Chapter Nine

"You're awake."

He whirled and saw Ana standing in the doorway of his bedroom, holding a tray of what he assumed was breakfast.

Christian woke up minutes ago, a little disoriented and with a terrible case of body ache. He felt like a bulldozer hit him. Twice. Sitting up, he tried to remember how he ended up on his bed when he couldn't recall coming home.

He was not feeling well for days and was stuck in his place trying to get better when he forced himself to see Ana. The bout of jealousy that crept up in him when Sawyer informed him that she was in a bar drinking with Jose was no longer strange to him. But this time, it was stronger than before. Christian thought maybe because he was now her boyfriend.

Boyfriend? He wanted to belt out a laugh. What good of a boyfriend he was to storm out of her without a word and ignore her calls for days only to show up unannounced to where she was because he was jealous.

He knew what he did was wrong, leaving her the way he did, not calling her after telling her he would and not answering any of her calls. There was no justification to his actions. He was a horrible person, anyone who knew him could attest to that. Heck, he had been plotting a vindictive revenge for years. What did it say about his character?

But of all the calculating he did for his scheme, Christian failed to account the possibility of feeling something for Ana, the subject of his vengeance, more than hatred. He didn't expect to be captivated by her charm, to be attracted to her beauty and to like her personality. He didn't reckon how she was going to be more than just the person he was going to use to hurt her mother. He never planned on caring for her.

Hearing Ana say she trusted him should have made him feel like winning because that was part of his goal all along. Christian wanted her confidence in him. He needed her to believe that he wasn't going to hurt her because when he did hurt her, the pain would definitely destroy her.

But instead of celebrating the success of his goal, he got angry.

To her, for trusting him. She was so pure and innocent, so naïve to the realities of life. Ana looked at the world through rose-colored glasses. Didn't she know that there were people out there who could and would harm her?

To himself, for even thinking about hurting her. Because what he discovered after spending time with her was he wanted to make her smile instead of make her cry. Christian craved to be the reason for her laughter not the cause of her tears. He longed to be the source of her happiness and not her grief.

"How are you feeling?" Ana asked softly. She put the tray at the end of the bed, came closer to him and gently felt his forehead.

Christian closed his eyes to revel on her touch. "What are you doing here?"

His voice might have sounded hard because she pulled away from him.

"You're sick. You were burning with fever last night. I-I can't leave you like that."

Ana woke up suffering from tensed muscles on her neck and back from falling asleep on the chair. Glancing at her watch, she realized she had been asleep for 4 hours. Ignoring her aching body, she pulled herself up and tried to do some stretching. She looked at Christian and noticed he was sleeping deeply.

Deciding a cup of coffee was her best bet to bring her to life, Ana went downstairs and immediately sighted Gail, already awake and was now preparing today's breakfast. The older woman smiled as soon as she saw her. Ana joined her and they chatted.

From the three times she had been there, she had already grown familiar with Christian's housekeeper. Gail, who was the total opposite of her husband, had a soft voice and welcoming smile. Unlike Taylor who appeared to be a no-nonsense kind of man, Gail would tell her funny stories of her previous experiences as a housekeeper. They went along great, to her delight.

When the older woman was finished cooking soup, Ana decided to bring Christian a bowl for breakfast, who she guessed had already woken up. She also filled a pitcher with fresh orange juice and prepared fruit slices for him. Fixing everything on the tray, Ana returned to Christian's bedroom and was glad to see him sitting up on his bed.

Christian rubbed his face with his hand. "I'm sorry."

Ana shook her head. "We'll talk later. You should eat your breakfast first." She slid the tray closer to him. "Do you want me to feed you?"

"No, I think I can manage."

But he couldn't. Hardheaded Christian was still too weak to feed himself so Ana ended up giving him spoonfuls of soup.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asked.

"Yes. I had breakfast with Gail."

"Ana,"

Before he could finish his sentence, she brought the spoon to his mouth, wordlessly telling him that she wasn't ready to talk. He understood the gesture and didn't insist. The room was silent as he ate.

Ana didn't know exactly how to feel. She wanted to be mad at him for cutting her in his life for days yet she pitied him because he was sick. She had questions only he could answer.

:::

After breakfast, Ana found herself downstairs while Christian cleaned himself. Noting the time, she needed to go back to her place after lunch because Kate was due to arrive around 5 in the afternoon.

"I'm sorry."

She heard him say as soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked better now. Gone were the redness of his skin and eyes. Even his voice was almost back to normal.

Christian took steps closer to her and held her hands. "I was a fool. I have a lot of things in my mind and instead of staying by your side, I pushed you away. I regret doing that to you. I don't do romance, Ana. Hearts and flowers, they are not me. I'm used to doing things alone because I have an early start. I have issues, plenty of issues. I'm not saying these things to justify my mistakes. There's no excuse for them. But I want you to know that since I met you, you brought changes to my life. I've become this person who gives flowers and gifts to a woman he likes. You made me realize that I'm no longer alone, that I have you with me. And whatever issues I have, I know you're going to be there to make things easier. All I'm asking is your patience. Please be patient with me." He kissed her hands and held them against his cheeks.

He waited with baited breath for her reply. If Ana would forgive him, he would take the chance to show her how much she meant to him. Because if there was one thing he realized when he tried to distance himself from her was forgetting her was impossible. Christian tried. For days, he attempted to remove her from his life but he failed. He walked away from her with a goal to forget her but it only made him miss her. Not seeing Ana had him spent hours in his secret locked room looking at her picture like a moron he was. If she was willing to continue what they had started, he would do everything to make them last. Because there was no way he could let her go.

Ana looked into his eyes. "This is new to me too. I've never had any past relationships to compare with. But I want us, Christian. You and me. But I have to be honest. The things you did, they hurt me."

Remembering the unanswered calls, the concern for his wellbeing and the times she passed by his office and residential buildings hoping to catch just a glimpse of him, Ana choked back her tears.

"I'm very sorry." He hugged her tight. He knew about her suffering. He saw her missed calls, he could imagine how she was worried for him and Sawyer told him everytime Ana drove to Grey House and Escala.

"I forgive you. But we have to work on this relationship. You can't just walk away from me because you want to."

"I understand. It's never going to happen again."

Ana pulled herself away from him. "I want to be with you but you have to let me in."

He nodded in agreement. "We can make this work, Ana."

She smiled. "I believe we can. One step at a time, alright?"

"One step at a time."

Ana continued their talk, telling him about her new job. Christian opted not to disclose to her that he already knew she got the job. Even before she left SIP building, he was already informed by contact person inside how her interview went. He didn't tell her that before she applied at SIP, Grey Enterprises Holdings was already on its way in buying it.

SIP is the most profitable out of the four publishing houses in Seattle despite its being in the edge of stagnation. Christian saw a future in SIP so adding it to his business was not going to be a bad decision.

He had nothing to do with her employment. Christian was honest when he told her, her interview was going to be a success. She didn't need his backing up to acquire the job. Ana was an intelligent and hardworking individual. He was sure her employers saw her potential. He just didn't know how she was going to react if she learned he was going to her boss' boss' boss.

:::

"How did you know I was at Quarry's last night?"

From his seat behind the wheel, Christian glanced at her.

He was driving her back to her place when Ana remembered the events from last night.

"Christian?" Ana called him when he remained silent.

"I hired someone to look after you." He answered in an almost whisper, hoping his words didn't reach her ears.

But they did.

She froze. "W-What do you mean someone to look after me?"

"Like a bodyguard. He is tasked to follow you around."

"A bodyguard?! Without my knowledge?!" She exclaimed.

Ana knew she looked funny with her wide eyes, flaring nose and gaping mouth. She probably looked like a goldfish but she didn't care. How she appeared to be was not what she thinking at the moment. She just found out that there was a man following her around without her knowing. A man was hired to look after her and she had no idea.

"Ana,"

She cut him. Holding one palm up, she glared at him. "No! Don't even try to rationalize it, Christian!" She looked away and took several deep breaths. Seconds later, Ana turned back to him. "Why do I need a bodyguard?"

"I told you before, your safety is my priority."

Yes, she heard it from him before. "Why didn't you tell me? And how long has he, or is he a she?"

"He is a he. His name is Luke Sawyer. I'll introduce you to him later."

He didn't add that Sawyer was currently the driver of the black SUV trailing behind them.

"How long has this Luke Sawyer guy been following me?"

"He's been around for a while."

Christian first ordered Sawyer four years ago to gather information about her when she moved from Montesano to Vancouver to study college. He wanted an in depth knowledge of who Carla's daughter was. Sawyer, a former Marine and a year younger than him, had been following Ana undetected and had been reporting everything to him. He was adamant that Sawyer must not interfere with her life and only watch her from a distance.

But when Christian and Ana started dating, he commanded Sawyer to look out for her and gave him a go signal to do anything to protect her. He wanted Ana safe and secure at all times so the younger man had been upgraded as Ana's bodyguard.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I know what your reaction is going to be. You're going to freak out and will disagree. You make a big deal in everything I do for you, Ana. I can't give you costly gifts. Take a look at the books for example. Even the car I bought for you as a graduation gift ended up as something you bought for yourself because you insisted in paying for it. If I could buy you the world, I would. But I'm afraid you'll be too indebted to me because you'll try to pay for it."

Ana noted the sarcasm in his tone. He was right. Her pride and her apprehension to his net worth prevented her from letting Christian shower her with things he knew she would love.

"Still, you should have told me about this Sawyer guy."

"Yes, I should have and I apologize for not telling you about him."

Christian was aware that getting her a bodyguard without telling her was wrong. He had been used to Sawyer's concealed presence in her life that letting her know about him didn't enter Christian's mind. It was an honest mistake.

:::

She gazed carefully at the man with brown hair, who seemed almost the same age as Christian, as he greeted her politely.

They reached her apartment building minutes later. As soon as they climbed out of the car, Ana noticed a black SUV parked several feet from them. Christian called someone from his phone and a man exited the SUV in no time. The man reached them and Christian finally introduced her to Sawyer.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Steele." Sawyer greeted her.

"Sawyer."

Christian watched as they shook hands and sensed Ana's wariness. He couldn't blame her though. To know that someone had been following you was a surprise nobody wanted. He understood her. He looked at Sawyer and saw helplessness in his face and Christian felt a little sorry for him. The man had just been doing what he was told to do and now he was facing a woman whose ire was visible on her face.

:::

"Let Sawyer guard someone else." Ana uttered as soon as they stepped inside her apartment.

"You don't like him? I'll have some-"

"I don't want anyone guarding me, Christian. I don't need a bodyguard."

Her words didn't bode well with him because he immediately frowned, Ana noticed.

"I have enemies. I didn't reach my place right now after winning everybody's heart. There are people who hate me, hate my guts. They probably won't, but I won't risk letting them harm you."

"Who am I, Christian? I'm just an ordinary woman who's living an ordinary life. Why would you think they would want to hurt me?"

Christian held her by her shoulders. "Have you not been listening to the words I was saying? Who you are is someone important to me, Ana. Seeing you in pain will cause me more pain. If they are fool enough to want to destroy me, they know they should come after you. You're all I have and I'll do anything to make sure you're always alright."

Pondering over everything she recently discovered, Ana stayed silent. She understood Christian's need to protect her. She would do the same if she was in his shoes, that was how much he meant for her too. But she realized how her life changed ever since she met him.

Just barely a month ago, she was a senior student who was trying to make it to her finals so she could graduate and move to Seattle with her best friend. Ana had no interest in dating. As an English Literature student, she was romantic. She believed in happily ever after and forever. Despite how she tried to convince herself that she was okay being alone, deep in her heart, she yearned for the things she had been reading. Falling in love, marrying for love and spending the rest of your life with someone you love. She wished for those stuffs for herself.

Then came Christian, a man who swept her off her feet the first time they met. Like the 'prince' in her own fairytale, he 'rescued' her from falling on the ground. He was handsome, Ana couldn't help but feel attracted to him. He exuded power and strong will. People around him 'bowed' in his presence. He also had his own 'kingdom' where he ruled.

But that was fairytale and Ana's life was not make-believe. Her reality was not perfect. She had insecurities and flaws. Christian had issues and shortcomings. They were two real human beings and their world was filled with people who were either happy for them or wanted something bad to happen to them.

In a short amount of time, her life did changed. She graduated and moved to Seattle just like how she planned. She had a boyfriend. Her boyfriend thought her life was too precious she would need a bodyguard. Suddenly, the simple life she wanted got complicated.

Ana felt his arms around her, pulling her closer to him.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about Sawyer. But I need him to watch over you when I'm not around. Please understand me, Ana. You're the most important person in my life and I won't risk losing you." He whispered onto her hair.

"Fine."

"Thank you." He kissed her forehead. "You can tell him your preference, he will follow you. Just let him do his job."

"Alright." Ana frowned when she looked at him and it seemed, he wanted to say something but was holding back. "What is it?"

"Next Sunday is my mother's birthday." He started. "There's going to be a simple celebration at their house. Can you come with me? I'd like you to meet my family."

"Christian told my parents the only woman who's going to step foot in his place and whom he's going to introduce to us is the woman he's going to marry." Suddenly, Mia's words entered her mind.

"Are you sure?" She asked him. "We just said we're going to take this one step at a time." Ana wanted to remind him the weight of what he wanted to happen.

"Yes, I'm sure. I want you to meet them. I've been planning on introducing you to them actually but with your graduation and your move here, the timing isn't just right. So?"

"I'd love to meet them."

Seeing Christian's face lit up with joy was priceless for Ana.

"Oh!" She yelled in surprise when he took her in his arms again and kissed her senseless.

:::