I watch Kate as she turns away from me and heads toward the kitchen. She turns almost laughing.
"God Ana, is he really that good in bed you've forgotten? You know your boyfriend Christian Grey, tall, dark and oh so handsome millionaire magician." What the hell is Kate on about?
Christian who? My boyfriend. I don't even have a boyfriend. I work at the diner part time, There is no millionaire magician boyfriend.
"Kate, how much did you have to drink last night?" I ask as Kate looks over me from the counter.
"Sweetie, I dropped your dad off at his hotel and then picked up some things for work, I decided to sort it out at the office and give you and Christian some time together, as I didn't want to hear a repeat of the other morning. Another thing, who broke the lamp?" She asks her gaze on the glass on the floor where there is a knocked over lamp. As Kate moves back round with the dustpan and brush I try and think back to last night.
I remember my father and Kate being here and us all talking, then I think there was a knock on the door. My mind throws me an image of the lamp falling over to the floor, but I don't know if I knocked it over. My mind feels like a mixed up mess, like the mother of all hangovers without any of the pain.
Did I drink last night? I look around, but there are no glasses anywhere. Why can't I remember anything? Worry strikes deep inside of me. My voice trembles as I speak.
"Kate I don't remember." I whimper. Kate is crouched down on the floor scooping up the glass using the dustpan and brush. She turns to me, she must see how upset I am and quickly moves over.
"Sweetie it's okay it's just a lamp. We can get a new one." She tells me. I shake my head.
"Kate the lamp, this guy Christian Gwen, I don't remember any of it." I cry out. Kate stares at me for a minute. She must think I'm joking. Her face changes, maybe it's the worry in my eyes and then Kate's arms are around me. Her hand strokes against my hair.
"Don't worry Ana it's all going to be okay, and It's Grey, not Gwen." She offers to me, but her words don't sound believable as I cry into her shoulder and hug her back tightly.
The second I stop crying into her shoulder everything seems to go crazy as Kate dives into action grabbing a few things and then dragging me out to her car. She tells me to get in and buckle up. I do as she says as I've never seen Kate act like this before. Kate jumps in and starts the car as the gate is already opening. She races the car up the ramp and barely makes it out as the gate is not fully open. Without thinking I grab hold of both handles and hold on.
Kate goes in overdrive mode as she is racing towards the hospital in her BMW. I'm sitting in the passenger seat scrambling my brain as to what has happened to bring about my sudden memory loss. There seem to be patches in my memory that have just disappeared like last night. I chatted with dad and Kate and then nothing for the rest of the night. It's so confusing, I look out the window and see the roads whipping by us. Kate really has got her foot down on the gas.
I have never been this fast before in my life. My brain flashes a split second image of what looked like a motorbike. That's odd I have never been on one before. I'm so caught up it takes me a bit to realize that Kate is talking. What did she even just say? I look over to Kate and see her on her phone.
"Yeah, Ray, I'm taking her the hospital now." Why is she talking to my dad? "I'm driving. She can't remember all of last night. Okay. Yes, I will. Right bye." Kate puts her phone on the dashboard and drives faster.
"What did dad say?" I ask softly.
"He's going to meet us at the hospital after he calls your mom." I turn and look out the window again. My mom is going to throw a fit when she hears about this. I'm sure dad is already worried sick.
"So you really don't remember anything?" Kate's voice is full of concern as I shake my head.
"No, I do remember some things like the diner blowing up. How I got out, though, it's gone." My brain shows me running out with Heather and then a blast in the kitchen then nothing. It's like something has deleted crucial points in my mind.
Kate slams the car on hard as the light turns red. We both lurch forward as the brakes lock in hard. We stop just after the line at our belts snap us back into our seats. I'm so grateful that we are in Kate's car I don't think mine would have been able to stop in time. I look back at Kate who seems to be holding on, just. Her knuckles are white on the steering wheel. She's terrified for me and she can't hide it. I know her too well. It's my own memories that I don't. I reach out and grip her arm for comfort. She smiles back at me. I know it's a forced smile, but it makes me feel better all the same.
I look away and gaze out the window to see an advertisement on the bus next to us. It shows a handsome man in a black suit. His grey-eyed gaze pirece right into me, his messy brown hair looks so soft and he holds a deck of cards fanned out. When I pull my gaze from his face I read the writing. A massive banner is across the poster covering his name. It reads Sold out. Then below, there are the words world's greatest magician live book your tickets now. Kate looks straight at me.
"It's going to be alright Ana." She says but she is convincing no one.
"Kate, I'm scared." I look to her for support.
"I'm scared too sweetie." She replies as the lights change, her foot hits the pedal.
At the hospital, I'm seen to within minutes as they tell me to change into a robe and then take me down for some head scans. I'm seen by more than four different doctors as they throw around words I can't even begin to understand. I wish they would just speak English and tell me what the hell has happened to me. As far as I have been able to make out the scans have not shown anything wrong with me, which is why I'm getting passed from one doctor to another as they try to work out the cause of this. I've had this now for the last four hours, taken from one room to another for testing.
They finally allow me to rest in one of the rooms and straight away Kate and my dad come in. My dad is at my side straight away as Kate walks around to the other side of me.
"How are you feeling baby girl?" My dad asks as he takes hold of my hand.
"I'm okay dad. Really it's just some things aren't there." I mumble.
"I'm going to do whatever I can, pay whatever it takes to make sure you're okay." I hear it in my dad's voice, he's worried about me.
I look from him over to Kate as she is smiling down at me. It's a reassuring smile for all of us. I'm glad Kate and my dad have always been good friends. She's the only one that calls him Mr. B. Short for Ray his first name. She made it up in college and he liked it so it stuck.
"So has anything come back to you yet?" Kate asks. I look over at Kate shaking my head and see the wheels in her mind are turning.
"Can you remember yesterday morning?" I try to think, but there is nothing there. I can't even remember if I woke up in my own bed.
"No, I don't remember," I say upset.
"You spent the night at Christian's and came home this morning. He got you a laptop remember that?" Kate presses the question.
I look over at my dad and he smiles down at me. Even after he heard I stayed at Christian's. I wonder if I have slept with him yet? Wait I don't even know him.
"No, sorry Kate," I mutter.
"What about our trip to San Francisco to see Christian?" I think back. I remember me and Kate in the hotel room getting dressed up for something, but I can't think what.
"I remember the hotel room," I reply.
"Do you remember Jose?" She asks. I see him grabbing me trying to kiss me and then nothing.
"Yeah, but not how I got away." I feel so confused as Kate keeps going.
"What bar did we go to a while ago?" She says.
"Dark bar," I reply pleased with myself.
"Who was on that night?" She asks me waiting on my reply.
"Some comedians and a guitarist," I say remembering the night.
"Anyone else like say a magician?" She seems hopeful with her question.
"No, just those dull comedians." Her eyes light up like she has figured something out. "Hold on I'll be right back." With that Kate races out into the hallway and out of sight. My dad leans into me.
"Maybe you should come home for a while to rest. I know me and your mom will both feel better." He offers sweetly. I look up into my father eyes.
"Dad, really it's okay. I'm fine. Maybe I will, just not right now." I say. My dad nods his head and squeezes my hand.
Kate comes back into my room with two doctors in tow and informs the doctors about what memories are missing and they are surprised that they are all linked to one man. The doctors, however, have no idea what is wrong with me as they explain they can't find any damage. They were concerned about maybe a blow to the head during the explosion, that Kate filled them in on but there was nothing. They recommend plenty of rest and relaxation. So I'm discharged. I take my personal effects back off them slipping them into my bag.
(Well my last chapter seemed to spark some reviews. What has Christian done to poor Ana? Why has Christian done this to Ana? I loved hearing your ideas as to why he has done what he did. Will Christian be able to stay out of Ana's life and away from her? Will Kate drag him back to Ana? Please let me know your thoughts in the reviews and the next update will follow shortly. Please do follow and favourite this story. Thank you. SJamesW.)