FSG Belongs To ELJames

Cpov

I flash my eyes at her. Astonished. Why would she says that? About her own grand daughter?

She smiles lightly. "After him. After her divorce, I never thought she would go in that path again. She was broken you see. She didn't eat for days. Didn't talked to anyone. Locked herself. Away from everyone. If it weren't for Alice, she...I don't know," she shakes her head and turns away from the window, "she accepted that job just for Alice, for her treatment. She never would have."

And now comes this determined feeling. Regret. She didn't marry me. I forced her, for my own selfish reason.

"Mrs. Steele..." I begin.

"Anyway," She faces me, shaking her head, as if all those memories were some stupid stuntful days. "She must have told you all this." No. She didn't. "Have a good sleep."

She takes the coffee mug from me and is gone, with a click of the door.

*

The next morning when I enter the kitchen, I see Anastasia setting the breakfast. I walk up to her side.

"Can we talk."

She doesn't replies and scurries around. I wait, repeating the same question again.

This time she looks at me, with an expression of anguish. "You have to leave! Go!"

"Cannot we just talk? Please."

"No!" She slams the plate with a thud in the bar. "And what do you think you are doing?"

I open my mouth and close it. What am I doing, really? "Anastasia, to be precise..."

"No!" She slams the plate again. "Let me be precise! You grunting around the house--"

"Grunting! Me?"

"Yes!" She slams the plate, yet again. If she keeps doing it, it will break. I can even see the cracks coming through. "You are grunting around to be patted on the back by grany and now Alice too. Christ. You are doing nothing but annoying me by your very presence and stocking out the stocks." She groans. "Jesus! The appetite of yours."

"I can stock up-"

"And drown me in debt!"

"Uh...that would be unnecessary..."

"Unnecessary is you lurking around like a expire movie ticket."

"What? Ex-expire..."

"Yes!" She points her finger at me. "An unnecessary movie sequel."

"Hey!" Before I can say anything she gives me a death stare and rushes out.

I sigh and slouch on the kitchen bar stool. That went well.

*

To say the truth, my second day here at Anastasia's haven't gone well. I work and try to talk to her then defeated work again and repeat.

On the fourth afternoon Alice comes to me hopping, "I might have a way for you." And drags me out of the room.

"You sure, this will work?" I ask her again.

"Oh! It will. She loves doing it." He voice is full of excitement, she's absolute this plan won't fail.

"Let me tell you first, I'm not that good in thses things."

"Oh! Don't worry," She waves her hand as if its not a big thing, "you just have to put on these glasses and the computer here does everything."

"And hands." I put in.

"Yep."

I shake my head, already feeling less enthusiastic.

When Alice came to me saying she had and idea. I was quite looking forward to it. Bu this...Even the painting part was nice. But painting in this way is not.

I put on the glasses and see pictures filing over the wall and with a spray start feeling them in. This digital painting is not that difficult.

Alice told me this used be their playroom but after Anastasia moved to Seattle this room has been closed and now its the time open it and live in new moments. Anastasia will love it.

Three hours later we both collapsed onto the couch. Exhausted.

Four different type of spray painting is now breathing around us. Alice was right. This digital painting really looks like 3D.

A big grin overspread her face, she turns to me , "I'll call Siso, you wait here." And she is gone, like a storm.

I don't know when Anastasia came in for when I open my eyes I see her surveying the paintings. I must have dozed off.

Hurrily I surge to my feet and look at her expectantly.

As her eyes falls on me, there is that look again. More of regret. Why? "If you think doing all this is going to make me talk to you..." she steps forward, "...it won't." What? "Look at yourself Christian, you still have this look on your face, to try to convice me to understand you that you cannot confide with me. Then, why would I? No! Leave. Go Mr. Grey. Just leave." And with that she is out, stomping her feet, leaving a shocked me and pleading Alice.

She comes round and hugs me. "I thought it would work."

"Maybe next time." I kiss her forehead and walk out of the room.

Night arrives and I see Anastasia sitting on the porch staring ahead at the empty street with a candle. Quite flimsy. I think of approaching her but decide otherwise. She heaves a sigh and blows the candle and walks inside.

*

The next morning, I am awaken by the sound of Alice coming from the living room. For like fifteen minutes till I clean up the house is quiet. And then, Alice's voice.

"Leave, then!!"

Worried I run in the living room and see Alice hovering over a blank Anastasia on the couch and Mrs. Steele standing in the middle of the room.

"Thats what you do. Don t you?" Alice says, "You left, when I needed you, after Mom and Dad died. You left when I was ill. And you are leaving again. Stop being so selfish!! Why its either him or you? You know what? Leave! But He stays!"

Anastasia stares at her sister. Speechless.

"Alice, I did that..."

"No! You know what? You deserved that. Ed is good person. Ed left you!! You bloody deserved that." Alice looks she might hit Anastaisa but with tears rolling down her eyes she runs out.

I try go after her but the horror on Anastasia's face stops me. She stands, a tears floor down and she almost drops to her knees, I rush and help her up.

I hold her to me while she sobs.

"Ana..." I breath.

"I-I-I..." Stutters. "He-he-e di-dddin't... I-I-I ll-e-eft him." She breaks against my arms. Her cry echoing in my ears.

"Anastasia...okay. I'm here." I kiss her forhead. "Its okay. Look at me."

I take her face in mine and will her meet my eyes.

"Its okay. Shhhh. Its okay."

"Nnn-nnoo-oo i-itt-its nnn-not. Sh-she..."

"I will talk to her. She will understand."

"Y-you www-ii-iill?"

"Yes. Yes." I hold her to me. Tight. Her cries decomposing against me. Slowly.

Her sobs. The shaking of her body tears me down. And in this moment. I want to tell her everything. Even if she would understand or not and take her away. With me. And fill her with the tiny bit of happiness I could find in the entire universe. Flimsy? I know.

*

Mrs. Steele and me and have put Anastasia in bed. Alice has locked herself in her bedroom. She says, she will be fine.

Mrs. Steele places a cup of coffee before me and settles beside by the fire.

"And I can see now that Alice had crossed her limits." She says. "Again."

I look a her. Perplexed. "Again?"

"They love each other, Yes. But there are some disagreements. Always has been. They just don't bring it out frequently."

I trace the edge of the coffee mug and wonder. "Why would she say Ed left Anastasia while Ana says the otherwise."

She gives me a look and as if a recognition hitting, her eyes widens. "You don't know that much, I gather."

I fidget with the handle of the cup. "I-I..."

"Ani didn't tell everything to Ali." She suddenly begins. "Ali was young and now she thinks this lie is better than the whole truth even if... she will be the one getting hurt."

"But...why not the whole truth."

She sighs and shakes her head. "Its really complicating. After their parents died, the reason behind their death kind of branded, specially on Ani. Ani attended the Uni in Aspull when she met Ed. Fell in love and got married. His mother was a stick." She chuckes softly. Just like my father is a stick. "But what can one do over her kids happiness. When she found out about Ani's parents, everything started breaking, she asked Ed to leave Anastasia. The strain was so much, Ed fell out. He would return home late and won't talk to her. That boy was stuck between her mother and her depressed wife. He did something he shouldn't have..." she pauses,"...one night he returned home extremely late with a women...in the morning he confessed he had cheated on her. Ana was already so torn, she broke then. She left him. Even though she was sure of his loyalty, there was nothing left. She had leave."

I didn't realise I was holding the cup so tight till the hard edge fleshed me. He cheated on her and Ana, she had to go through so much.

Mrs. Steele gets off the couch and stands in front of the window staring out in yhe obscurity. "She thinks of herself as if she is cursed. Not by an entity but her own mother. Her father as well cheated on her mother." I release the cup and it landed with a spalsh cluttering over the floorboard. "Sorry."

She walks around the couch and and opens a drawer. "Its funny how life works. Though like her mother, she is not the one to endure." Before she can stoop down I take the cloth from her and start cleaning of my mess while Mrs. Steele hovers over.

When I'm done. She smiles at me and bids me goodnight and walks out.

All those thoughts and Mrs. Steeles story whirling around my head I knock on Alice's bedroom door. "Hey its me." I have to talk to her.

A click and door opens. Like a flash she's on the bed facing over the wall of Thor.

I settle myself on the edge of the bed.

"Hey. Can we talk."

She clears her throat but doesn't says anything.

I continue. "I'll take that as a yes. I really don't know about your parents. Anastasia didn't told me..."

Cutting me off she mutters. "They took their own life."

I suck on my breath. Then release it. I always thought its only me. But its them, with much more.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Its not your fault." She grumbles. "Although, I don't know why they did it. And I don't care. They left. Just like Ana keeps doing."

I bend over and put my hands on my knees. "Your sister must have some reasons to that." She scoffs surely absolute of herself on her justification of Anastasia, I continue. "She doesn't tells you everything. Doesn't confide in you. I guess, I'm no different than her. I do not confide with her, either."

"Thats the point." She jumps over her and sits facing me. "She as well doesn't confides and is blaming you because you won't do the same. If she has reasons. You do as well." She looks slightly vexed.

Its the point where to go against her sister she is willing to see other reasonings.

I surge to my feet and stare out of the window into dark misty night. I don't know what can I say to make her believe in her sister, might begin what grandmother always says. "We don't acknowledge what we have now but want what we can never have. And Anastasia, well, you might not know, she must have done and is doing so much for you." I stroke her hair." Good night, Ali." I leave her, this time, contemplating, my words, and call Taylor.

"Yes, Mr. Grey?"

"Find more about Anastasia."

There is silence on the other side. "What is it Taylor?"

"Mr. Grey, sir, don't you think, doing this again, might irk some nerves in Mrs. Grey."

This clever Man!!

I groan. "I know Taylor. But still...just do it."

"As you say."

Click.

*

I assure you in next chapter there will be more to this perplexing story.

Thank you For Reading.

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Beverly(Terrible Writer)