The following song by Camilo Sesto has been my source of inspiration for the last few chapters. Unlike the previous songs by him, the following translation is mine. I didn't like the translation I found online, so I tried making it a little better, however I still think it falls short. I chose this song because I believe this song perfectly captures the beauty of the lovemaking between A & C ;)
This is an excerpt by Camilo Sesto in a live performance in 1977:
"So that these kinds of things don't happen, it is very important that every moment you are with your beloved, you give everything you have to give. It is very important that every moment you spend together you give your love. And it is for this reason that I would like to give you my good love."
(Para que no sucedan este tipo de cosas, es importante en todo momento entregarle todo de lo que ti nazca al ser amado. Es importante en todo momento entregar tu buen amor, y por es eso que a mi me gustaria entregarle a ustedes mi buen amor.)
Mi Buen Amor ( My Good Love)
De espaldas al mundo
De cara al amor
desafiando al peligro
Entre beso y beso
Una hiedra de amor
Nos abraza hasta unirnos
viviendo momentos
que no puedo explicar
bellos momentos
como el verbo amar
Deseada ternura
Deseada locura
de juegos probihidos
desatando placeres
descubriendo como eres a solas conmigo
estrechamente enlazados
y llenos de paz
Sintiendo por dentro
una luz interior
que solo tu me das
Mi buen amor, Mi buen amor
del mundo yo me rio
por hacer tu cuerpo mio
vale la pena vivir
Mi buen amor, mi buen amor
por alguien como tu
vale la pena vivir
TRANSLATION (SOME OF THE FEELING IS SADLY LOST IN TRANSLATION, ):
With our backs against the world
face to face
Defying danger
Between kisses
A love ivy
joins us, brings us together,
making us live moments
I can't explain
Beautiful moments
that are already eternal
like the verb love
My desired tenderness
desired madness
of forbidden games
teasing me, calling me to
discover how you are
when you're alone with me
tightly intertwined
and filled with peace
feeling inside an internal light
that only you can give
my good love, my good love
Oh, how I laugh at the world
every time I make you mine
because it makes life worth living
my good love, my good love
with someone like you
life is worth living
Chapter twenty-four
Christian didn't like how she became suddenly quiet, and then without another word, crawled out of bed and jumped in the shower. After a few minutes of quiet reflection, he went into the bathroom down the hall and showered. Boy, it sure seemed like he'd messed up again. The question was, what he could he do now to redeem himself?
By the time he came out of the shower, he had a specific plan. Clad in a towel around his waist, he first went into the guest bedroom to get some clothes and then strolled into the master, planning on getting dressed there. After last night, it was only logical that he move his stuff back here. In his mind, their lovemaking had sealed the deal; there was no reason for them to sleep apart from this point forward.
As he made his way across the hallway, he caught a whiff of something cooking. So just like Ana to be in the kitchen already fixing dinner. She was spoiling him rotten with all these home-cooked meals she loved to cook. He'd never be able to make it without her now.
"We're out of rice," Ana said apologetically, as she motioned to the table.
Christian followed her gaze. There were two hot plates on their table: black beans and stew and a green salad on the side.
"That's okay, we can live without the extra carbs," he joked.
Ana sighed. "To me, beans and rice go together..." she trailed off. Like love and marriage, she finished the sentence in her head.
"This is fantastic," he said digging in. "I don't think I tell you this often enough. You're the best cook ever...although don't repeat it to my mother if you want to get on her good graces."
Ana smiled a little at that. Yes, the comment reminded her that in two more weeks and she will get to meet his parents when they came to visit for Thanksgiving. She was a bit familiar with the dishes that went with a traditional Thanksgiving meal and was looking forward to trying her hand at them. She had hoped to do most of the cooking, with Mia's help, of course. She sighed inwardly, hoping they would hear from her soon.
"Ana," he said half-way through their meal, "I hope you're not angry at me."
"I'm not," she replied, not meeting his gaze.
They finished their meal mostly in silence. Christian looked at his watch. "It's getting a little late. Are you ready to go?"
Ana raised her brows. "Go? Go where?"
"I thought you said you wanted to go to the grocery shopping."
"Hmm. Yeah."
"Okay, well, let's go. We don't want to be out too late."
….
Ana slid on a long sleeve top and her best pair of jeans. Christian came into the bedroom when she was applying her makeup. She quickly finished up and grabbed a thin cardigan from her closet.
"It's snowing, you're gonna need something warmer," he observed.
"This is all I have. The coat I wore last night was Mia's."
Christian could almost kick himself for not thinking of getting her proper winter attire. "Okay, let's get going," he said suddenly in a big hurry. On their way out the door, he grabbed a long wool coat out the coat closet and wrapped it around her, buttoned it, raised the collar. "It's a little big on you, but it will do." He then stood behind her, held her with his face against her ear, as if trying to warm her.
Almost against her will, her body melted into his, her heart beating wildly. Why was it, that even the lightest of touches could wipe her ability to think, let alone resist him? She'd become the bewildered protagonist of one of those late Victorian Harlequin novels she used to read, she'd become HIS CAPTIVE. Her mind shifted into high gear, coming up with new titles for the story of her life with Christian.
Las Cadenas del Destino
La Amante Encadenada
La Pobre Esclava Encadenada
Yes, the titles were hopelessly dramatic but perfectly expressed how she felt. She tried coming up with an English translation, but her mind was momentarily stuck in Spanish, the language of love and romance.
She turned around, half-expecting him to sweep her into a passionate kiss, but instead found him ushering her out the door.
...
"You're so quiet tonight," he observed as he drove and she said nothing, distracted looking out the window.
"Why are we here?" She asked as he pulled into the Toyota dealer parking lot. He smiled and cut the engine.
"We're here to get you a car."
"Wh-what?"
He reached for her hand. "Ana, I don't want you to feel like you're imprisoned, I want you to have the freedom to go wherever you want. Once you get your driver's license, you won't have to wait for me to go shopping."
Ana's astonished gaze shifted to the building and to the wide field of cars. "You want to buy me a car tonight?"
"Unless you don't want me to?" He really hoped she would say yes. He really wanted to beat Raymond Steele to the punch; he wanted to be the one giving Ana her first car.
She was too stunned to immediately respond. She took a few moments to really think about this."But how will this work?"
"What do you mean?"
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't know when I can pay you back...I don't have any money and my father's money is not my money."
He shook his head, biting back a smile. "You don't have to pay me back. You're my wife," he coolly stated and she held her breath in suspense.
My wife? You mean your fake wife?
"It's just that..." she protested, trailing off.
"What is it?" He asked and she nearly forgot to breathe, very much aware that he was still holding her hand.
"You don't have to get me a car, Christian...we both know our arrangement is temporary," she mumbled, looking away.
"Hey," he gave her hand a firm squeeze. "Don't say that. Everything has changed now."
"What do you mean? She cocked her head, meeting his gaze. "In what way?"
Christian found himself caught between a rock and a hard place. His feelings for Ana were complicated. All he knew is that he didn't want THIS to end.
"We're in a relationship now," he said simply. "Look, like I said before, I don't know exactly what a relationship is supposed to look like...all I know is that I've never had THIS. I've never had what I have with you," he tenderly lifted her chin and held gaze. "I want you more than I'd ever wanted any other woman...and for some reason, I can't seem to get enough of you."
She sighed deeply and he kissed the tip of her nose and then her cheek. "You are mine now," he said against her mouth, "you should know better than to question this, Muchacha linda," he murmured giving her a short kiss that left her breathless. "There's a term en Espanol...what is it?" he paused. He teased her by giving her another short kiss before pulling away. "Tu te entregaste a mi, recuerdas?"
She sighed again and he enjoyed the sudden flush in her cheeks. Yes, she had given herself to him, heart, body, and soul. It certainly sounded more romantic in Spanish. Now that she'd surrendered herself to him, she was His Willing Captive. Dios, she was such a hopeless romantic. All he had to do was whisper a few romantic nothings in her ear and she would do anything he wanted, no doubt about that.
"As much as I would love to kiss you again, we got to go inside before they close," he said holding her gaze, sending a warm rush between her legs.
Oh, Dios, here she was, wanting him again less than two hours after their last event. One kiss, that was all it would take for him to have her flat on her back right here in the seat of his car, with her legs spread apart for him.
….
"So what do you think?" Christian asked while Ana sat in the driver seat of a silver 2018 Lexus Rx, sliding into the passenger seat. By the time they arrived at the car dealership, it had stopped snowing, something he was grateful for.
"It's amazing," Ana mumbled, wide-eyed, checking out the car's navigation and sound system.
The salesman went on to explain more about the car but neither one of them truly listened, they were completely focused on each other.
"The best thing about this car is that it runs smoothly with 3.95 horsepower, 2.5-liter V-6 engine and it's reliability, far surpassing the industry's safety standards and the latest technology featuring push-button start/stop, Bluetooth and USB connectivity."
Christian half-listened to the salesman monologue. "Nothing but the best for you, sweetheart," he murmured quietly.
The way he'd called her sweetheart made her starry-eyed. She smiled at him as a song she hadn't heard in a long time came through the car's speaker. The song was called Over my Head by Fleetwood Mac.
You can take me to paradise,
And then again you can be cold as ice
I'm over my head,
But it sure feels nice.
You can take me anytime you like,
I'll be around if you think you might love me, baby,
And hold me tight.
Ana sighed inwardly. You can take me anytime you like. If you think you might love me. And hold me tight. Those last three lines stayed with her; they seemed to sum up the story of her life with him.
Maybe if I stay with him long enough, he might actually grow to love me one of these days.
"Okay, so do you like it? Or would you rather look at other cars?"
Ana blinked, his question instantly bringing her out of her musings. "Like it? Are you kidding?" She laughed merrily. "This car is a dream."
"Okay, we'll take it," Christian said and the salesman nodded.
"What color?" The man asked Ana.
Ana looked at him for a moment, not understanding he was offering her a choice. "This one, this one is perfect."
While Christian and the salesman negotiated the price, Ana took a stroll around the sales floor. Another salesperson walked her over to the espresso machine to get something to drink. Thankfully, the salesperson kindly walked her through the menu of choices. After much deliberation, she ended up choosing a cup of hot chocolate topped with sweetened coconut shavings. Ana whiffed her drink before the first sip. Wow. This was going to be great. She still couldn't believe Christian was getting her a car. Maybe this was his way of showing her he cared about her; after all, he was making a big financial commitment on her behalf.
The lyrics of the Fleetwood Mac kept playing in her head. I'll be around if you think you might love me, baby. And hold me tight.
Chances are Christian might love me one day. Maybe that was enough for now.
Having signed the final documents, they left the car dealer, all smiles. Christian was getting a ride tomorrow to pick up the vehicle. Ana couldn't believe how easy everything had been.
"You know I've never really driven in actual streets before. Just in dirt roads and empty parking lots," she giggled. In the next moment, her smile faded a little as she thought of Jose and all the times he'd tried to teach her how to drive. It pained her to think that in all likelihood he was still incarcerated.
"We'll get you on driving classes with an actual instructor," Christian smirked at her. "You will be driving in no time."
Ana smiled back at him. "Hey, where are we going?" She said as they pulled into the parking lot at the mall, the same mall Mia had taken her to. "I thought we were grocery shopping."
"We are. But first, we're making a pit stop here," he cut the engine, and turned his body in her direction, and smiled at her. "Have you looked at the weather lately? You need a nice winter coat, mittens, hat, boots, you name it."
…
Christian parked in front of Neiman Marcus, hoping they find everything Ana needed in one store, as their time was limited. The mall was closing in an hour. Aside from the required winter attire (hats, mittens, scarves, etc), Christian insisted Ana get clothes for different occasions. Ana was especially interested in getting a cocktail dress and other outfits she could wear in case they got invited again to her father's house. She chose a black crew-neck- long-sleeved cashmere dress, two v-neck- cashmere sweaters, a belted-shawl collared coat, an open-front cardigan, a two-piece tunic, and leggings set, a rose-colored cashmere zip-front hoodie, two crew neck loungewear sets, three pairs of high heels, and a pair of ankle boots.
Once they had gathered everything they needed, Christian guided the way to the registers.
"Wait," she said, stopping.
"What is it?"
"This is going to be a lot of money," she mumbled, biting her lip, "Maybe I can put some of this stuff back and..."
"Sh-sh," he put a finger to his lips. "Don't, sweetheart, don't. You're going to need all this. These ARE NOT luxuries," he reassured her. Then, in the next moment, he marched toward the next available register and paid, making sure Ana didn't get to see the total of how much he'd spent.
"Thank you," she mumbled as he headed straight for the jewelry counter with their three large bags full of merchandise. "Wait, Christian..."
"I want to get you something special...how about a nice pair of earrings, a necklace," he said looking at the glass-covered displays. He wanted to give her a pair of everyday earrings to make up for the fancy pair Raymond Steele had gifted her at the party. "See anything you like?"
At first, Ana resisted. Locking arms, she tried pulling him away from the displays. But then, a sales lady appeared, smiling.
"May I help you?"
"I'd like a nice set of earrings and necklace for my lovely wife," Christian said, locking eyes with Ana, making her blush.
"Oh, what's the occasion?" the middle-aged woman smiled widely. "Birthday? Wedding anniversary?"
"We're newlyweds."
The way he'd said that brought a candid smile to Ana's lips. She supposed she was now his wife in every sense of the word. They'd consummated their marriage and had a perfect evening together, sweet and romantic.
"Oh, of course. You, my dear, still have that lovely newlywed glow," she said looking at Ana. "Here are some of our top-selling collections," she said producing three boxed displays. When Ana didn't show any particular inclination, she asked what was her favorite thing to wear.
"I don't know," she hesitated, "Crosses?"
The saleslady immediately produced five sets of the requested design. Ana's gaze settled on a Roberto Coin baby cross necklace and matching stud cross earrings that nearly took her breath away. Her uncertain gaze then shifted to Christian.
"We'll take this," he said to the woman.
"Excellent choice."
Ana once again looked at the price and her eyes widened like saucers. "Christian, this is too much," she weakly protested, overwhelmed.
His lips curved into a boyish smile. "Nothing is too good for you, muchacha, you should know that already," he said planting a chaste kiss on her lips.
After finalizing their jewelry purchase and, Christian asked the saleslady to snip the tags so Ana could wear the jewelry out of the store. Ana beamed at him as he assisted her with fastening the necklace, pleased to see the end result in the store's mirror. After that, they strolled hand in hand toward the elevators, ready to call it a day.
Ana immediately noticed the very pregnant woman that joined them on the elevator. She couldn't help but stare as she placed her hands on her baby bump, partially turned toward the elevator doors. And her hand instinctively dropped to her abdomen. In her mind's eye, she saw herself a few months from now.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, she thought as she locked eyes with Christian. His hand dropped the shopping bags on the floor and went to cover hers over her abdomen. He clearly was thinking the same thing as her. Amazingly, there was no fear or aversion in his eyes which she took as a good sign.
Maybe he's starting to love me a little bit...even if he doesn't come right out and say it?
She closed her eyes, and for a moment the vision of a little toddler, a copper-haired boy running toward her became shockingly clear. And when she opened her eyes again and they connected with his, his lips locked with hers in a passion-filled kiss.
The pregnant woman exited on the first floor. Someone else got on the elevator, turning to press the button for the ground floor where they'd parked.
Christian was so completely focused on Ana, he could barely wait to get her home and make love to her again, and again. Knowing that the elevator doors would open any second now, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body flush against his, moving to kiss her neck and whisper sweet-nothings in her ear.
Suddenly, the elevator came to a halt.
It took a moment for Christian to realize that the small figure facing them and holding a small revolver and staring at him impassively is Leila. He mentally kicked himself for leaving his gun in the car.
Fuck!
Christian couldn't believe she's here gazing at him with an unnerving expression, holding a fucking gun!
"Please don't!" Ana pleaded with the assailant, prepared to surrender her purse, instantly recalling the times she'd been mugged before. Both times, she'd been held at knife-point; one time a thief had threatened to stab her if she refused him her purse and watch, and another time, her necklace got snapped off with the tip of a knife held to the nape of her neck. "I-I'll give you anything you want!"
"Leila!" He said her name between clenched teeth, kicking himself for leaving his gun in the car.
Ana's gaze rapidly shifted from Christian to the woman he has just referred to as Leila, her terrified brain struggling to compute. Does Christian know this woman?
"You," she said, pointing the gun at Ana. "What do you have that I don't?" Her voice had the singsong intonation of a child.
"I don't understand?"Ana mumbled, her voice shaking. Her breath caught in her throat, her world teetered precariously in the hands of this fucked-up woman, whoever she was. "Who-who are you?"
Will she shoot? Both of us? Just me? Just Christian?
"I'm his ex!" Leila snorted.
Ana's gaze shifted to Christian. He was glaring at the brunette with an intensity he'd never seen before, his eyes wide, angry, and scared. Christian and this woman continued to stare at each other, a staring contest of some sort, he was close enough to reach for the weapon and yet he continued to stare. His expression was raw, full of an unnamed emotion. It could be pity, fear, affection...
or is it love? Oh, NO! PLEASE, NOT LOVE!
"But not by choice... he doesn't want me anymore because of you!" She exclaimed, her finger dangerously close to the trigger.
Christian's instincts told him that now when Leila was distracted and her gaze fixated on Ana, was the moment to take action; he swiftly positioned himself protectively in front of Ana, his law-enforcement training immediately shifting to overdrive. It felt like an eon had passed as he processed all this, although, in reality, it was only a split second. He grabbed the barrel of the gun firmly as close to the trigger as possible, while at the same time, his other made for the back of the gun, where the hammer was. Rather than bringing the gun down, he kept it at the same level but turning it. This simple action moved the barrel way from the center of his body mass to the peripheries where it was less likely to be fatal. Intending to rip the gun from her grip, he pulled the gun vigorously as his body continued to turn. However, in the process, and with the gun turned on its side, three shots were fired in rapid succession as he wrestled Leila for the gun.
In the next second, Leila was knocked off balance, and Christian was in full possession of the weapon. At once, he hit the alarm and released the elevator while keeping the gun pointed at Leila. Then the crazed woman did something he wouldn't have predicted but when she reached for something behind her, and he immediately assumed she was reaching for yet another weapon.
It all happened so fast.
His next movements had the eerie feeling of happening in slow motion while also moving at the speed of light. Later, as he'd tried reconstructing what had happened in his head, the sequence of events had seemed fragmented. All he knew for sure was that he'd been right. Leila produced another revolver, and that he'd fired three shots aimed at her chest. Another weapon discharged and then a scream.
Next thing he knew, his knees instantly dropped in front of Ana like a heavy sack of potatoes, cradling her body into his arms. She was lying on her side, her back against the elevator wall, her eyes wide with shock.
GOD, NO!
"Someone, call 911!" Christian yelled as people started gathering around the elevator doors. He continued to rock her in his arms, tight against his chest, terrified beyond his wildest dreams. "You're gonna be alright, sweetheart," he chanted her over and over again before she lost consciousness.
….
"I don't know," Christian heard himself say in response to a question, as though he was speaking from below a deep tunnel.
It wasn't until he produced proper law-enforcement identification that the mall's security officers were satisfied with his version of the story. By then, the ambulance had arrived and Ana was being lifted into a stretcher. Christian climbed in beside her, holding her hand, talking to her, telling her everything was going to be alright.
The ride in the ambulance was the worst. Christian remembered talking, asking questions, pestering the paramedics but wasn't fully aware of what he'd said. He held his breath as the paramedics got Ana stabilized. The first time he'd asked if she was going to be okay, one of the paramedics took pity on him and told him he didn't know, he couldn't be sure. He introduced himself as Jerry. By the tenth time, the gentle African American man merely looked him in the eye and spoke the most frightening words, sending a cold shiver down his spine.
"I'm not sure if your wife is going to live or make it to the hospital."
Christian's eyes filled with tears of despair. It was a sobering moment, how everything can change in a split second.
"No, no...there must be something... what-what can I do?"
"There's always the power of prayer," Jerry said and Christian stared at him wide-eyed. There was something ethereal about the way the other man looked as the light of the moon illuminated his face.
It was hard putting all his trust and faith in God, especially since God seemed to have taken a long sabbatical, either that or he was too busy to bother. But this was a desperate situation; he had no choice but to talk to God as though they'd been in touch for years. He reminded him that Ana's life was just beginning, she was the kindest person he'd known. If anyone deserved to live, it was her. He pleaded for him to intervene, operate on her and heal her completely. He reminded him that they were just starting their lives together. He promised he would love her more than life itself and become a devoted father to any children HE chose to give them.
Two hours later
Mia spotted Christian immediately upon entering the surgery waiting room. People around him moved in various forms of distress. He seemed disconnected from it all.
"Christian!" Mia plopped down in the seat beside him, breathless. Staring into space, he barely acknowledged her presence. "How's she?
"We have to wait here," he replied not making eye contact, staring at the screen with patient updates.
Anastasia Grey: in surgery
"Oh, Christian," she bemoaned, following his gaze from the screen to his hunted-disheveled appearance, noting his bloody shirt, making the nightmare more real. "She's gonna be alright," she said unconvincingly. She really sucked at comforting people. It was hard to know what to say when the unimaginable happens.
"It's my fault. If it hadn't been for me, this would have never happened."
"How? What happened?"
"Leila...she came after us with a gun," Christian held his head between his hands, his gaze fixated at the floor. "After the party, I never imagined she would go this far, I just..."
"Wait...I'm not following you... This woman, Leila, you met her at a party? Mr. Steele's party?"
"She confronted me there, she's crazy, she wanted something, some kind of relationship with me," he turned his head to look at Mia. "I had no idea, I never saw this coming." He once again buried his head between his hands. "I shouldn't have tried to disarm her...maybe if I had tried to talk to her instead?" He held his head, overwhelmed by the many what if's that haunted him mercilessly. "Ana, she's innocent, she doesn't deserve this, I don't deserve her..." he trailed off.
He shook his head in disbelief at how this day had turned into a seemingly endless and mournful day. A perpetual lump had formed in his throat, a bitter and frightening lump that was threatening to squeeze the life out of him.
"If she dies, I won't be able to live with myself," he declared, his cryptic tone scaring the heck out of Mia.
Mia put an arm around her brother's shoulder and looked around helplessly. "That cannot happen... she's NOT going to die!"
Somehow, hearing someone else voice his deepest fear, unleashed emotions in Christian he didn't know even existed.
"Please Ana, come back!" he whispered in his head. Burying his head between his shoulders, his whole body convulsing with grief. There were so many things he'd wanted to say right now, apologize for being so selfish. He'd tried to make light of the way he'd disappointed her, and now he had to live with the knowledge that he could have treated her better but let pride get in the way; she had given him her heart and soul and yet, through it all, part of him had remained aloof, holding back.
He closed his eyes, she was back in his arms on the elevator, smiling softly, blissfully unaware of what the future held.
Oh, Ana, this can't be. It's like a cruel trick of nature...earlier you were so happy...and now...I never got to tell you all the things I wanted to say, and now it's too late.
"What? What did you say?" Mia asked. "Christian, you're mumbling things..."
Christian sighed, he'd been completely unaware that his lips were moving, but kept his head down, his body crouched down and bent over his chest in a curled up position. Unable to hold back anymore, he wept bitterly, wishing he could turn back time to their moment of tenderness. As he covered his hand over her stomach, he'd wanted to tell her he loved her but he'd held back, the words stuck in his throat. He'd never forget her dreamy expression when she looked down at their joined hands. It had stirred feelings in him he didn't know he had; at that moment he'd known beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was his soulmate, the only woman he'd ever want a future with. Somehow, that had been his moment of knowing; the moment when his soul had seemed to wing its way out of his body to connect with her heart, lacing his fingers through hers without hesitation, as if at last the universe had been restored to its natural order.
Mia stared at her brother's weeping form, her mouth agape. As far as she could remember, she'd never ever seen him cry.
"I never told her I love her," he said after gathering himself together, keeping his gaze down, straightening up a little. "I don't know why I never told her... And now it's too late."
"Don't talk like that...she will pull through and you will get another chance!"
Christian shook his head in shame, wiping the tears with his shirt sleeve. "I don't even deserve another chance, sis. Don't you see? It's the perfect punishment."
Mia struggled with the right response, at last, she said what seemed like the right thing to say. "I don't think God punishes us that way."
Yeah? What do you know about that? Christian challenged in his head. He opened his mouth to speak but then the words died in his throat when a nurse entered the room. His thoughts did a complete 360.
Oh, God, please, don't let her die. I'll do anything you want, I promise," he earnestly prayed. Just give me another chance. PLEASE!
The nurse called another patient's name and the patient's family quickly gathered around her.
"Have you called Ana's father yet?"
"Wh-what? No."
"He deserves to know."
"That man," Christian shook his head bitterly, "he's the one who invited Leila to the party, he's wanted nothing but to break us apart from the start."
Mia sighed deeply. "He's still her father...tell me the number, I'll call him."
….
Forty-five minutes later
What a nightmare of a day. Long before Ray arrived at the hospital's waiting room, he'd already had warning signs but he decided to ignore them, he'd figured it was normal, considering he'd just received the worst news: his precious daughter was undergoing emergency surgery, fighting for her life because of his own indirect actions.
When Christian pulled him into the hallway by the shirt collar, he offered no resistance. He felt a heavy cloak of guilt weighing heavily over his shoulders. He'd never be able to forgive himself if something happened to Ana. Of course, he'd had no idea what Leila was capable of when he invited her to the party. Christian Grey had every right to hate him. Heck, he could barely stand himself at the moment. He should have never tried to come between him and Ana. It had all been a terrible mistake, one that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
"Christian, stop!" Mia positioned herself between the two men. "This is not the time or the place."
Most reluctantly, Christian let go of the other man's shirt and stepped back. "You! You invited that woman to the party," he hissed at him, "I hope you're happy!"
"I think you should wait in a different area of the hospital," Mia said to Ray.
"Do we know anything yet?" Ray asked Mia in a thin voice.
"No...but as soon as we know anything, I'll text you."
….
Ray turned away, putting as much physical distance from them as possible. He was battling his own inner demons. On the way over, he'd prayed over and over for his daughter's life. How he wished things were different now. How he wished he'd dared to stand up to his wife. How he wished he'd taken Anastasia away from the bounty hunter back at the airport before she got too involved with him. And now, it was too late. He walked and walked the hallways, no clear destination, anxiety gripping his heart. The unthinkable had happened, and there wasn't a darn thing he could do about it. He could only hope that against all odds, history would not end up repeating itself, and he would wind up tragically losing Ana like he'd lost her mother all those years ago, even if in the end, he very much deserved it.
Walking through a long hallway lined up with artwork, he was forced to suddenly slow down. The pain radiating in his chest was getting worse. He leaned against the nearest wall and fixated his gaze on the ceiling. Even after all these years, he still felt the pain of losing Carla twice, the first time when her parents uprooted her to Cuba without even giving him a chance to say good-bye, and then again when visited her seven years later. Lord knows how many times he tried to get her to break off her engagement to that other man. But he'd failed, and married Sylvia on the rebound as soon as he returned to the United States. But Carla would always be the love of his life, his one true love.
"Sir, are you alright?" Someone shouted down the hallway as Ray felt his knees go under him.