Chapter 11

Taylor POV

I laugh out loud as I read the text that the boss sent telling me I wasn't fired. He hasn't moved from the piano all day. I have been checking on him through the monitors. I know sooner or later I am going to be summoned. I can tell he read the letter. He hasn't been this pensive for a very long time.

"Jason, I need to see you in my study." I knew it. The shit is going to hit the fan now. Wait, he called me Jason. He only does that when he wants an honest conversation. I call it his 'friend mode'. Maybe this won't be that bad.

Walking into his study, he is standing at the window with a cup of coffee in his hand. When he turns around I almost gasp. He looks like he is totally lost. Besides the fact that he hasn't slept, he is unshaven and his hair is more unkempt than usual. My guess is that he has pulling at it all day. I have seen him like this two other times, the day Ana left him, and the day he left Ana. This is not good. I can't even call Flynn to help. I'm on my own here.

"Jason, sit, pour a cup of coffee, I have a few things to ask you." Oh, shit. Here we go. I would rather face a man holding a gun on me that Christian Grey like this. At least I know how to handle a gun wielding man. I do as he asks and wait for him to speak.

"I want, no, that's not right, I need you to tell me what you know about the letter Linda wrote to Ana." Oh, boy, I'm not sure how this is going to go over.

"Sir, may I speak freely?" "God damn it Jason, this is personal not business now speak." Oh, okay, CEO Grey is still here. That is a good sign. So I begin to tell him the story.

Several days before Linda passed away she called me into her room. She was so frail, and I could tell she was fading fast. She asked me to sit down. She had a favor to ask of me. She told me she wrote a letter to Christian that she wanted me to give to him after the funeral. She also wrote a letter to Ana to be delivered at the same time. I must have had a look of puzzlement on my face, because before I could ask, she started to explain. She knew how much in love Christian was with Ana. None of her prodding could get him to budge on making the move to make it right with Ana. She felt this was her last chance. She thought that if I gave them the letters at the same time, in the same place, it would be the push Christian needed. She felt that Christian wouldn't be able to not know what she had said to Ana. It was also her way to make sure that Christian and Ana could not keep the letters a secret from each other. She really believed it would be the catalyst to start a conversation between them. (I had my doubts on that, but kept quiet. She really did believe in the fairy tale happy ending.) She gave me the sealed envelopes and made me promise that I would do this favor for her. I couldn't deny a dying woman's wish, so I agreed to do this for her. I didn't know what she wrote to each of them and I didn't want to know.

When I finished telling him this, there was nothing but silence. Then I heard a whispered "damn her". Sometimes, with Christian it is easier to be with him when he is pacing and throwing things. Christian and silence scares me.

When he speaks again, his voice is almost like that of a child asking permission from a parent. "Jason, would you please call Flynn and ask him if he would see me, again." "Of course Sir, I'll get on that right away." I quickly leave his office.

Once I am back in my office I give a huge fist pump. Fuck a duck. Finally! I have Flynn on speed dial. "Flynn, Taylor. He is finally ready. Yes, I will tell him. I think you coming here would be a wise move. I will tell him in the morning that you will here at noon. Agreed, we don't want him to think that he can just call and you will be there. Making him wait is good. See you tomorrow."

Over the years I have kept in touch with Flynn. When I have been at my wits end with the boss, Flynn always helped me put things in perspective and he had some great tips for helping me to help the boss. Flynn knew the boss would be back, guess neither one of us thought it would take this long. I am beginning to think that Linda did know what she was doing with those letters.

Christian POV

Taylor just left my study. I asked him to call Flynn. I need help. No, I am ready for help.

When Jason was finished telling about the letters and why Linda did what she did, I saw just how broken I was. She made sure I didn't keep a secret about the letter. I really don't know what she said to Ana, maybe one day I will find out. But she made damn sure I knew Ana got a letter and Ana knew I got one. I don't take advice from anyone, well except my staff, when it concerns business, but outside of that, I am my own man. Well I just got knocked down a peg or two today. Ana tried, Linda tried, my family tried, shit, just about everyone tried and I just refused to listen to anyone.

I am one helluva good CEO. It is time I became one helluva good person. I can't fix anything until I fix myself. I hope Flynn will see me. I trust him. Hell, he made me see I could love. If anyone can help me fix myself it is him.

Sawyer POV

Coming back from dinner at Hannah's Ana is very quiet. I worry when she becomes quiet for too long. That usually means she is crawling inside of herself and will shut down. She was fine at dinner. She never said anything about the letter. She told Hannah about yesterday and seeing Christian, but nothing about what I call 'the mission'. When we were leaving she told Hannah she would see her at work on Monday.

"Luke, tell me what you know about that fiasco at the restaurant yesterday." Well, so much for her being quiet for too long.

"Ana, T told me had to do a favor for someone and that it involved you and Christian. He said he was going to do it at the restaurant."

"Luke Sawyer, stop the bullshit, now spill it all, right now! I know you and Taylor are friends and hang-out together. I know you know more about yesterday than what you just told me, so just spit it out." Damn she has this uncanny knack of being able to see right through me. I could try pulling the confidential card out of the hat, but I don't think that would fly in the mood she is in right now.

"Luke, I am waiting." Guess I better start talking or else I might just get fired for real.

"Linda asked Taylor to do her a favor. She wrote letters to Christian and you. She wanted Taylor to give them to you both at the same time. She reasoned that then you both would know about each other's letter. Taylor wouldn't deny her dying wish. So, when he knew you were attending, he made his plan to do it at the restaurant. He didn't know if either of you would come willingly, so he made it sound like there was a threat, and well, you know the rest." That is all I really know. Taylor never told me the whole story, just what he needed to do.

"Thank you Luke. I appreciate your honesty." Again we are back to silence. Thank god we are almost home.

Ana POV

I knew Luke would tell me about yesterday. I just had to call him out. I know he feels like he is betraying Taylor. But I need answers. I can't make good decisions without all the facts. I need to figure out what is happening, who am I kidding, now I need find out what really happened 5 years ago.

It seems all the answers lie with Christian. Perhaps the 'great letter swap' was her way to make sure that Christian finally came forward with the truth. Isn't that a novel idea, Christian and the truth. Oh, wait, he doesn't lie, he just omits. Him and his semantics! Well at least with her letter I have some ammunition if he does contact me.

I just hope he is ready for what he finds. I am not the same Ana he knew. Sorry won't get him past the threshold. He better have a whole lot more to say than that. Guess I am leaning towards hearing him out, if and when he decides to come forward.