Hey,

Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter, but hey, you got this chapter faster, so, be happy.

Thank you for every follow/favorite/review. I loved reading them, and for those giving me advise, thank you, it has been very helpful.

Enjoy next chapter!

There was a path of latterns and rose petals leading to the garden. I follow it. Is this where Christian has been, or what he has been planning? The path doesn't stop in the garden though, it leads to the meadow that was once Leila's and mine hiding place. Until the day of today no one knew about it. I never told someone, looks like Leila did.

There he is. Standing in another suit than the one he was wearing at the showcase. I must say, he looks good in it, like really good.

"So, you skipped family dinner, huh?" He asked.

I nod. "Who's the special person?" I ask.

He cocks an eyebrow. "A girl. I haven't known her that long. Maybe only a week or two, like I said, not that long at all. She is beautiful, though, like, really, really beautiful. She has the most beautiful face, and those eyes, you can drown in them."

"Well, you described her, you didn't tell me who." I say, daring him to say the words.

"You know who," he says while walking over to me, "you do know, right?"

"Know what?" I ask, while looking up at him.

He places his hand on my cheek and I lean into the touch, subconciously. "How I feel about you."

"Depends, if you feel the same as I do, then yes. Which would be something I wouldn't get, you could have any girl and you..." I didn't get to finish, because he crushed his lips to mine. I gasped in surprise and he took that to his advantage, pushing his tongue in my mouth. We kiss like that for what feels like hours, but is only minutes. I pull back because I need air, and look into his eyes. All I see is admiration. For me? Why?

"Don't you ever dare to say that I could have any girl, and yet choose you. Don't, because, you are so much better than others."

"I'll keep that in mind." I smile, standing on my tip toes, putting my mouth on his. We kiss again, just, like that, no tongue, no force, just like that, a simple kiss. Just mouth on mouth. It felt good like that. It felt right, somehow.

"Come on." He pulls me down and gives me a plate.

"How did ou know this is all my favorite?" I ask.

"Leila. I really think she wants the best for us."

"Us, is there an Us?"

"Of course there is." He leans in to kiss me. I smile against his lips. But then, I can't be what he needs me to be, so, I pull back.

Christian looks at me, worried. "What?"

"Christian, I can't be what you need me to be. I can't submit to you. I can't ask your premission for every single move I make. I can't do that, Christian, although, right now, I wish I could be. I really did."

"Ana, don't think for a second that you can't be what you need me to be. I just want you, the way you are, not any different. I want you like this, like you. I don't want you to submit to me, I don't want you to call me sir, and look down, I don't want that. I want you, just for you."

"Christian, how can you want me, a girl with no experience, I'm a virgin, I'm not some girl who knows how to give a handjob or a blowjob, and I know, those are things you will want, but, I can't. Christian, you could have a girl like that, you have had girls like that. Why me?"

"Because of that, Ana, you're amazing, because of that. You're pure and innocent, and it'll be amazing to know that I'll be the only one who has had you."

"The only one, huh?"

"Out of everything, that's what you hear, really?"

"Yes, because, it sounds crazy, but, I actually like the sound of that."

"Yeah, that does sound crazy."

"Hey, you were the one that said it, in the first place."

"You're right."

We eat together, while talking about some childhood stories. We laugh frequently, and feed each other strawberries, he, of course, 'accidently', dripped some chocolate on the corner of my mouth, so he had to get it. Well, that kiss didn't stay innocent, because soon enough, he had his tongue in my mouth, and I was laying down, while he was hovering over me, resting his weight on his arms at either side of my head. I put my arms around his neck and pull him closer to me.

He groans and pulls away. "Ana, baby, if we don't stop, I won't be able to control myself."

I smile up at him. "Who says I want you to?"

"Ana, I won't have you losing our virginity on a blancket in a meadow, where there are most likely bugs. I want it to be romantic, not gross."

I giggle at that, and we push ourselves in a sitting position. "You're right. Come on, I'm tired, today was very tiring."

"You were amazing. I didn't know you could sing like that. You truly have the voice of an angel."

"Thanks."

We gather our stuff and leave, walking towards the house hand in hand. Nobody is there yet, which is strange, seeing as we have been in the meadow for almost three hours. Christian just shrugs, thinking it's nothing, I, however, am not sure.

In the library, I am looking at tattoos when Christian sneakes up behind me. "Want to get a tattoo?"

I jump up. "Holy fucking shit! Christian, you can't do that! That's not nice!" I sit down. "And, yes, a small one. I already have one, with Mom's name and her birth date and her date of death. I just cover it up with make up."

"I want to see it, if that is ok, with you."

I smile and nod. "I'll show you, is a picture good too?"

"Great."

I show him the picture of my tattoo. "Wow. That is one beautiful tattoo, and I'm not one for tattoos. But this one, this is great. What tattoo do you want now?"

"I want one that means something to me, just like that one. I want to have one like 'fight your demons' ot something like that, just a reminder of something that I sometimes need to be reminded of."

"What about 'Life is beautiful, on your wrist."

"That hurts, a lot. But, although I want one there, I was thinking of 'One lock, One key', maybe not an exact reminder, but, it does mean something, and I want it across my heart. People won't see it either, something I'm glad of."

"Why don't you want people to know?"

"Because they form opinions, before they even know you. There was a time I had piercings, but, I took them off because people thought I hd problems, that I was bad news, only because I was wearing piercings. The same goes for tattoos. You, Dad, Dan and Leila, and of course, Niko, are the only ones that know about mine. I don't particulary hide them, I just, I don't want people to form opinions on me, if they don't know me."

"That is actually a pretty good reason."

"Yeah, I know. I'm tired, I'm going to bed. If you see the others before you're going to sleep, tell them goodnight?"

He nods and kisses my head. "Sure, sleep tight."

I did sleep good that night. I even slept that good that I didn't wake up 'till noon. Well, talk about something new, I haven't had that much sleep since mom got sick three years ago. It was welcomed though. I didn't even know how much rehearsals and showcases wore me out until yesterday. Like I said, the sleep was welcome.

When I sit up, I see my sister sitting in a chair, in a corner of my room. She smiles brightoy as she sees me sitting up and runs over to me. "Come on, Ana, tell me, how was it?"

i sigh and smile dreamily. "It was amazing! Really! It was so romantic! And the stuff he said!"

She smiles and puts a hand on my arm. "That's great! I am so happy for you! I'm going out with Peter tonight."

I gasp. I've known Peter very long. He's a family friend of Derek's, who is my friend, he really is fun. "Peter? He's great! Congratsulations! What hour are you meeting up?"

"He's picking me up at 6.15. Can you believe it! I've known Peter for so long, and I've had a crush on him for God knows how long, right now, I'm going on a date with him."

I smile at her and hug her. "I'm happy for you. But would you mind? I want to go change, I'll see you downstairs."

"Of course. See you in a bit."

"Yeah." I smile and she leaves.

I go to the bathroom and take a shower. Under the relaxing streams of water I think of the previous night. It was amazing. First the showcase, which I always find very great to do. Just, the way people listen to you, look at your every move, I love that. The compliments you get afterwards, sometimes I even get a teddybear from a child, it's amazing, they're so small, yet, they mean so much.

And then the picnic, the kisses. I got kissed for the first time last night! Is that what it feels like? Is that what I've been missing out on?

I get from under the shower and go to my closet. I am just putting on my bra and panties when I hear my door open and close.

"Ana?"

"In my closet." I say as I take my jeans.

Christian walks in and his jaw falls to the floor. Why? It's just black lace. Okay, so it's a push up bra, but you don't see a lot. I think of something and I smile while raise an eyebrow.

"See something you like?"

"I do."

And with that he strides over to me and kisses me passionately. I pull back.

"Is there a reason you're here?"

"I just wanted to see where you were. You weren't downstairs and it's Saturday, so, you couldn't be at school..."

"No, I was asleep until... half an hour ago."

"Okay." He nods. "I wouldn't mind seing you like that for a while." He mutters under his breath. I don't think I was supposed to hear that. Then he looks behind me and I hear an intake of breath. "Why do you have corsets?"

"They're not mine, they were once Dan's, well Dan's subs. I only stock it here. You'll never see me in that."

"Too bad, that would've been something I'd give all my money for."

"Let's wait with that, huh?"

"Good idea. Let's do that."

I put my jeans on and a tank. "Hey, would you mind giving me those boots?"

He smiles and walks over to them, giving them to me. I smile and put them on. We walk out, after I grab a waterfall jacket.

We walk to the dining room where there is now lunch. I quickly take a plate, because I'm starving, and take my lunch, Christian following suit.

"You're going to eat all of that?" Kate asks. I nod. "You eat that much every meal?" I nod again. "And yet, you have a figure to die for, how?"

Elliot sits down next to his wife and puts an arm around her, I think to warn her. "Kate."

"I'm so sorry, that came out so rude. But you really do have a shape to die for, how do you do that?"

"I spend most of my days in the gym or dancing, something not a lot of people know but dancing burns a lot of callories, sometimes even more than the gym. So, yes, I eat a lot, but I burn more callories than I eat. This, Kate, is nothing yet."

Christian is now sitting next to me. He kisses my temple and I sit back. The rest of their, and my, family comes and we eat together.

A nice Family Meal.