Chapter 10 : Bruises

Author's note!

My thanks go out to Jaxfan. Like, this chick always helps me get my trilogy time line ironed out. I have to be honest that I don't have the books in hard copy. So everybody say thanks (':

"Let me see!" I whined, following many repeated attempts to get Ethan to show me the damage Christian had inflicted.

Stubbornly, he sat on his side of the bed, shaking his head. Thanks to my smart mouth, I had exploded Christian whom wreaked havoc throughout Steve's apartment. Even though Steve claimed to be perfectly alright with everything that had just went down, I felt that he regretted having me over.

Surely staying up past midnight only to witness a fight and then having to shun everybody out was not what anybody would want to do. I would be gravely irritated if I were Steve, but yet, he had reassured me before hustling me back into the bedroom with Ethan.

"Come on, Ethan." I groaned, sitting on my legs to try and lean closer to him. "At least let me try and soothe it."

"It's nothing, Ana." He grumbled back, "I'm turning off the lights now."

No! Immediately, I pounced at him to prevent him from reaching the switch. However, Ethan mysteriously sensed it and spun at the right moment, his palms finding my shoulder blades. He pinned me down against the mattress with a smirk on his face, "Gotcha."

I took the time to study his injury. Strangely, all the bruising and redness was concentrated on his right jaw. He had definitely taken a heated pounding, the bruises an array of colours ranging from red to green to purple and blue. There were even observable lines at certain areas, an indication of Christian's strong fist.

Flinching, I wondered how Christian had managed to beat him up that badly in such a short moment. It had only taken barely a second for Taylor and Sawyer to drag Christian off Ethan and out of the apartment.

His blue eyes tinted with annoyance, "It's nothing, Ana."

"It's not nothing." I insisted, sadness colouring my tone. "I'm really sorry."

Ethan smiled a genuine smile and shrugged, "Well, apology accepted."

"Can I press a warm towel against it? I think it'd help." I suggested.

Considering it for a brief moment, Ethan shook his head once again. Oh, the stubbornness of Ethan Kavanagh could rival his sister's. It must run in their blood line.

Then, something shifted in his expression. His breathing became heavier, his palms releasing me only to press against the sides of the mattress by me. "Ana," he sounded sexily husky. "I didn't..."

I waited patiently for a response, watching the soldiers within him battle it out. There was a war playing out in his beautiful blue eyes. Then, a side won.

He cleared his throat. "Ana, I didn't want to complicate things earlier."

"Complicate?" I pressed. Was that why he had not struck Christian back?

A flush of colour dashed his cheeks and he glanced at me nervously. "With Grey."

Since when was Ethan one to blush? "Grey?"

"Yeah, I felt that there was already too much going on between the both of you." He started. "And your thoughts must be in a mess."

I nodded, Christian really was my undoing.

" I didn't want to step into the picture to further.. Complicate things." He almost choked on his words.

"Step into?" Honestly, I knew he was trying to get at something, but I just could not figure out what.

Realizing my utter blur nature, Ethan pursed his lips. Suddenly, he bent down and pressed them against mine. I was taken back to today's recent events. They were soft against my forehead and now, they were phenomenal against my lips.

But yet, I could not help compare them to Christian's set. The first time he has planted one one me had been mind blowing, igniting all desire I had never knew existed within me.

So this was what Ethan was referring to! Not the clash between Christian and himself.

Ethan was kissing me. I felt his lips part and followed suit, the warmth passing through us, sharing. It was a comfortable kiss, his style accommodating and giving, barely leading. This was different to me.

One of his hands cupped my right cheek as he deepened the kiss. He pressed his chest to mine and I felt his legs shuffle to come between mine. It sent a warm tingling sensation through my body.

His tongue entered my mouth, as if asking permission. In response, I met his with mine. A wave of pleasure swept through Ethan and I felt him shudder against me as he caressed my tongue with his own.

It was unlike Christian's active intrusion, setting off an instant combustion. Ethan was gentle and soft, slow and passive, a fire slowly starting in my body. It was like a mother waking her child, giving him time to adjust and respond to her touch. This was refreshing.

Lust taking over, my legs parted on their own and Ethan sank. Then, something scorching warm and rock hard bumped against my groin. I flinched. Immediately, Ethan fell back to his side of the bed and turned the light off.

Our moment was over.

I lay there panting, gasping to recover from the situation. Ethan had just kissed me. Deeply. "What was that?" I asked breathlessly.

It took a long time before he responded. "Something I've been wanting to do."

Ethan likes you? My inner goddess gasped. Just like Christian said he did!

"So earlier... With the forehead?"

"I didn't want to mess with your feelings," He explained as we both stared into darkness. "I didn't want you to feel like I was an alternative until I could offer you a steady life."

"A steady life?" I repeated his words, not comprehending. So I had not imagined that mere brush against my lips ahead, he did want to kiss me.

He chortled a strangled laugh. "Well, lets not lie to ourselves." I heard him get under the covers. "Grey has set the bar high."

"It's not money I want." I assured him, proceeding to dive under the blanket too.

"I know, Ana." I felt his arm reach out for me and pull me in. "But even now, I'm physically unstable. I don't have a fixed place to stay."

My apartment came to mind. "You can stay at Kate's apartment." Because I sure was not.

"Ana, I need to go back and handle some cough ups for my Psych course."

"When?" My voice was shaky, I had never imagined facing any of this without Ethan.

I heard him hesitate. "But given the situation, I wonder if its better I remain with you."

Selfishhhhhh, my inner goddess sang.

"No." I whispered. "I'll have to handle it." I swallow.

"With the paparazzi and all, Ana." He was safely coursing around Christian's name. "How will I know that you'll be safe?"

Never before would I have foresaw myself faced with the problems I was now having. The paparazzi had never seemed to be a problem, though, I was vaguely aware of how ferocious they really were.

Maybe I would be able to fight them off after a while, but I knew it was only a matter of time until I cracked. They were after Christian's secrets and I had signed an NDA. Neither did I want to return to either of my parents' place, it would be like bringing the curse to them.

Somehow, I had a feeling it was all about to get worse. Much worse. A person of Christian Grey's calibre, an almighty pillar of the nation, would definitely call for huge media coverages. Everybody wanted a piece of Mr Grey, to get their hands on scandal-worthy material.

There was only one way out of this. Even if I did not like it one bit, I had to accept his protection, I had to learn how to handle the oncoming reporters from the man himself. If I failed to do so, I would never be able to get back to work. Jack Hyde was probably about to hand me a pink slip.

"Don't worry about it, Ethan." I attempted to be convincing. "I'll have Christian." Turning my head, I planted one under his jaw.

Ethan stiffened.

"I'm really sorry about Christian." I mumbled, settling back into the crook between his chest and arm.

He kissed the back of my head," He deserves you more than I do."

"Why?" I growled. "He cheated on me. You didn't!"

"Yeah, but he saw what he wanted and had the courage to reach out and grab it." There was a colour of admiration in his voice.

What Christian Grey wants, what Christian Grey gets.

He sighed. "I on the other hand, kept thinking if I wanted to pursue you. And to be honest, I'm still not sure."

So there it was. The key flaw that separated Christian from Ethan. Christian was hardly, if not never, uncertain. He was decisive. Ethan just admitted to having second thoughts about his feelings for me.

If only life would be simple. Kate, Ethan and I would be as close as a family. I would marry my best friend's brother and lead the happiest life I could ever have.

But life was not simple. I had met the CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings and my life was like a roller coaster. There was hardly any future with Ethan to explore, because I had fallen in love with Mr Christian Grey.

There was still something I did not get. "Why were you convincing me to forgive him, earlier?"

Ethan sighed, "Elliott."

Elliott? What had he done?

"He spent eons persuading me to see Christian's side, kept telling me how broken he was after you left."

"How broken?" I whispered, recalling Christian's disheveled appearance earlier today.

"Like drunkard breaking furniture broken." Ethan was firm serious.

Oh hell. He destroyed Escala?

"And then that younger sister?"

"Mia?" I pitched in.

"Yeah. After she was done with me, I felt like I was completely won over by the Greys."

I let out an uncanny laugh. "She does have that effect on people."

"Yeah." He chuckled back. "Something about those gorgeous eyes of hers."

"So... Mia huh?" I teased him.

"Only you, Ana." Ethan coiled his arm around my waist. "Would tease me about another girl after I've just confessed."

I gave it a thought. Defensively, I groaned. "It's late and my brain's malfunctioning."

"Alright, another time." He repeated my words. "Goodnight, Ana."