Chapter 3

I apologize for any mistakes. All credit to ELJ. I own nothing.

"You mean to tell me you screwed that fine ass man four times and then just walked out on him? Are you kidding me?" Jose asks me for the millionth time as we ride Charles Manson to Montesano to spend Christmas Eve with our families.

"It was amazing, Jose. I never knew sex could feel so good."

"I bet it was. That man looks like he can do things, girl!"

"You know what this means, don't you?" I ask him.

"What? That you no longer have cobwebs in your snatch?"

I slap him on the shoulder, and he pretends to be hurt.

"No, asshole. It means that you were wrong. I am the type of girl who has one night stands. I went to a party, went home with a guy I just met and had mind blowing sex. That's the definition of a one night stand. You were so wrong, you Yoda wannabe."

Jose looks at me quickly and starts to laugh.

"You're so cute, Annie. You think that was a one night stand? You have learned nothing from me. This is just the beginning. He's going to chase your little ass down the minute we step back in Seattle." I have to admit that there is a secret part of me that wishes that Jose is right. Can he be? Is there even a remote possibility that Christian Grey and I will cross paths again? I admit I would like that but I know better. In what possible scenario could we possibly meet again? I certainly won't be going to him. It's not like his personal security would let me near him, and he doesn't know how to find me.

"I left while he was sleeping. We didn't exchange numbers or anything," I say sounding less convincing with each word.

"You think a man like him can't get your damn phone number? Do you remember what I told you about him last night? A man like that has strong feelings, Ana. You can't just sneak out of his house and think that's the end of it."

"Ok, Yoda," I say rolling my eyes. "How do you know he doesn't do this kind of thing all the time? Maybe that he's MO. He goes to a party, meets a girl, takes her home and fucks her brains out. I'm just a girl in a long line of one night stands." I hate the sound of that.

"You think the prince of Seattle would be a cassanova and it wouldn't be front page news? Did he make you sign anything?" He asks.

"No. Why would he make me sign something?"

"He made me and Kate sign a nondisclosure agreement. She could only talk about what they discussed for the article, and I was not allowed to talk about anything. I was only there to take pictures. Kate told me that's standard procedure and all big wigs like him have people sign them. He took you to his house, Annie. His house! Not a hotel. He slept with you and let you fall asleep in his bed. I think he likes you," he says. "No, I know he does. I told you I know people."

"You think Christian Grey likes me?"

"Christian, huh? What happened to Bedhead?"

"Well we did give each other lots of head in the bed," I say and we both erupt with laughter. Jose reaches over and give me a high five and demands that I tell him, from the beginning, everything that happened from the moment with left the Fairmont. After I finish telling him again, I see that my cell phone is ringing.

"Who's that?" Jose asks.

"It's an unknown number. It might be you know who."

"She's still trying to call you?"

"I guess since all of her letters have gone unanswered. I'm still angry at Ray for giving her my number." For the past year, Carla has been sending me letters. I've put every single letter in a box unopened. Ray has tried to convince me to at least hear her out, but I refuse. Ray doesn't understand. His mother didn't abandon him. She didn't hurt him the way mine did me.

What kind of woman leaves her husband and twelve year old daughter for another man? She left and divorced dad, only calling once every few months. I think in the past ten years, I've seen her six times. Ray told me that she's divorced from husband number 3 and since then, she's been trying to get in touch with me. No, thanks. Where the hell were you at for the past ten years?

"I don't want to talk about her, Jose. It's Christmas and I want to enjoy my time with my real family," I say. He nods and quickly changes the subject. Carla is a sore spot.

We spend the rest of the ride gossiping and laughing, like friends who's known each other their entire lives do, with thoughts of Carla forgotten.

We soon arrive in Montesano and Jose drops me off at my old house. Ray engulfs me into a big hug and we spend the rest of the day chatting and trimming the tree. I put Ray's presents under the tree. We never cook on Christmas Eve. Since it's just the two of us, we go have a dinner at a local diner. Ray and I use that usually use that opportunity to chat and catch up. Thankfully he does not bring up Carla.

Once we're home we prep for tomorrow's dinner with the Rodriguez family. This year, we decided to have them over for dinner and I am making a crown roast of pork, garlic mashed potatoes, steamed mixed veggies, and stuffing. Mrs. Rodriguez is in charge of bringing the dessert.

Christmas at the Steele house is lively and loud. Benji surprised Jose with a visit and they are now in the living room playing music. Once we have dinner, we sit around the living room talking and enjoying each other's company. Who says family has to be related to you by blood? I don't share DNA with any of the people here, but they are the only family that I have. They are the family that I choose, and that's enough for me.

I'm caught off guard when I hear the doorbell ring. I look around and Ray is just as surprised I am. Since I'm the closest to the door, I go to open it.

I feel all the air leave my lungs when I see who it is. Christian Grey is standing on my front porch dressed in a very expensive looking wool coat. Just like the other night, we stare at each other, neither one of us speaking. It's only Ray approaches that I find my tongue.

"Can I help you?" Ray asks.

"Dad, this is my friend, Christian. Christian, this is my dad, Ray Steele," I say. What in the world is he doing here?

"Well come on in, Christian. Annie, you didn't tell me you invited anyone over," he says as Christian steps inside. He looks awkward being here, in Ray's little house which can probably fit in his bedroom closet . I wonder how he feels being here compared to the extravagance of his penthouse.

Just then Jose comes around the corner and sees us standing there. He looks at me and mouths I told you so. I'm never going to hear the end of this. Never!

Dad and Jose walk back to the living room where the others are, and I'm left alone with Christian.

"I told you the other day to stop running from me, Ana," he says. "Don't do it again."

"How did you know where I was?"

"I tracked your phone," he says as if it's no big deal.

"How did you get my phone number? We didn't exchange numbers."

"A phone number is not a hard thing to find, Ana. I've been calling your phone all day, but you never answer that damn thing."

"When did you call? I've only gotten a few calls from an unknown number," I say.

"That would be me. Why did you leave without waking me up?" He asks, almost as if he's hurt by my leaving.

"I assumed it was just a one night thing. I decided to save us each some discomfort and left." '

"It was not a one night stand. Do you think I just take random women to my apartment? It was more than that for me," he says as he takes my hand and kisses the palm. "Didn't our night together mean anything to you?" He asks, searching my eyes.

"Yes," I admit. "It was the best night of my life, but I didn't want…" Before I can finish, he covers my mouth with mine. I open my mouth and our tongues meet, as I put my hands in his hair and pull him closer. I hear someone clear their throat and I quickly break the kiss. I see Ray standing there, with his arms crossed, but with a smile on his face.

"Come and introduce your friend, Annie," dad says, putting friend in air quotes. Christian grabs my hand and I introduce him to the rest of our group. Jose is beside himself and when his mother asked how we met, Jose jumps up and shows them the pictures from the party. Thankfully he doesn't show the one of us kissing in the middle of the dance floor.

Everyone is impressed with the party and Jose's photos.

"I have to send the prints to your PR team and they will choose which ones go on the GEH website. They did say I can choose any three of the photos for my own website," Jose says to Christian.

"I'd like a few of these for my personal use, Mr. Rodriguez. Please have prints of all the pictures of me and the Grey family and Ms. Steele sent to me. Of course I will pay you. Just send the bill to my secretary." He hands Jose a card and scribbles down his address. I feel this warmth spread through me at the thought of him having pictures of the two of us.

"You two just met two days ago?" Rays asks. I know what he's thinking because I'm thinking the same thing. We just met and he dropped everything to come here on Christmas Day.

"Yes. I couldn't wait another minute to see her," Christian says as he puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer. I forget myself and put my head on his shoulder and blush. He gently kisses the top of my head. When I look up everyone is looking at us, and Jose has a smug look on his face.

Everyone gets up and makes a lame excuse to leave the house.

"I have more dessert at the house. Do you like chocolate cake, Christian?" Vicky, Jose's mother, asks.

"It's my second favorite." Everyone leaves to go help Vicky get the cake. They promise to be back in a few minutes.

"You sure know how to clear a room," I say.

"I thought they'd never leave," he says as he kisses me deeply, pulling me into his body and grabbing my but. I feel emboldened and grab his firm butt as well, pulling him into my core and grinding into him.

"You're playing with fire," he says.

"Burn me," I respond.

"Where's your bedroom?" He asks against my mouth. I take his hand as we run upstairs into my childhood bedroom, complete with a full sized bed.

We are greedy, hungry, desperate and on borrowed time. I quickly have his pants down and force him to sit down on my bed. I take off my panties and hike up my skirt. Before I sit down on his hard dick, I remember that I don't have any condoms in my room. He must be able to read minds, because he bends down and pulls one out of pants pocket and puts it on. I quickly position my entrance on the tip of his dick and slowly sink in, making sure he's all the way in. I wrap my legs around him and hold on to his shoulders. He thrusts his hips upwards and I begin to move my hips up and down on his dick. He holds me close as we move in perfect sync. No words are spoken, but moans of pleasure fill my small bedroom.

We continue to go at it, holding on to each other, kissing and biting. He finally bites down on my lower lip, pulling it into his mouth completely, sucking it. I ride him harder, faster until I shatter on top of him, feeling my release drip out of me and onto his bare legs and my bedspread. He follows quickly behind me, calling my name.

I can't move. He's still inside, but I can feel him starting to soften. I put my head in the crook of his neck and kiss it, biting him softly. He turns his head and kisses my lips softly, sensually.

"I'm glad you tracked me down," I whisper.

"I told you to stop running from me. I was frantic when I woke up and you weren't gone. Add to the fact that I had two damn days of mandatory family time. Promise me you won't run again," he says.

"I promise. I'm sorry for leaving like that. Let's go back downstairs before they come back." We head downstairs and I offer to fix Christian some food. He graciously accepts when I tell him that I cooked the entire meal. He makes a huge fuss over my cooking, moaning and telling me that as delicious as the food is, I taste better.

"So, you just left your family to come find me?" I ask, feeling flattered.

"Well we were together since Christmas Eve," he says. He fixes that intense glare on me. The one I noticed since the first time I laid eyes on him. "I wanted to come see my girl." I feel my heart skip a beat. His girl? How can it feel so right after only knowing him for forty eight hours? I was with he who need not be named for a year, and he never, ever made me feel this way. Is this real? Is this sustainable? Do I want to find out? Hell yes!

"Your girl?"

"Yes. Since I first saw you at the bar, I knew you would be mine. Hell, you were mine and I didn't even know your name yet. Tell me you feel the same way."

"I do," I say simply. "We're a couple?"

"We've been a couple since that first dance." Just then, everybody else comes bustling through the door, talking and laughing. Vicky places a huge chocolate cake on the table. I grab the vanilla ice cream and we all sit around my dad's kitchen table, talking about our favorite Christmas memories all while eating cake and ice cream.

Christian asks Ray about me as a little girl, and he and Jose take turns telling embarrassing Ana stories, and even pulls out family photos albums and my high school yearbook. Vicky tells stories about teaching me how to cook, and Christian complements Vicky on what a good job she's done because this is one of the best meals he's had. I just about melt inside. I look up and Jose still has that smug, I told you so look on his face. I'd flip him the bird if we weren't surrounded by all these people.

Christian tells us about his family's Christmas traditions of spending Christmas Eve with his grandparents and Christmas day with his parents. He said this year his brother accidentally invited two women over for dessert and they had a cat fight in the middle of his mother's kitchen. Jose and Benji had a field day with that and begged for more details. Christian only said that his brother is quite the ladies' man.

We are having a great time, laughing and getting to know each other. I look at Jose and he raises his eyebrows at me and looks down at Christian's hand holding mine. I mouth fuck you to him and he blows me a kiss. Just then the doorbell rings and Ray gets up to answer it. Christian takes advantage of Ray's absence and kisses me flush on the lips in front of everyone.

I don't even care. I kiss him back hug him. I pull back and try to tame his hair. He smiles and grabs my hands.

"It's untamable," he says.

"Ana will tame it," Jose says and he and Benji both start to laugh hysterically. I start to laugh too but my laughter comes to a quick end when I see who has walked through the door.

"Ana," she says.

I look from her to Ray in utter disbelief. I take my hand out of Christian's and I stand up.

"Did you know she was coming, dad? Did you invite her?"

"No, Annie. I wouldn't do that to you. This is a surprise to me too." I believe him. My dad has never lied to me a day in my life. I turn to her and see her looking at me, searching. She has unshed tears in her eyes as she starts to walk towards me.

"Stop. Don't you dare take another step, mother."

Christian stands up and puts his arm around me and I bury my head in his chest just to avoid looking at her.

"Carla, now is not the time," Ray says.

"I just wanted to see you, Ana. I figured you would be here today of all days. Please, baby. Just give me a few minutes of your time," she says. The tears are falling down her face and I see her wipe them away. Waterworks are not going to work on me, lady. I quickly shut down.

"No. Please be gone by the time I come back down stairs," is all I say to her. I grab Christian's hand and we go back upstairs and into my bedroom. The minute the door closes, I hear a knock.

"Annie, let me in," Ray says. I open the door and he steps inside.

"I believe you when you said you didn't inviter her, dad, but I don't have anything to say to her. Make her leave."

"Annie, she's here and avoiding her is not going to make her go away forever. Why don't you hear what she has to say? Just hear her out. No one is asking you to forgive her, but just listen."

"She's had ten years, dad. She left us. She chose someone else over us. Over me, her own daughter. There is nothing she can say that can take that away or lessen the pain. If she came here expecting some Christmas miracle like in one of those damn Hallmark Channel Movies that Jose likes to watch, she miscalculated. She can go back to wherever the hell she came from."

"I'll ask her to leave, but think about it, ok?" He says as he leaves the room.

He closes the door and I turn around and start to kick my dresser over and over again. The absolute nerve of that woman showing up here today of all days. What the fuck did she think she was going to accomplish here, in front of my new boyfriend, no less. I turn around and I see Christian get up from the bed and pulls me away from the dresser. He sits me down on the bed next to him and takes off my Ugg boots to inspect my feet. He puts both of my feet on his lap and starts massage them.

"Talk to me, baby," I almost melt when he calls me baby. His hands of my feet have an automatic calming effect. "Maybe I can help."

I tell him about Carla divorcing Ray and marrying another man a month later. I explained that that in itself wouldn't have been so bad, except that she divorced me too, only calling sporadically and only seeing me about six times in the past ten years.

"It hurts so much, Christian. She abandoned me when I was twelve years old. I had to go through puberty without a mother around. Thank goodness for Vicky. She stepped in and played mom when she didn't have to. She was absent for all of my milestones. She was a no show at my high school and college graduations. And just because her last husband divorced her, she's been writing and calling, but I'm not interested in anything she has to say. Nobody understands, though. Ray has been on me to read the letters and talk to her, but his mother never abandoned him. Jose listens and says he agrees with whatever I want to do, but he doesn't understand either. No one does," I finish. I didn't realize I was crying until he wiped the tears from my eyes and kissed my hand.

"I understand, Ana," he says.

"No, you don't. You think you do, but I saw how proud of you your mother is. It was written plain as day at the party the other night. I have no idea what that's like," I finish.

"You're right, baby, but I didn't always have that. You know I'm adopted by the Greys?" I nod vaguely remembering Kate telling me about that.

"I didn't come to them until I was four years old," he begins. For the next ten minutes he tells me about his life before the Greys, his drug addicted mother who had sadly fallen to prostitution, the abuse by the hands of a pimp, the neglect, lack of proper nutrition and basic care, the cigarette burns. I'm appalled at how anyone could treat a child that way. He talks about his mother's death and being stuck with her body for days, and how Grace was the pediatrician on call the day he was finally found by the police. Years of not talking followed by him slowly coming out of his shell once Mia was adopted, the inability to be touched, being taken advantage of by a family friend. Thankfully his grandfather got suspicious of the family friend and confronted Christian, who confessed all. The police were called and charges were filed against this woman. She went to prison for ten years, and moved out of Washington when she was released.

"I know what it's like to be angry at a parent for the way you were treated. I've spent years and a small fortune in therapy trying to work it all out, trying to let go of the anger, but it was always there, simmering and ready to explode at the slightest provocation. You know what finally helped? What finally allowed me to be free of it?" He asks, looking at me directly in the eyes.

"What?"

"I had to forgive my birth mother."

I get up from the bed at that point, feeling angry towards him, feeling angry for having yet another person side with Carla.

"Why should I forgive her? She left me when I needed her the most. She chose another man over her own flesh and blood. Now she gets to walk back into my life and I'm supposed to forget about the last ten years and forgive? I don't think so," I say hugging myself.

"Nobody is asking you to forget anything, Ana. You can never forget it, but the forgiveness is not for her. It's for you to find a way to find peace because right now you're in pain. Your mother is controlling your emotions. Forgiveness frees you of that. Think back on the last ten years. Think about how many decisions you've made that were made based on Carla's actions. Think about it." I do think about it. I think I've always just run away from a real relationship because I didn't want to be hurt like the way my mother left me. The one boyfriend I had, I really didn't have any feelings for if I'm honest with myself. I wasn't even upset about him cheating on me. I was with him because he was safe. Jose was right about him all along. I was just faking it, pretending it was something that it wasn't.

I look at this handsome ginger in my old childhood bedroom, imploring me with his eyes. Willing me to so some soul searching. I sit back down and hold his hand, feeling an electrical jolt run through my body. I want this. I want to hold on this this.

"Yes. Looking back I can see your point, but she still left me. I don't know if I have it in me to forgive, Christian."

"She did leave you, and she has to live with that every single day. She's in her own personal hell for that. She's the one who has to look in the mirror everyday and look at the face of a mother who left her daughter twelve year old daughter; her only child. She has to answer to that. That's her punishment. Her cross to bear. Listen, your dad asked her to leave and you don't have to decide anything today. Just consider it, ok? Forgiveness doesn't mean you forget or that you erase the past. It's just a way for you to move forward with your life. Trust me. It took me years to realize that my mother was just a young girl, with no family and substance abuse issues. It didn't erase the past, but I was able to look at things from her point of view. I don't know what Carla was thinking or what she was going through, but you still have the opportunity to ask her. Yell at her. Tell her off. Tell her how you feel, but at least she's still here and is willing to hear it from you. After you talk to her you might decide you don't want her in your life at all, but at least that's a decision you will make after hearing what she has to say."

"I want to punish her, Christian. I want to hurt her the same way she hurt me and I can do that by not giving in and talking to her. I want her to feel the same sense of abandonment I feel," I say.

"But by doing that you are also punishing and holding on to all this pain."

"All that therapy has made you wise," I joke. He laughs and kisses my hand.

"Well I don't know about that. I'm just speaking from experience." I put my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that as such a small child. I'm so sorry," I say as I once again try to tame his wild hair.

"Thank you, Ana, but all of my experiences have made me who I am. They brought me to you."

"We're a fine pair, huh?"

"We're a great pair. You're my little Christmas miracle."

"I still can't believe you came to find me on Christmas day. And you tracked my phone. Stalker." I joke, thinking about what Jose said the first time I laid eyes on him.

"I would have been here sooner if I didn't get lost. That's what I get for giving my driver Christmas off."

"Christian Grey has a bad sense of direction? I thought you could do anything," I say with a smile now that the tension is gone from the room.

"I'd do anything to make you smile. Let's go back downstairs before your father comes back up and shoots me," he says. We walk out of my room hand in hand and walk down the stairs. Before we go into the kitchen, I stop him.

"Thank you for sharing your story with me. I guess we have more in common than I thought. I want you to know that I'll think about what you said. I don't know about forgiveness, but I'll think about talking to her."

"Ok, baby. I'm here for you whenever you want to talk." We walk into the kitchen, hand in hand and join the others. Carla is gone and not mentioned anymore that night. Jose comes over and hugs me, and dives right into a story about how I beat up a boy who was teasing Jose when we were little. That was the beginning of our life long friendship. After hearing that, Christian pulled me close to him and said that that's another thing we have in common, being fiercely loyal and protective.

The rest of the evening is great, and all too soon the Rodriguez family leaves to go home. Christian informs us that he has made reservations at a nearby hotel, but Ray offers him the guest room, which he accepts. I leave him alone with Ray as I run upstairs and put fresh sheets on the bed. I can't believe he agreed to stay here in this tiny room.

After I know Ray has gone to bed, I sneak into the guestroom where I find Christian laying on the bed using his iPad. I walk in wearing my thermal Christmas pajamas designed with pictures of Santa. He doesn't say a word as I walk towards him and climb into the bed.

"Are you trying to get me killed or neutered by your father?" He asks as he takes me into his arms.

"It's not everyday that a girl has her boyfriend stay over. I missed you."

"I missed you too, but your father's room is right across the hall. Behave," he says as I pout.

"We can be quiet," I say as I put my hand down his pajama pants. I can feel how much he wants me but he pulls my hand away.

"No, baby. Not with your dad across the hall. And I'm out of condoms."

"Damn it! Forget the condom. We can 69" I offer and lick my lips, and attempt to stick my hand down his pants again, but he stops me..

"Not tonight, but I'm going to fuck you six ways to Sunday the minute we get back to Escala. Prepare yourself for a spanking for walking out on me. Are you on the pill?" He asks and I shake my head. There was no need.

"I'll get on it as soon as we get back to Seattle," I tell him and he nods, kissing my forehead. Now that sex is out, I just lay my head on his chest and intertwine our fingers. No words are spoken as he grabs his iPad and plays Santa, baby. I smile and fall into a peaceful sleep.

I make breakfast for him and Ray the next morning, before we head back to Seattle. Jose decided to stay an extra day with his parents, but I wanted to get back and be alone with my new boyfriend. We stopped off at my apartment so that I could pack a bag.

We arrive at Escala where we eat, drink, and make love for the next twenty four hours.

My life changed completely after that Christmas. I had no idea how the few pictures Jose took made me a local celebrity or how much of a domineering alpha male my boyfriend can be. I was in for an awakening.

I hope you enjoyed chapter 3. I know it got a little heavy with Carla showing up, but I wanted Christian and Ana to have more than just lust in common. I could just end it here, but let me know if you're interested in an epilogue.

What do you think about CG asking Ana to consider forgiveness? Would you be able to forgive?