of people dorm and Macy squealed as she hugged him.
With three extra sets of hands helping Mom, Dad, and me, and one extra set helping Macy, Dr. Rob, and Nora, Macy and I were moved in quickly. Our room looked awesome—just like we had dreamt of. My brothers both sat on my bed while Mia went around straightening photos and Mom sat in my desk chair with Dad behind her.
"Alright, everything seems to be straight now." Mia finally decided as she stepped back. "And I'm starving."
"Why don't we go grab a bite to eat?" Dad offered.
"First, I think we should check in on Rocklin." I laughed.
"Where are your other roommates?" Nora asked us.
"I think they said they're moving in kind of late today." Macy told them.
"Theodora and Alexandra both had to drive from Alaska, so they're probably on the road somewhere. Rosalie was driving from California. Eleanor had to stay late for her brother's college graduation from Columbia. Their summer graduation was late." I filled in.
"She pays better attention than I do." Macy laughed.
"Well, why don't you two go check on Rocklin and his father. Extend an invitation to lunch, I'll call around and make a reservation somewhere." Dad told us.
"Then we can hit up somewhere for furniture, right?" I asked him.
"Of course we can." He agreed.
Macy and I headed out of our fairly large suite—though once there was furniture in the living area and kitchen stuff in the kitchen I'm sure it wouldn't look as grand—and knocked on Rocklin's door.
"Come in!" He called.
I pushed the door open and we found the room he was staying in. "No roommate yet for you either, huh?" I asked.
"Nope. He's getting here at like 5:00 I think." Rocklin told us as he finished making up his bed.
"Well, we're all done moving in aside from the living room." Macy told him.
"Dad wanted to know if you two wanted to go get lunch with us." I told Rocklin and Laurence.
"That would be great." Rocklin told us. "If that's cool with you Dad."
"That sounds wonderful. I think Rocklin and I can be finished up in about ten minutes, is that okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, Dad was calling to make a reservation so that should give more time. We're also going furniture shopping afterwards if you want to join. I'm going to try to convince Mom and Dad to do Target because let's face it, that's the best store." I laughed. "Do you guys need help moving in the rest of the stuff?"
"Will one of you make my bed?" Rocklin whined.
"One day, he'll actually appreciate a made bed." Laurence laughed.
"On it." I told him as he tossed me a throw pillow.
Macy and I helped Rocklin finish moving in before taking him to our room. He looked around and laughed. "Well, it's certainly more decorated than mine."
"Yours was pretty good for a guy's dorm." Macy shrugged.
"I didn't realize the whole Grey clan was coming for move-in day." Laurence told my father.
"We couldn't convince them to not fly down." Dad laughed in response. "I got us reservations at The Cheesecake Factory. Does everyone know how they're getting there?"
"We've got a rental car—Christian wouldn't let us Uber so…" Elliot trailed off.
I laughed at the thought of my CEO brother in an Uber and rolled my eyes at him. Everyone assured Dad they had a way to get to the restaurant, and then we all left.
Lunch went smoothly. Everyone had things to talk about. I felt a little pull at my heart again and teared up, realizing this would be the last meal with my whole family together for a while, but I pulled myself together fairly quickly and joined in the conversation with Macy about furniture and Target.
After Lunch, we did go to the nearest Target, and between Macy and me, we bought a full living room set of furniture and a new TV as well as kitchen appliances, cookware, bakeware, the likes. One of my roommates was supplying a dining table and another all the decorations for the living room. So after everyone got to the dorm today, everything would be set up in our little humble abode of Vanderbilt Hall 108.
We got back to the dorm and my brothers and Liam moved all the furniture in, with Mia directing where to put everything. Elliot got the smart TV all set up for us while Mom and Nora organized the kitchen. Eventually, everything was all settled, and I was very aware my parents would be leaving soon. Luckily, their leaving was delayed by the arrival of all four of our roommates and their parents.
It was weird to see the four girls in person for the first time that Macy and I had been texting all summer long. Of course we had stalked their social media some, so we knew what they looked like, but in person it was just different.
Alexandra, or Ali as she preferred, had these beautiful waves of mostly chocolate brown, but a few faint blonde highlights, and brown eyes. She was perfectly thin and tall and when you looked at her, a part of you wished you were her. Her roommate, Theodora, or Theo had curly chocolate hair, and chocolate brown eyes, and was a little bit shorter than Ali, probably just a few inches taller than me, but equally as beautiful.
Then there was Rosalie—Rosie, with suntanned skin, caramel hair, and bright blue eyes. She was around the same height as Macy and I, but still a little taller—which wasn't hard to do mind you. Finally, you had Eleanor—Eli as she preferred. She was the palest of the bunch, her porcelain skin rivaling Macy's, but she was flawless with her dark brown hair and pale blue eyes. She was the tallest of us—probably 5'7" as a rough estimate, and much like Ali, she evoked just the tiniest bit of jealous just from looking at her.
Ali's mom, also a pediatrician, and my mom were chatting away—apparently, they knew of each other professionally due to some conference they had attended years back. Meanwhile, Dr. Rob and Theo's dad were enjoying talking about golf. My dad and Eli's mom were discussing their firms, both lawyers. Nora and Rosie's parents were very invested in a conversation about their recent travels to Asia. Macy and I spent time chatting with our roommates until they had to get with the unpacking of their dorms.
It was getting late and Mom looked at me. "Our flight leaves in three hours so we need to get going." She told me. "We're going to all ride with your brother to the airport—Rob and Nora included."
Tears clouded my vision again. It was officially time for my parents to leave. I wouldn't see them again until probably at least fall break. I was excited to be on my own—but scared. I was going to miss them. I had come to rely on them a lot, especially in the past three years as I had recovered from the whole Jack and Ash situation. I was truthfully very nervous to be away from them, even if I had Macy and Rocklin with me.
"It's going to be alright, Darling. You're going to do fine." Mom told me, her own tears forming.
"Don't worry Squirt, we'll come to visit." Elliot draped an arm around me. "Probably sooner than you want in Christian's case."
"That would be fine by me." I told him through tears.
"Oh Let, you'll do great." Mia told me as she came up to me. "Don't worry, you'll have a blast. They'll keep you so busy at least for the first few weeks of the semester that you won't even miss us."
"And if you do, you can always Facetime us. Actually, I'm sure that Teddy will be begging to call you soon, so you better Facetime us." Christian chuckled. "He loves his Aunt Let."
"It really all will be alright Kiddo." Dad told me as he pulled me into a hug and kissed my forehead. "You'll have a blast."
I managed to say my goodbyes to Macy's family, Rocklin's dad, my siblings, and my parents with only a few more tears, and then found myself sitting on my bed in my dorm, Macy on the foot of it looking at me.
"Come on, let's get out of here and go exploring." She told me. "We'll take Rocklin along too, it'll take our minds off of things."
We retrieved Rocklin, meeting his roommate, Leo, and four suitemates, Ben, Nico, Jordy, and Cal, and then, we did go exploring, and began our first few minutes of adulthood together, walking around the campus that we would call home for the next four years.