All of the characters belong to E.L. James as do parts of their back stories. Some of the quotes belong to Nicholas Sparks due to the fact this is loosely based on The Notebook.
Elena will get what is coming to her.
This chapter will be Christian's POV.
Read and Review, please!
Chapter X
"I'm okay Christian. I had a vest on. Aiden didn't. Grace thought she might have shot too close to my heart but she didn't. I promise I'll explain everything. I just couldn't-"
"Ana."
I breathe out her name and she nods at me and smiles. I run to her and take her in my arms. I'll do whatever I have to do. I'll go along and make Elena think she's dead if that's what she wants as long as I have Ana.
I just didn't know how hard that would be to pull off.
I held her in my arms and all the world felt right. I had my Ana and she was safe. This wasn't going to be easy, it would be very very hard to pull off but I would do it for her. I would do anything for Ana even make a deal with the devil himself which I knew I'd probably have to do if the devil was a woman and her name was Elena Lincoln.
"Ana. What about Aiden?"
I had been so blissfully happy that Ana was alive that I pushed my thoughts of Aiden away. I saw the bandage on Ana's chest when she pulled back and I gently ran my fingertips over it. Ana got hurt. Elena hurt my Ana. She grabs my hand and I make myself look at her eyes and not her bandage.
"I'm okay babe. The second bullet grazed my skin which caused the blood but it didn't go in me. Grace thinks it's somewhere in Escala. I'll be okay Christian." I nod my head. "This wasn't what was supposed to happen though."
What? What did she mean this wasn't supposed to happen? I had thought maybe her and Aiden planned this, perhaps I was wrong. "What do you mean baby?"
She sits on the bed and I sit next to her. I see the tears run down her face and I gently wipe them away with the pad of my thumb. "Aiden wasn't supposed to...He was supposed to help me. I wasn't supposed to do this alone. He didn't have a vest because we both knew one of us needed to bleed to make Elena think she was in control, Aiden decided it would be him because that person according to Grace would have the most risks. He wasn't supposed to tell her to let him bleed out though."
I don't have time to respond because then Ana falls into my chest and her sobs take over. I put my arms around her and try my best to comfort her. Why did Aiden not go through with what he and Ana planned? There had to be a reason. I felt her hands rubbing my back soothingly and it wasn't until I heard the sound of my own sobs that I knew why. Ana and I were both broken over losing our best friend. Elena would pay for this, she would pay for all the hurt she caused me and Ana, she would pay for killing my best friend.
"You're not doing this alone baby. I'll help you. Let me help you Ana."
"It's too risky Christian. It may already be a bust."
She pulls away from me and crosses her legs under her on the bed. "What do you mean a bust?"
"I shouldn't have let you know I'm alive." Those words shock me. She didn't want to let me know. She wanted me to think she was dead. What the hell changed her mind?! "I couldn't do that though. I love you too much and I had to see you one last time."
One last time? No no no. I won't let her do that. I won't let her go.
"You have to Christian. I've always told you that your eyes give you away. If people don't see you as the man who lost his best friend AND his fiancee this will never work. We both need this to work."
Damn this woman can read me like a damn book. I just got her back and I'm losing her again. I feel my heart breaking all over again. The tightening of the chest. The shortening of breath.
"Christian. Baby breathe. Baby look at me."
I feel her put her hands on my cheeks and pull my face up to look into her eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes that can see right through me. I can't live without her. I can't feel like this everyday. I'll go crazy. I'll feel incomplete. Yet just by looking in her eyes the tightening goes away and I can breathe again. My heart still hurts but it's manageable as long as she's here with me.
"Baby listen to me okay? Don't cry. I'll still see you when it's safe to and I'll keep in touch as often as I can. But I'll make it okay for you first. Elena made an enemy with me the day I found out what she did to you but Christian, you weren't the only one. I had proof of her other partners but she took it all back and left me with nothing. She used all those kids for different things and she's using you too Christian. She wants revenge I guess. I don't know."
"What do you mean?" I hear my voice but I hear the distance and coldness in it as well. Maybe if I go back to my old rule of no feelings then it won't hurt so much when she leaves. Oh hell who am I kidding, I can't not feel with Ana. I'm sure it all doesn't go unnoticed by Ana.
"She wants something from you Christian."
"What? I don't have anything she's even shown an interest in."
She sighs and takes her hands away from mine. "She wants GEH. She wants to see it fall to it's knees and go under."
I shake my head. That's not possible. Elena always helped me and encouraged me with GEH, why would she want to see it fall. "That can't be right baby."
"I have only half of the puzzle on that babe. I just don't know why she wants that or who she's working with at GEH."
I watch her get up and go to her desk. She gets something out and hands me the envelope. I open it and find financial records. Damn, this is a record of every company I've bought or sold. Everything is right here. I don't see anything off until I see a few companies that I've never heard of. The other papers are on those companies and they are all associated with...holy hell.
"Esclava. She's using her damn stupid fucking useless beauty salons to bring down my damn company! My empire! She has a fucking mole in MY OWN damn company!"
I'm seething in anger. How could she do this to me. Hell she just admitted that, and I use Ana's words here, in her own fucked up way she loves me. Why would she want to make my company fall?
Then it comes to me. I had a warning. I did this. I set all this in motion the moment I told her I no longer needed her help in starting GEH.
I had been at Harvard for a year now and enough was enough. Elena always showed up unannounced and it was getting on my last damn nerve. I had to end it once and for all. It's been about three weeks since her last visit so she'll probably be waiting in my dorm room when I get there. I finally make my way there and dun dun dun dun she never fails.
"Elena." I greet her coldly as I step inside and shut the door firmly behind me.
"Darling. I've missed you." She smiles at me and I can see what she wants. Too bad she won't be fucking me ever again.
"We need to talk."
"What about dear?"
I cringe as she calls me dear. "I want out. I'm done. No more of this. You, me...we're through. I also won't need your help in starting up my business. I've found another investor."
Damn, her jaw actually drops to the floor. She doesn't speak for a while and it makes me a little nervous. I hate that I can't read the emotions that cross her face. She's like the stone cold ice sculpture that was at the last party my parents threw. Finally the ice queen speaks.
"It's her. I know it is." She whispers the words so I can barely hear them but I think that's what she said. "Listen to me Christian you need me. I can help you excel in not only business but society."
I almost laugh in her face. "I think I'll do just fine in society. I am a Grey after all. Now I have work to do Elena. Goodbye."
I walk to the door and open for her to leave. She gathers up her things and finally walks to the door. She leans in and I can feel her breath on my cheek as she whispers the words in my ear.
"You will regret this decision Christian."
"It's my fault." I look down at Ana and I see what I need to do. I see what I can offer her to help her. "I can still help you though baby. I can get access to anything you need me to concerning GEH and Esclava. No questions asked. Please let me do that. Let me help you."
I watch as she seems to consider my offer. After minutes she nods her head. "Okay. I'll let you do that but I still have other things I need to do. I need to go to Vegas for a while and get something important from there. When I come back I'll text you from a disposable cell and we can meet again."
I kiss her forehead. "Okay. How long do we have tonight?" I haven't wanted to ask the question. I don't even want to know the answer because I know that I'll have to accept it and let her walk out that door not knowing when I'll see her again.
"It's already been 20 minutes and so far no ones called you or come here." She pats my pocket and pulls out both her phone and mine and turns them both off. "I know you don't turn it off but given the circumstances I figured it's okay. But now, we have tonight baby. We have the whole night."
I nod and then cradle her face in my hands. "Then I intend to show you how much I love you and memorize each detail of you Ana baby."
I bring her lips to mine in a slow, sweet, passionate kiss. Neither of us move to deepen it and that's fine. I need this slow. She needs this slow. I let my hands slide down her neck to her chest to her hips and then I pull her against me. She runs her hands to the back of my neck and into my hair. We both deepen the kiss at the same time and our tongues meet each other in a slow sensual dance. I rub gentle circles into her hips and she slowly moves her hands back down to my neck and over my chest. I move one hand to her hair and pull her hair out of her ponytail and it falls down her back. It's still not as long as it used to be but it's grown to where it now falls to the middle of her shoulder blades.
I pull back from her lips and lay her down on the bed. I grab one leg and lay it on my lap. I take off her shoes and socks one by one and throw them on the floor not caring where they land. I then move to her jeans and pull them off again not caring where they land. I repeat this over and over until she is naked and then she kneels on the bed and starts to unbutton my shirt. After she undoes each button she places a sweet kiss on my chest. I can't help the quiet moans that escape my mouth as she does this. It feels so damn good. She gently pushes me down on the bed and takes off each of my shoes and socks. She crawls over me and undoes my pants and pulls them and my boxers down and they join the growing pile of clothes on the floor.
Our lips meet again and our teeth clash together and we pick up where we left off. I'm aware that we are both doing the same thing. We are both letting all the love and passion and need into this one kiss. Our hands run over each other slowly. I memorize each curve of her body. I memorize the softness of her skin. The places that bring her the most pleasure and the places she loves for me to kiss and suck and nip and touch. I memorize her scent, oh she smells so damn good like jasmine and something that is just pure Ana. The feel of her body under mine and on top of mine.
"I love you Ana."
"I love you Christian."
We've rolled around so much that now I'm back on top of her. I take her hands in mine and bring them to rest next to her head as I intertwine our fingers. I can feel my head right at her hot wet folds and I gently push into her. We both groan as I push all the way into her and then I stop. I don't know how long I stay there just inside Ana. I swear I could stay there all day, this is my favorite place, inside my Ana. I love how she feels around my cock, so warm and always ready for me.
I slowly pull back and start to move inside her. We untangle our hands and she puts her arms around my shoulders and presses soft loving kisses to my chest. I groan and put my arms around her back. I kneel on the bed and pull her up with me as she wraps her legs around my waist. She keeps our slow pace as she starts to roll her hips and move. I lay down and she starts to ride me slowly. My fingers tangle in her hair and she presses kisses all over my face. Then my jaw, neck, chest, and stomach.
I can feel my release coming and I can sense hers too. She rolls us back over so she's on bottom again. I kiss her lips, eyes, cheeks, forehead, chin, jaw, neck, chest, each one of her perfectly plump breasts, her perfectly toned stomach and then back to her lips. I start to thrust just a little faster and she meets me in the middle at the same pace.
"I" Thrust. "Love" Thrust. "You" Thrust. "So" Thrust. "Much" Thrust. "I'll wait forever for you Ana." I whisper the last words in her ear as I thrust into her much faster now.
"I" Thrust. "Love" Thrust. "You" Thrust. "Too" Thrust. "It won't be forever Christian." She whispers the words back as I bring her closer and closer to her release.
"ANA!" I yell out when I feel myself let go inside her.
"CHRISTIAN!" She yells as her walls milk me dry and I fall onto her chest.
I roll off of her and pull the covers over us. She snuggles into my chest and I can feel her tears falling as she rubs circles on my chest. I stroke her hair and let my own tears fall. It hits me like a freight train that this will be the last time I hold Ana in my arms for God only knows how long. I start humming to her and she eventually falls asleep on my chest. I kiss her hair and whisper 'Good night baby.'
I don't want to go to sleep yet. I watch the beautiful goddess in my arms and feel the tightening in my chest return. I know I'm tired and my eyes are heavy but I'm fighting it. I don't want to go to sleep because I know when I wake up either A.) she'll be gone or B.) I'll have to watch her leave. I don't know which one would hurt worse but I know I don't want either of them to happen. I eventually let sleep take over and I pull her closer to me hoping that this is all just a bad dream.
I'm in the meadow again. This time it's different. There's a canopy with chairs and tables set up underneath it. About 20 feet away there's more chairs set up in rows and an arch made of red and white roses as the end of an isle. I look down at what I'm wearing and see the black tux. Why am I in a tux? Where am I?
I walk to the arch and stand under it. There are other people around that I recognize, my parents, Elliot and Kate, Mia, Ethan and Tabitha, Jason and Gail, Luke, Ray, Chris, they aren't sitting but they're here and they're all dressed up. I walk to one of the chairs on the first row and sit down. I run my hands through my hair and then I snap my head up when I hear a voice.
"Daddy. You ok?"
I look up and see a little three year old boy walking towards me. I look around and no one else is here, is he calling ME daddy? I open my mouth to talk but nothing comes out. I decide just to nod.
He smiles at me and crawls into my lap. "I wuv you. Mommy wuvs you."
"I..."
I look at his eyes and they look just like Ana's, just as blue and just as beautiful. His hair is just like mine and he looks so innocent and perfect. He picks up my left hand and starts playing with the ring on my ring finger.
"You wuv us too. It time daddy. Time to be gether forever!"
He kisses my cheek and jumps off my lap. I see everyone take their seats and Elliot stands next to me but leaves a space between us. Aiden. Something tells me he's leaving a spot for Aiden. I see the little boy at the end of the isle and he has a little girl on his arm that looks just like Kate and as she throws the flowers he's carrying a different set of rings on a small pillow. Kate and a girl with red hair come down the isle next and take their spots across from Elliot and I. I see Ray take his spot at the end of the isle and then the picture stops. It's like time froze.
I open my eyes as I feel the sunlight coming in through the blinds. Ana. The dream had stopped before I saw Ana. I knew it had to be Ana that would walk down that isle because the boy, my son, our son, had looked just like her. I can't feel her on my chest anymore and the panic starts to set in. I slowly sit up and look around. She's not on the bed and her clothes are gone. She folded mine and left them in a neat pile at the end of the bed. I look over to the lamp and see my phone sitting on the table with a note underneath it. I pick it up and read it with tears threatening to spill out of my eyes.
Christian.
You looked so peaceful I couldn't wake you. I know this won't be easy on either of us but remember what I said last night. It's not forever. I'll miss you so much. I'll text and call when I can.
Stay safe.
Be careful who you trust.
I love you.
X
She doesn't sign the letter but she doesn't need to. There will only be one woman to love me and one woman I love. I get up and get dressed. I know I have to make it look like no one was here so I make the bed and fold the bed back up. Lucky for me the sheets don't keep it from folding up. I tear up the note into little pieces knowing I can't keep it and flush it down the toilet. I leave her office and slowly walk downstairs. I open the door and lock it with the spare key I know she hides outside in a small crack in the sidewalk by the door.
I walk a good distance from the building before I turn on my phone. I check the missed calls and I'm surprised when I see a bunch from Elliot and Mia. I hail a cab that takes me back to Escala. I walk in the front and straight through the lobby. I can feel everyone staring at me but I couldn't give a fuck if the building was in flames.
I lost Ana. She may be alive but she can't be with me. It hurts just the same.
I lost Aiden. I'll never be able to laugh with him again. Never be able to beat his ass at those racing games again.
I push the button for the penthouse and punch in the number. Once the doors open I walk right into the room and stop as I see the living room full. Mom, dad, Elliot, Kate, Mia, Jason, Gail, Luke, Chris...they're all here. None of them move towards me but they all stand when I close the door behind me.
"She's gone. Aiden's gone. Ana..."
I stop talking as I place my hand on the table next to the door and try to keep myself standing. I take a deep breath.
"It's not fair!"
I grasp the table and throw it into the wall. I pick up small various items and throw them at the same wall. After throwing the last thing in my reach I notice why I picked that wall. It's the same one that Ana was shot in front of. I walk over to it and punch it over and over screaming 'no'. I finally collapse against it and feel arms wrap around my shoulders. I lean into Mia as she rocks me back and forth crying with me.
"I need her Mia."
I knew I needed to keep Ana's secret but it would be hard. There would be no need for acting though. I was heartbroken and I'm sure everyone could see it. Only Ana could fix me, just like she did before.
