This is two chapters in one. Felt like you guys deserved a little sugar after I lead y'all on for 11 chapters. Spoiler alert. They kiss. HEHE.
Chapter song: Break My Heart – Dua Lipa
Chapter 12 – am I falling in love with the one who could break my heart?
CPOV
Wednesday evening
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Subject: Friday 6/19
Date: June 17th, 2020 - 10:45PM
Ana,
I can come by on Friday afternoon. Again, I'm sorry about today. I would really like the chance to make it up to you.
Christian.
Still apologetic CEO, Grey Enterprises Holding, Inc.
From: Anastasia Steele
To: Christian Grey
Subject: Re: Friday 6/19
Date: June 17th, 2020 - 10:58PM
Noted. Please let me know by 2pm at the latest on the day of in the event you are unable to make it. In which case, I will make my own selects for the shoot and upload them to the magazines FTP server. My promised deadline is for 7pm on Friday. I intend to keep it, unless you have a separate understanding with the editor.
Sent from my iPhone
Anastasia Steele
Editorial Photographer
From: Christian Grey
To: Anastasia Steele
Subject: Re: Friday 6/19
Date: June 17th, 2020 - 11:02PM
I assure you I intend to keep this appointment and we will make the promised deadline.
Reformed Appointment Keeper CEO, Grey Enterprises Holding, Inc.
She really is fucking pissed at me and painfully professional. I feel like I'm being scolded. I don't hear from her after that. A few minutes later I hear the elevator ping and look back to see Elliot walking through, running his hands through his hair.
"We're going to need a lot of booze, bro."
I nod and get up. He follows me to my study and I get out the bourbon and we sit on the leather couch and start pouring.
"So, how bad was it?"
"Well, at first she wouldn't let me break up with her. She kept saying she could fix whatever needed to be fixed. That she could work on staying grounded longer and cut back on business trips. Then she suggested therapy. Then she was saying all that stuff about how we're meant to be. Then an hour later she just flipped a switch and said it was okay and that she wished me happiness."
"Why do I feel like this is the calm before the storm?"
"I know... apart from her initial freak out which was still not as bad as some of the stuff I've experienced, I have a feeling this isn't the last we've seen of her."
"How did you initiate it?"
"I said I wanted to talk and then was as honest as I could be. I told her that I don't feel as strongly as I did before and that I didn't see us together long term anymore."
"Sounds reasonable."
"Yeah cause you're biased and a guy. Women don't see it that simply. Just wait till Ana puts you through your paces."
"Oh she already is. She's giving me the ice-queen treatment." I pick up my phone and show him the email exchange and he barks a big laugh.
"Bro, you have been renditioned alright. Only an act of God can save you."
"Fuck off, asshole." I quickly take a sip of my drink trying to hide my smile."
Soon enough it's midnight and Elliot starts singing Happy Birthday out of tune. Mia calls a few minutes after and does the same. I roll my eyes and kick Elliot out of my apartment right after.
Thursday evening
Still no word from Ana. Maybe I should've told her that it was my birthday today and guilt tripped her into having dinner with me so I could avoid the family dinner I'm at right now. Mom still likes to bake a cake and have us blow out candles like we're a bunch of kids.
Grace Trevelyan-Grey called me early this morning to wish me a happy birthday and then blackmailed me till I agreed to show up for dinner this evening. Ever since her diagnosis she can play me like a fiddle.
The one upside to tonight's dinner is that most of the conversation is about Elliot breaking up with Kate, who called Grace crying in the morning to tell her how much she adores her and that even though Elliot and her were no longer together that she hoped she could still hang out with Grace
I. CALL. BULLSHIT.
"Elliot honey, what happened? Kate is such a great girl." Mom asks again.
"Mom, I just don't feel that strongly about her anymore. I can't ask her to marry me when I don't feel like it's the right thing to do. Yes, I loved her but I don't feel that way any longer."
"Well, I say good riddance. If she doesn't make you happy then move on." Mia sasses.
"Mia, behave." Mom gives her a pointed look and Mia groans.
"What Mom? Grandpa Theo and Grandma Ellie always said that if it were meant to be that the feeling would never go away. That no matter what you would always feel that intense connection. Clearly, E's relationship with her was lacking. So on to the next one." She shrugs and stuffs her face with a forkful of mashed potatoes and looks at me cross-eyed with a smug smile. She'd always do this to cheer me up or to avoid getting yelled at since it always made mom laugh as well.
"Cary, aren't you going to say anything?"
"Gracie, the kids know what they're doing. Yes Kate was a nice girl but our allegiance should be to our son. He's a grown up and can make his own decisions."
"This s why you're my favorite parent, Dad." Elliot smirks and Mom rolls her eyes and shakes her head.
A few minutes later the conversation comes back to the topic of me.
"So Christian, what about you, met anyone lately?" Mom asks genuinely. "What about that lovely girl Samantha I saw a picture of you with?"
"I don't have time Mom." I mumble and focus on my food.
"Yeah Mom, he's too busy trying to retrieve his balls from Guantanamo bay." Elliot snickers and I kick him under the table but miss. The fucker has had years of practice.
"Elliot, enough." Grace admonishes. "Christian, honey... what's Elliot going on about?"
"Nothing mom. I'm in the process of trying to get to know someone and I'll let you know if it turns into anything serious."
"Who is she? Come on, tell us." Her enthusiasm is at solid 100 now.
"Yeah son, tell us. For once, we'd like to know something before Page 6 reports it." Dad winks. "Maybe we can get a bet going and rig the system in our favor for once."
Mia looks at me again and wiggles her eyebrows. I roll my eyes.
"Ana, I'm trying to get to know Ana..."
"But he fucked up yesterday and now she hates his guts." Elliot blurts out making Dad and Mia laugh.
"Elliot Trevelyan Grey, how many times do I have to tell you to watch your language." Grace raises her voice but fails to maintain her composure as breaks into a giggle. "Christian, what happened?"
I tell them and they all laugh out loud, so I threaten to leave and they finally shut up. Mom goes to get the chocolate she baked me. After an embarrassing round of singing happy birthday, I blow out the candles like a 6 year old kid and actually make a wish this time.
"What'd you wish for C?" The fucker is goading me now.
"For the strength to keep me from murdering you." I deadpan and he laughs out loud.
Before I leave I walk to the library and see four 16x20 framed prints neatly placed on the coffee table with wrapping paper off to the side. I take a closer look and I see it's pictures that Ana took of us on Memorial Day. One picture the one she showed me in the car of Mom and Dad dancing. The second one is a family one of us laughing and looking into the camera. The third is one of Mom and Mia and the fourth is of Dad, Elliot and I sitting in the patio talking to each other with beers in our hands. I didn't even know she took this. They're all black and white and evoke a sense of nostalgia.
I hear Mom come into the room.
"Aren't they lovely? I don't think I've looked this good since my wedding." She laughs.
"You've always been beautiful, Mom... and yeah, they are. She's incredibly talented." I give her a smile. I remember when she lost all her hair and became so frail. It was gut wrenching but she smiled through it all. Her strength gave us strength. And now, she was standing here, healthy as can be, with shoulder length hair again and bright smile.
"You really like her? She's not like the other women you date, Christian."
"I think that's precisely why I like her. She's... real."
I look at her and she gives me a knowing smile. "She's a lovely girl. I hope it works out... and next time, don't ever make her wait because that's really fucked up, son."
My eyes open wide. Grace Trevelyan-Grey saying the word fuck. It really is a new decade and god damn Elliot. He needs to learn how to keep his mouth shut.
"Yeah, I know. If it were me, I would've lost my shit but I'm seeing her tomorrow, hopefully I can redeem myself."
"Just be honest and be yourself. Grovel a little that always helps." She giggles and I pull her in for a hug.
"Thanks, Mom."
"You're going to be fine son... and try to lock this one down. I've got a bet going with your Dad and I'd like to win it. He's rooting for Elliot obviously, though I think my chances have increased exponentially."
I roll my eyes.
APOV
Friday morning
I told Katya what happened and couldn't help but laugh and then proceed to be pissed off right after she saw the disdain on my face. I had an incredibly long shoot day with Jack. We have to drive out to Fire Island to do shoot a feature for Cosmopolitan Magazine. Not my cup of tea or iced tea but again, a job is a job. The only good thing to come out of it is that I'm slightly tanned I think. I drowned myself in SPF but I am just a tad bit sunburned on my T-zone; nothing that a little foundation and bronzer won't fix. For once, I don't look like Casper's long lost sister. It's the little joys in life.
Being part of the Vogue mentorship program means we have some mandatory events that we have to attend. Some are luncheons, breakfasts or dinners with the program participants where the sometimes invite some industry professionals to give us advice and some events are like general industry events were we're invited to mingle with people outside of the program.
Given the week I had, I kinda went hard when dressing up this morning. I blow-dried my hair and curled them into loose waves. The dress I chose was a navy blue full sleeve, square neck flowy midi dress that had a slit in the front. Which meant I had to be a bit careful and not flash my private collection of art to the world. I kept my makeup simple by applying some bronzer, mascara and did a bold red lip and wore hoops of a respectable size. I wasn't going for the bigger the hoop the bigger the hoe look today, I'm a classy broad after all. Katya approved of the final look over text message and said I was giving her Summer in Seville vibes. Well, I guess I was finally having a win this week.
I caught the train and headed Soho to the mentorship program breakfast event at Mercer Kitchen. I've never been and now I got to eat there for free. I had no complaints. Over past two weeks, Hannah and I have kept in touch and met for lunch a few times since her mentor Emmanuel also lives and works in Tribeca. We'd usually meet halfway and catch up. She loves every second of working with Emmanuel and while she can tell I'm miserable with Jack I usually keep it to impressions of him, which has her in tears from laughing too much. Emmanuel actually lets her shoot with him to have her gain confidence in her style and encourages her to post her version of BTS images of the shoots once they're fully released or printed. Jack on the other hand wants complete control and praise for the work he does. He doesn't share which is fine by me because I have no interest in his ideas. I'd rather be on cleaning duty than photograph overtly distasteful sexual stuff.
Mia told me to invite JR and any other friends I might like to our Saturday night hang out. She's got an in and secured us a spot in the VIP section which means my ass will be comfortable as I judge people dancing like a drunken mess as I sip on my non-alcoholic drink. I'm always DD when we go out. I'm a control freak that way and drop everyone home. I also do not like taking ubers that late at night while dealing with half drunk humans. The only time I get shit faced is on my birthday. That's my day and I can cry, laugh and fight a bitch if I want to.
I decide to invite Hannah and she jumps at the chance. Apparently Empire High Club is really hard to get into and a lot of celebrities prefer the place. I wouldn't know but nonetheless I tell her my friend has an in and that we'll be taken care of. Which reminds me, I need to figure out my dress situation. I'll probably steal something from Katya. She's always getting clothes for free.
The breakfast event was great and I avoided Jack for the most part though anytime I did look in his direction I caught him starting at me like a creep. Whatever. Hannah was nice enough to introduce me to her mentor and we joked a little here and there. He told me he remembered seeing me at the Elle feature launch event and liked my work. I kept it cool even though I was dying to tell him that I loved him and he was my first choice for the program.
Towards the end, I do a quick check of my emails and confirm calls for this afternoon. I also have the damn cable guy coming in anytime between 1-5pm. Inconvenient? Yes. Do they care? No. I never replied to Christian after his last email. While his banter was cute, I was too pissed at what happened. Maybe I really was projecting? Whatever, I need to get the images of this shoot delivered and move on with my life.
I make it home by 12:30pm and settle in at the kitchen island and do a little editing and answer my first round of calls for both Dad's business and my own. The cable guy shows up just shy of 3pm, while I'm on the phone. I let him in and tell him to let me know if he needs anything while I continue working on finishing the pre-bake apple pies for the diner tomorrow. Multi-tasking at it's best if you ask me. I've got a batch of brownies in the oven for the weekend. I know everyone is going to crash at my place and Sunday morning will require ample sustenance to fight off the hangover induced misery that will plague my dear friends. Pasta also helps with that, so I've prepared lasagna as well to chill in the fridge, ready to bake for whenever it'll be needed this weekend.
"Are you a chef?" the cable guy named Tom brings me out of my reverie while I work at the kitchen island, going over the last of Christian's selects. As gorgeous as he is, when I'm working I'm able to completely tune that part of him out. Thank God.
I give Tom a small smile. "No, I just like cooking and baking for loved ones. I'm a photographer."
He tries to keep the conversation going as he works but I soon find them a little intrusive. I check the time and it's 3:35pm I decide to text Christian.
Ana: Hi, general question, what's your ETA?
Christian: Just got on the Brooklyn Bridge, so I'd say another 20 minutes.
Ana: Okay. When you get here, do not under any circumstances press the bell for the mezzanine level. Just text me.
Christian: Will do.
I pull out a bowl of cherries and start munching on them while I continue to work on my laptop.
Exactly 15 minutes later, Christian texts me that he's at the mezzanine door. I tell the cable guy I'll be right back and rush down.
I open the door and fuck me, he looks good. Fitted black suit with a crisps shirt. It's sinful. That's what it is. He's pure sin right now. And He's carrying a bag of something. Food? Wine? Whatever, I'm still mad at him so I have to focus.
"Hi... I have a favor to ask." I get straight to the point.
"uhh yeah." He says with a little delay.
"There's a cable guy upstairs and he's being a little intrusive with his cross examination. Asking me if I live alone, how much rent is, if I have a boyfriend. Anyway... can you go up the main stairs and just waltz in like you live here? Act like a significant other and be like I couldn't find mushrooms or whatever. Can you do that?"
He just stares at me like I'm talking in klignon.
I clap my hands in front of his face. "Dude, snap out of it. Can you do this?"
He shakes his head. "Yeah... totally sorry."
"Good. Count to 30 and then come up the main stairs and walk through, like you own the place. You'll see the kitchen as soon as you step in through the foyer." I shut the door in his face and run across my studio and up the interior stairs and park myself in the kitchen and go back to eating from my bowl of cherries.
It's not that I couldn't have handled Tom on my own. Being seen as living all alone seems even more dangerous to me. This place is my safe place. When I'm out there, I can defend myself and run back to my safe place. Having Christian give the illusion that he lives here or whatever... it's probably not a sound argument but I've had a long week and I'm really tired.
Just a few minutes later I hear his voice. "Hey babe, sorry I'm late. Traffic was a bitch." Damn, he's good.
"No worries." I call out and I notice the cable guy's face turn into a grimace. Christian walks past him and gives him a nod while carrying a bag with a bottle of wine. He gives me a smirk and I roll my eyes while he places the items he's brought on the island.
Then before I can register what the fuck is going on, I feel him pull me up from the stool in one swift move. His one arm is around my waist and one hand holding the nape of my neck. I cannot move. I can only feel.
HOLY FUCKING SHIT.
CHRISTIAN GREY IS KISSING ME.
AND IT AIN'T NO ORDINARY KISS.
The kiss starts out soft and gentle and when I gasp I feel his tongue dominate me and I start to lose myself. He smells divine and tastes of coffee. I feel a warmth bloom throughout me and it feels like I'm floating. I have NEVER been kissed like this. I've kissed maybe a handful of guys and that shit doesn't even count as training wheels... this making is making love to my mouth with his tongue and I am so not mad about it. Carry on, solider. It's been a long war to lose my virginity and I finally see a semblance of victory in sight.
I hear a low groan from his throat and his erection press into my belly as he slowly grinds into me. I'm lost. Completely lost and I can't help but moan myself. He kisses me like a lover who's been away for centuries, desperately trying to make up for lost time. If one could orgasm from a kiss, well, then let me tell ya... Speedy is about to hit Mach 3 in that department. Someone get the fire extinguisher and mop. Clean up on Aisle 4. Ding, ding, DING!
He finally breaks away but not before biting down on my bottom lip making me whimper. That was hot. Please do it again soon. I open my eyes to look into his. Grey eyes locked in with mine. I see them darkening as his lips curl up in a smile.
"les cerises sont douces." The cherries are sweet. He says seductively.
AND YOU SPEAK FRENCH? DEAD.
"je connais." I know. I breathe after locating my lost brain.
Feel free to sample these cherries anytime. I have no issues with that.
His smile widens. He's brought his hand to my cheek and tracing circles with his thumb and I'm completely entranced. Thank god I had I decided to wear the long wear lip stain today, helps situations like this when you're about to be kissed like it's the end of days. Hashtag, no regrets.
"Breathe, Anastasia." As the words leave his lips I remember to do just that till I hear a throat clearing in the background.
Fuck. The cable guy. I reluctantly pull away from Christian and walk around him to talk to the cable guy who looks like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He gives me the rundown and assures me that there won't be any more problems with the internet. I thank him and walk him to the door and use that opportunity to check for the non existant mail.
Best kiss of your life? Check.
Knees weak? Check.
Panties drenched? Check.
I rummage through the mailbox to kill some time as I gather my scattered wits. Oh wait, there are new set of coupons to the nearby super market? Garbazno beans are 67 cents a can now? Good to know.
STFU AND GO BACK IN THE HOUSE ANA.
I count to 10 and walk back in. Just go with the flow Ana. Just relax and see where this goes. Don't freak out. Be normal.
CPOV
When she opened the mezzanine door I damn near lost my mind and almost took her right there. She looked exquisite. Lush red lips, hair cascading around her body and the dress... the slit was just making it impossible to focus to the point where she almost had to slap me to bring me back to the here and now.
After the week she'd had and my own fuckups, I just had to kiss her. I had to somehow communicate to her that I was sorry, that I missed her and that I wanted her. I couldn't control myself and the Universe provided me with the perfect opportunity.
Her lips were soft and sweet just as I had imagined but even better. She loved every second of it as did I. She's delightfully responsive and I can tell she wants this too. Whether or not I'm forgiven remains to be seen but this could definitely pave the way to my intended destination.
She walks back but avoids eye contact for a few moments. I hear the timer buzz and she grabs the oven mitts to take out what looks and smells like a pan of brownies. Did she make those for me? Don't get ahead of yourself, Grey.
I decide to break the ice again.
"tu parles francais?" You speak French?
"Very little. I understand some of it..." She shrugs.
Time to go in for the kill.
"Are you still mad at me?"
She looks me straight in the eye. "Tell me, should I be? What would you have done if someone kept you waiting like that? Oh wait... that's probably never happened to you." She laughs sarcastically.
"No, you're right. Again, I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
"You're right it won't."
"What does that mean?"
"Well, I don't foresee myself ever being in a position like that again. That's what I mean. After this shoot, I doubt we'll work together again."
Is she writing me off? What the hell is happening?
"I feel like we're having two very different conversations."
"Look, maybe, I overreacted a little... maybe not. I've had a very difficult week and I won't lie what happened on Wednesday really set me off... maybe because of the fact that I was having a bad week already... anyway... it's over now. You're here to look over your pictures and then I can send these out." She doesn't make eye contact but gathers all the dishes to put them away and wash off some of the utensils she was using.
"I wanted to make it up to you so I brought a late lunch or an early dinner."
She looks back at me. "You didn't have to do that. I could've made something or ordered something if you were hungry."
"Well, I didn't want to impose anymore than I had already."
I get up and take off my jacket and loosen my tie before I start to take out the contents of the bag. I stopped by a French restaurant I like on the Upper East Side and got a few things off of the menu.
She walks over and stands next to me and helps. "This all looks really good." She giggles. We gather plates and she asks if I want to eat inside or on the deck in the backyard. I tell her outside would be nice and we slowly carry everything towards the table and chairs on the deck and settle down to eat while we go through the images on her laptop. She's really good at what she does and it's refreshing to have someone talk to you without constantly batting their eyes at you and talking suggestively. Even with the pictures she's clinical and her observations are purely from an editorial standpoint. Soon enough she sets the images to be uploaded to the magazines FTP server and slips back into casual conversation.
"Why did you have a bad week?" I ask, hoping she'll maybe tell me.
"Same stuff. Working with Jack is like a constant exercise in self control when it comes to my homicidal tendencies." She shrugs and deadpans making me laugh.
"Sure, go ahead and laugh but you'd feel the exact same way if you had to spend five minutes in his presence. Even this morning, we had this mandatory breakfast event which was great because I ignored his ass and talked to all the other mentors but he kept giving me the stink eye."
"He's going to lose his mind when he sees the GQ cover."
"I hope rolls over and dies." She deadpans again and I laugh out loud making her giggle. "What about you, how was your week aside from making the little people wait?" She sneers.
"You're not going to let that go are you?"
"No, I'm going to milk it for all I can... then I'll let it go. I need to have my fun too."
I smirk at her and tell her about the various happenings at GEH and she listens with genuine interest and asks questions here and there. She tells me she really liked Ros. Of course she did. Ros is like Elliot... always flirting and getting on my nerves.
"Oh and yesterday was my birthday." I shrug.
"WHAT? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, I did ask you to dinner but you declined."
"Yeah but I didn't know it was your birthday... plus I had a really long shoot yesterday. I got home at like 8pm, drowning in sand and a tanned resting bitch face from hell. Not ideal birthday company."
"I wouldn't have mind."
"Well, you know what this means..."
"What?"
"Birthday portrait." She grins and wiggles her eyebrows.
I roll my eyes. "No."
"Yes." She glares at me. "I do it for everyone I know. I even do a self-portrait for myself every year. This is important. Come on."
We quickly gather the plates and food and walk back inside to put everything away. I then follow her downstairs to the mezzanine level that is her studio.
It's a warm and welcoming space that spans the depth of the house. There's ample natural light that seeps in from the backyard with couches and two big cabinets that store all the cameras they own or get as gifts from companies for her father to test out. She leads me to a seamless backdrop and asks me to sit on a stool and turns on a light, apparently it's called a beauty dish. I'm just going with the flow here.
"Okay, so we can do a serious shot or something fun. I have props!" She giggles.
"Let's keep it simple." I chuckle.
She rolls her eyes. "How old are you now, Boomer?"
"28."
"You're practically ancient." She says from behind the camera and starts clicking as I laugh looking away from her. After a few shots she sits down on a stool a few feet across from me. "Tell me, what's the word that would aptly describe how you feel about turning 28?"
"Hopeful." Because I'm hoping for more, much more with you.
"Awesome." She smiles and raises the camera to her face to look through it. "I want you to look straight at the camera and think of a person or memory that reminds of you that feeling."
The only people that come to mind are Theo, my mother and... Ana. I get lost in a thought for a bit and feel a faint smile form on my lips. Before I can realize what's happening she tells me that she's got the shot. She loads the images on the computer and quickly makes selects and shows me the final products in both black and white and color.
"How are you so fast at doing that?"
"I've been doing all this since I was 6 years old. I just instinctively know... as I'm shooting I make mental notes of the images that I personally like and that way I know how to pick them out of the lineup" She sends the final images to me via email and we head back upstairs where she cuts a piece of brownie and puts a candle on it.
"Happy Birthday, Boomer." She winks and smiles as I blow out the candle and eat the piece. I offer her a bite but she declines saying that it's all mine. She grabs the bowl of cherries and wine and we head into the backyard again to relax and talk.
"Your home is beautiful."
She smiles wistfully. "Thank you, it didn't always look like this. We had a huge gut renovation last year. Finally got the backyard done too and the deck built out. My grandparents bought this place and it was a fixer upper and they passed it on to my mom and it remained that way and we kept it that way as long as we could but there were just a lot of problems in the house so Dad and I decided it was time to do a restoration."
"It's beautifully done. This is nice too, having a backyard. Having a rooftop garden doesn't have the same appeal."
She nods. "This is my favorite part of the house. I love my studio too, I mean I have to, since I live there more than my bedroom but I can easily walk out from the studio into the backyard and work on my laptop and relax in the evenings. The deck up there is great for morning breakfasts when it's not too hot like today..."
"Do you entertain a lot?"
"I'd like to but it's mostly Katya and JR. Mia has come over a bunch of times. We usually take all our supplies up on the roof and talk for hours."
"I'd love to see it."
She beams. "Sure. Sunset is in about hour I think... we can go up in a bit."
We find our selves on the roof and she gets a decent view of the Freedom Tower.
"Okay so tell me five things about yourself that no one would guess."
I think for a minute and sit on the couch.
"Don't tell me you're a robot being controlled by aliens, Lurch." She laughs as she takes a seat on the couch across from me.
"No, I'm just thinking... well, I play the piano. I really love chocolate anything. I can fly a helicopter. I hate clowns and I think golf is pointless but I have to play it sometimes."
"You don't like clowns?" She says with a sinister smile
"Stop it. you look like a madwoman right now." I laugh and she cackles.
"You just gave me some solid ammunition. You better sleep with one eye open!" she warns.
"Shut up and tell me 5 things about yourself." I snap.
"Okay... well, I hate cherry flavored things but I love cherries. I have an obsession with Christopher Walken, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro... and can do pretty decent impressions of them. I love country music and a little bit of Christian gospel. It's weird... but I do. I have memorized the lines to Sleepless in Seattle and You've got Mail and I love clowns." She bursts out laughing.
I rolI my eyes ad ask her to do impressions of all three and she has me in a fit of laughter.
"Once in high school, I dressed up like Christopher Walken from his video with Fat Boy Slim and it was the best Halloween ever. I did that dance randomly wherever I went that night and Katya was thoroughly embarrassed but I was totally in character. Even my friend JR wanted to ditch me but they couldn't because they realized that I wouldn't ever feed them ever again."
"You're weird." I chuckle.
"You say weird, I say colorful. It's all about perception." She sasses.
We continue to laugh and talk and pretty soon it's dark and she goes to turn on the market lights that are above us. I can tell she's buzzed. Her cheeks flushed, almost the color of the cherries she ate.
"This is real fancy pants wine, Lurch."
"Thank you. I'm glad you like it."
"Well, I've built up a tolerance to cheap drug store wine so this one is really testing me." She giggles.
"Mia told me you guys are going dancing tomorrow."
"Well they are, I'll just be observing."
"You don't dance?
"Nope. Only on my birthday. The world can't handle me at my complete awesomeness. I'm only legally allowed to that one day of the year. Besides, the only way I would ever dance is if I were completely shitfaced but then I'm a really angry drunk."
"I don't believe that."
"Oh believe it... on my 21st birthday, I was hammered on some grade A tequila and I punched a guy because I didn't like the way he was dancing. As if he was my court jester who had failed to entertain me. I got us kicked out of the club then Katya brought me home. "
"That's scary and irresponsible."
"Well, I'm always the responsible one when I got out with my friends. I never drink and I drive them all home because late night ubers when you're out of it is unsafe I'm allowed to be a little reckless on my birthday and Katya and JR take care of me. It's a good trade... I also have a phobia of second hand embarrassment so while I can dance... I prefer not to in public."
"Why are you so angry when you're drunk?
"Residual anger from my youth." She shrugs and giggles.
"Your youth? You're twenty..."
"Two. Yes and I've many a life in those 22 years, Lurch."
I roll my eyes and shake my head.
"Tell me, how was it like being homeschooled?"
"It was great but also too safe. I mean my mom, Reen and Dad did a great job with Katya and I academically and we took classes for different things too. Dance, instruments and YMCA sports teams but it didn't prepare me for the real world and I fucked up." She takes a big gulp of her wine and stares into space for a few moments.
"What do you mean you fucked up?"
She quickly snaps out of it and shakes her head. "I just mean, it was a steep learning curve when it came to understanding people's motives and that not everyone deserves your honesty or friendship. Not everyone is good. That's where my parents messed up. I love them but they taught me to see the world through rose tinted glasses and the world is way too fucked up." Her voice is strained and I want to hold her but she quickly recovers.
"So I'm guessing high school was a bitch?"
"Yeah, I got a scholarship to a prep school and it just wasn't for me. I couldn't really find my place so I left and went to regular public school, which was marginally better. College too was just whatever, I just need to get my degree and call it a day."
"But why the homeschool route?"
"My parents were very protective of me. I was their rainbow baby and they had lost a child prior to me, they held me a little too close... same with Katya, she's her mom's only child. And both of our grandparents were best friends. They both only had a child each who ended being Reen and my mom who grew up like sisters and then they had us and we're the same. I guess you can say the tradition has carried on and Katya and I plan to carry that on with our kids in the distant future... hopefully." She says wistfully.
"You both seem to have a really wonderful relationship."
"Yeah... I mean we're like twins. Completely opposite but we have our own language, we just get each other and can understand what the other person is going through without uttering a single word. Interestingly, she's a lot like my mom and I'm a lot like her mom. The longest I've gone without seeing her is like a day, unless either of us are travelling. We're always in touch. It was the same with Reen and my mom... they were attached at the hip and when she did it was like a part of Reen died with her. She wasn't the same. Same with my dad."
"I'm sorry about your mom. Losing her at such a young age after seeing her battle an illness like that..." I can't seem to complete my sentence.
"It's okay. I appreciate you saying that. I mean, everything happens for a reason right? We may not know it at the time but eventually we do see it."
"I don't see how the loss of a parent can ever be reasoned with."
She looks up at the sky through the market lights. "It depends on a lot of things. I mean the universe is big and mysterious, Lurch. Who knows what the grand plan really is. Sometimes you've got to go through the cruelty of it all to really appreciate the kindness that comes your way." She looks back at me. "I've made my peace with it. My mom died and shit happened in life. It sucked but I had to move on from that... cause life has a way of moving on without you and getting left behind, it's not worth it. No one wants to hang out with sad people."
I take a few moments to process what she's saying while she leans forward to fill her glass again. There's such a sadness in her eyes sometimes but she hides it well with humor.
"What about you? How was high school for you?"
"I was a problem child. I got kicked out of schools all the time. Then I finally was able to figure my shit out. I went to Harvard and got so bored that I dropped out and now here I am."
"I would've thought you were the epitome of discipline as a child... perhaps the very athletic jock who had a secret."
I swallow. What the fuck?
"A secret?"
"Yeah, a brain." She giggles and I bark a laugh.
"Well, I was very athletic and handsome and yes, I had a brain."
"I never said you were handsome."
"It was implied." I smirk and she rolls her eyes.
"So tell me, why were you a problem child?"
I shrug. Not sure, I want to go down memory lane right now. I want to make happy memories with her right now. I'll just give her some barebones highlights.
"I was adopted at age 4 by the Grey's and I had come from an abusive household. It led to touch issues and I always felt misunderstood. High school was a confusing time emotionally and well the hormones didn't help either. Add the phobia of touch... I was angry all the time so yeah... "
"I'm so sorry." She says with sincerity.
I shrug. "I eventually figured my shit out and then I channeled all that negative energy into building what I have today."
"Well, you've created something really positive and wonderful from all that negativity." She smiles at me.
You don't even know the half of it. Not sure if you would still think I was worth giving a chance to if you did.
"You still have touch issues? I mean... sorry. You don't have to answer, that's really personal. Feel free to ignore the question." She says contritely.
I tell her about how I couldn't bear to be touched before and with mom's diagnosis I really worked hard to overcome it but that I can only accept hugs from and pats on the back from family members. She nods silently. The natural progression of this conversation would be, well how can you be intimate with someone if you can't touch them but she doesn't push any further and I'm grateful and bereft at the same time. I find myself wanting to tell her. She keep s the conversation light till she gets a phone call from Katya asking if Ana wants to sleepover at her place again or not.
We descend the stairs and get to the main floor where she tells me I'm free to wander around if I want which I take full advantage of. I look through the obsessive amount of pictures and art they have hanging around. I see a beautiful portrait of Ana and her mother. It's a studio shot, the likes of what you'd see in a magazine. She joins me after a while after cleaning up a little.
I see a picture of her mom in a hospital after giving birth and holding a newborn. It's a beautiful picture of her mother and father looking down on Ana.
"This is a beautiful picture of you all."
"That isn't me. That was my older brother. Stillbirth, unfortunately. They still wanted to have a part of him live on with us somehow. His name was Noah Raymond Steele."
"I'm sorry..."
She looks up at me with a sweet smile. "No it's okay, you don't have to say that... I mean, I do wonder sometimes what it would've been like to have an older brother but I'm still very lucky that I have Katya. Sure, she's annoying as shit, but I love her all the same." She giggles.
I look around a little more and soon check the time. It's almost 8:30. I don't to leave but I've imposed enough on her.
I walk back into the kitchen and see her cutting up a huge watermelon.
"You want some?" She asks.
"Yeah, I'll take a piece." I sit near her and take a piece.
"This is me preparing for Sunday morning." She laughs. "Some people pre-game before going our to party... I pre-post-game. Our tradition is that everyone comes back to my place and I prepare all this food beforehand to sustain us through the misery of our hangover. I've got a lasagna waiting to be baked. Brownies, cut fruit and I had groceries delivered earlier this week... so I'm good to go."
"You're like a mom." I laugh.
"No, I'm a cool mom." She winks. "I don't want to deal with bitching and moaning the morning after all these losers get hammered. It's less work for me to do. We just sit in the sun like lazy piles of meat and recover."
"This situation sounds like Elliot and Mia's dream come true."
"What about you Lurch, you just work hard and don't play?"
"Speedy, I play hard. I'll show you sometime." I smirk and I see the blush creep on her cheeks but she rolls her eyes and cuts up more of the watermelon.
After a bit, I tell her I should head out and she asks me if I'm sure and asks if I'm hungry since it's been a while since we ate proper food. I thank her and tell her that I'm fine. I grab my jacket and tie and she follows me to the door.
"Thank you for a lovely evening, Miss Steele." I say as I put on my blazer.
She laughs. "Well, thank you for bringing over a delicious dinner. I had fun."
"Same here." Why the fuck am I nervous again? "What are you doing tomorrow afternoon?"
"I'm working from early morning till about 3pm then I have to come home and look like a presentable chaperone for the kids..." She giggles.
I chuckle and move closer to her and hold her face. I lean in to kiss her lips softly but something takes over and I suddenly want more. I slowly move her back into the wall and hold in her place with my body. My hands travel down her body, feeling her up and she moans, arching her self into me. She places her hands on my neck and pulls on my hair. I could fuck her right now... but I shouldn't. It's like walking a tightrope. Before I know it I lift her and she wraps her legs around me as I aggressively grind into her and she breaks the kiss and throws her head back moaning while I kiss and nip the skin of her neck. She's exquisite.
"Christian... wait." She suddenly freezes. I raise my head to look her in the eyes and I see a look of apprehension on her face. I slowly let her down and she takes a deep breath and composes herself. "Um... look, I don't... Mia is a really good friend and I don't want to mess that up." She says not looking me in the eye. "I think we should talk about this. Even if this is something fleeting... you know to manage expectations and have ground rules."
I run my hand through my hair. That is not what I was expecting her to say at all. "Okay, yeah sure. Sorry, I got carried away..."
She smiles and shakes her head before looking at me. "No it's okay... it takes two to tango right?"
I chuckle. "It does indeed, Miss Steele. I'll call you and we can talk?" She nods. I caress her cheek and she leans into my touch. I lean in and kiss her softly again for a bit before pulling away. "Sweet dreams, Ana."
She beams back and bids me farewell as I exit the front door.
APOV
Saturday evening
I'm ready to party... or watch other people party. I gave Katya a play by play of yesterday when we were on the train heading into work. Mind you, it was 6am on a Saturday morning and she screamed like she had won the fucking lottery when I told her about the orgasmic kiss from yesterday afternoon and last night. Needless to say, the very few people in our train cart were not happy to have their eardrums shredded into oblivion that early in the morning.
Katya, much like my firework factory was very disappointed when I told her how I stopped the train from entering the station. See what I did there. HAH! Anyway, while she understands, she still thinks I should go for the experience for the sole purpose of telling our grand kids about how grandma Ana was a real hoe and gave it up to a billionaire in her hey day. Gotta make sure the kids think you're cool no matter what year it is.
"You do realize that I'm only in chaperone capacity right?" I look at Katya and then look back at my reflection. I'm wearing a sapphire blue bodycon bandage dress that's off the shoulder with the girls are on full display. Katya is in a blood red bandage dress with her signature just fucked hair look and a full pouty red lip. Hopefully she'll get lucky tonight. It's been about two weeks since she had some luck.
"Chaperones are allowed to look sexy. You're dressing up for yourself, not a man. Just go with the flow Steele and celebrate that a billionaire wants to fuck you and that your shot the cover of GQ magazine and that Harpers Bazaar wants you to shoot a small feature for their September issue. My face is plastered on a Time Square billboard... I mean, GIRL. WE. ARE. CELEBRATING. TONIGHT." She cheers and gulps down her wine.
I laugh and look at myself one last time. She's right, I should celebrate the little wins. I tie my hair up in a voluminous ponytail and tease it a little to give it some more volume.
I grab the car keys and we lock up and leave to head over to the city. It takes us a little longer than usual since everyone and their mother is driving into Manhattan.
"Did you read the page 6 feature?"
"Nope, why what happened? Katya looks at me as I drive.
"Elliot and Kate broke up."
She pauses for a beat and shrugs. "That's unfortunate."
"Will you consider him if he makes a move now?"
"Nope. No matter how much times passes, Kate could come after us. I mean I have no beef with her outside of what she did to you but still, look at the optics. She'd dedicate all of page 6's resources to ruin us or make us look like whores."
"Yeah I know." I murmur.
We finally make it to the entrance for Empire View Club and see JR and Mia talking. I see Hannah walking up from the opposite side and wave to her. Once we all gather, I make introductions and I can see Jose is already smitten with Hannah. Oh, I hope it works out.
Mia gives her name and the bouncer scrambles to lead her in and we are escorted to a private elevator. I am not complaining.
We get to the club's main floor and it is packed and... incredibly beautiful here. The lighting is exquisite and it reminds a little bit of the movie Tron, given the general color palette. The bass pumps through the speakers and we follow Mia and the hostess's lead up to the balcony where the VIP sections are. Once we get there we have some fancy wine already waiting for us with appetizers. Whoever Mia knows, must really owe her or like her.
Hannah blends right in with us and I see her and JR really hit it off. MY BABY BRO IS GROWING UP. I'm so proud of him and I'm so glad I'm staying sober to witness this blossoming of this flower that's about to be deflowered. Cue the applause.
Katya is happy as can be and Mia matches her energy as they lose themselves dancing. They try to get me to dance and I politely decline. I stand by the railing of balcony and lean over resting my forearms and watching everyone dance below me. The lights change and become a dark blue mixed with a neon pink as Dua Lipa's Break My Heart comes on. This song is my jam and Katya and Mia beg me to join them down on the main floor. I suppose for one song I could. I tell JR and Hannah to watch our drinks and not move from the VIP area no matter what.
CPOV
Mia will kill us but desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, it's my club and I can do whatever the fuck I want. Elliot and I stand and watch from the third floor where the manager's office is. We look through the tinted winows and have a clear view of the second floor balcony where the girls are seated. Fuck me, Ana looks like pure sex tonight.
"Wish me luck with Katya." Elliot murmurs as he watches her and Mia dance on the main floor. I see Ana start to dance to.
"I think we both need luck but obviously you more than me." I chuckle and he punches my arm.
We leave and take the private elevator down to the main floor. I walk through the crowd and my eyes lock on Ana. She moves with the beat and runs her hands from her waist travelling up to her face before she throws them up in the air, mouthing the lyrics. She turns around and opens her eyes as she notices me walking towards her. She look at me in shock.
Center of attention
You know you can get whatever you want from me
Whenever you want it, baby
It's you in my reflection
Now I'm afraid of all the things it could do to me
If I would've known it, baby
I notice Mia and Katya dancing away without a care in the world as Ana is frozen. I get close to her and wrap one arm around her waist and lean into her ear.
"I thought you didn't dance."
She swallows and giggles. "Mia and Katya threatened me, besides we're celebrating our accomplishments tonight."
"I'm glad they did and yes you should celebrate." I whisper and start to move her to the beat.
I should've stayed at home
'Cause now there ain't no letting you go
Am I falling in love
With the one that could break my heart?
"Are you going to break my heart Miss Steele?" I say looking into her eyes.
"Mr. Grey, I'm pretty sure you're the heartbreaker according to Page 6." She raises an eyebrow and it makes me laugh.
I see Elliot get closer to Katya and she walks away. Yeah, the fucker is going to need all the luck in the world. Mia wiggles her eyebrows at me and leaves the dance floor to head back to the VIP balcony.
Ana and I dance a for a few songs and steal kisses every now and then. I feel a sudden shift in Ana, almost like a panicked look as her gaze meets mine. She excuses herself saying she has to go to the ladies room. I tell her I can take her to the VIP ones since they have more privacy. When I get closer to the restroom bank, I see Elliot waiting nearby with a defeated look on his face. Ana says a quick hi and dashes in the ladies room.
"What happened, E?"
"She still doesn't want to talk to me and she doesn't care that I broke up with Kate."
"Well, you did kind of break up with her five minutes ago. Mia told you to take some time before reaching out."
"Have you seen her bro, and what if she starts going out with another guy."
Before I can answer. Ana comes out and says she has to leave I ask her why and she doesn't elaborate.
"Look Sparky, I'm going to do you a favor and clear up this confusion... I know you like her but Katya will not consider this. Her own dad cheated on her mom and she's really principled about that stuff. Sure, you broke up with Kate but... the last thing she needs is her face splashed on page 6, which by the way Kate's family owns, for being called a whore. I hope you can understand."
Elliot looks down and nods. "I can understand. I just want a chance to talk to her Ana, just a conversation. Please?"
"I have a private room, it's the managers office. They can talk for as long as they want in private. Or they can take the private elevator down to the basement garage and drive out without being seen." I offer.
Ana asks for a few minutes to go and talk to her, she comes out and asks me where the manager's office is and says she'll come by after a few minutes.
Elliot and I wait in the manager's office and soon enough we hear a knock. I open the door and exchange pleasantries with Katya and exit the office to let them both talk. Ana and I stand awkwardly outside and then she suddenly leans into the door to listen.
"Sorry, I'm really nosy. I really want to know what's going on." She giggles but then takes a few steps back from the door. "I hope they can get their points across. Katya is just scared. She's got a big heart and she loves fiercely."
"Elliot is the same. He really does like her and only wants a chance."
Ana nods and looks away. I hear the door down the corridor open my face blanches when I realize who's walking out. Before I can say anything, Ana's face whips back in the direction I'm looking.
"WHAT THE FUCK?" She screams and walks towards Sawyer and he braces for impact.
Sawyer insisted he didn't want to go on leave so I head security at the club for the time being. I completely forgot he was going to be here.
"Ma'am..." Sawyer gives me a look before looking back at Ana who is three seonds away from kicking him in the nuts no doubt.
"Ana, he works for me."
"What did you just say?" She looks back at me.
"Look, just allow me to explain.." I lead her into one of the other empty offices and close the door. "Sawyer works for me..."
"YOU WERE HAVING ME FOLLOWED, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?"
"I just wanted to make sure you were safe."
"EXCUSE ME... SAFE? HE WAS FOLLOWING ME FOR TWO WEEKS. I THOUGHT I WAS..." I see tears form in her eyes but she quickly composes herself. "Fuck this... I don't need this shit."
She walks past me to head to the door but I grab her arm. I can't tell you how this happened but the next thing I know was that I was on my back with her one hand on my neck and the other holding an arm out as her legs pinned my other arm to the floor.
"Touch me again without my consent and I will rip your trachea to shreds. Do you understand?" She bites into every words she speaks.
Am I terrified? Yes. Turned on? Immensely.
"Yes." I say trying to find my balls. Elliot would never let me live this down.
She slowly loosens her hold off of me but because I'm thinking with my dick, I take advantage of her slightly relaxed position and flip over her so that I'm on top of her and pin her arms above her head.
"I'm going to kill you." She says with a tense face but her body gives her away. Her cheeks are flushed and her breathing is labored.
"Ana, just hear me out."
"Fine. Speak." She spits out.
"Baby, I just wanted you safe. I got a background check done on Hyde and I don't trust him."
"I can take care of myself. I literally brought your block of meat security guard down to his knees not to mention subduing your ass."
"Oh I know... it was the hottest thing I've ever experienced." I smirk and give her a quick kiss but she turns her face to the side. I continue to pepper kisses down her neck and I feel her body slowly arch underneath me. She's trying to fight it but she's actually enjoying it.
"I'm sorry you got scared. That wasn't my intention."
"You should've told me." Her voice is back to all business.
I agree and slowly start to lift myself off of her. She gets up refusing my help and tells me she's leaving.
"Ana, please stay."
"I don't want to. I want to go home."
"I'll take you, it'll give us a chance to talk."
"My car is here, I can't leave it overnight. Katya's mom needs it in the morning."
"I'll have my security drive it behind us and they'll park it on your street and give you the key."
She thinks for a few minutes and gives me the key. We tell Elliot and Katya who are still talking in the managers' office. They were actually laughing when we walked in so not all is lost. I texted Mia the latest and she sent me a eye roll emoji.
I meet Ana by the private elevators after she went to say goodbye to her friends JR and Hannah. We rode the elevator in silence and I can feel the anger radiating off of her. She doesn't say a single word while we sit in the back of the SUV on our way to Brooklyn. When we get back to her house she jumps out the car and slams the door as hard as she can and climbs the stairs. I follow her into the house and takes off her heels and starts pacing.
"Ana, baby... "
"DON'T ANA BABY ME. YOU DON'T GET TO CALL ME THAT."
Fuck. She is pissed. I should probably call Taylor for back up.
"Do you know what it feels like to be so scared you can't sleep in your own house for a week?" Before I can speak she silences me. "You had no right to have me followed for whatever reason it was. Your concern was misplaced and frankly speaking unwarranted."
"Hyde seems like a real asshole and I thought you could use someone in your corner."
"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I NEED SOMEONE IN MY CORNER CHRISTIAN?"
"No, but still..."
"BULLSHIT."
"What happened with Kavanagh?"
"NO, you do not get to ask me that. That is my private life. Leave it the fuck alone."
"I will not leave it alone Ana, you're scared of them. Why did they pay you $10 million dollars?"
I see the shock on her face. "Get out." She seethes.
"Ana..." I get up to walk to her.
"NO, GET THE FUCK OUT."
"WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF THEM?" I get closer and I see her get into her fight stance but I will not let her get the upper hand this time. "Ana, please baby just talk to me."
"I don't want to talk. This is all a game to you people isn't it? You have your fucking money and you play with people who have simple lives and you threaten them... leave me the fuck alone. I mean what... you want to fuck me? Have me as another notch on your bimbo roster. Fine, have at it and then leave me the fuck alone."
"You mean more than that to me. Stop saying stupid shit. I want to protect you and I want to be with you."
"Well I don't want to be with you... what you think yesterday we played house for five minutes and suddenly I'm falling for you? You kiss me and look at me with your fuck me eyes and that's enough to have me lying at your feet. NO, CHRISTIAN GREY. NOW LEAVE." She screams in my face
I grab her and kiss her. She tries to fight me but gives up almost immediately and I feel her body melt and mold to mine. Our kisses are urgent, loud and messy as I push her into the wall and grind into her. She moans into my mouth and wraps her arms around my neck. We both come up for air and look into each other's eyes.
"You can tell me anything, Ana. I'll do whatever I can to help you."
"I legally cannot tell you, Christian. Please drop it."
"Did they threaten your life, please tell me. I can protect you."
She looks away and takes a deep breath. "I think you should leave. This will get messy. I know Kate broke up with Elliot but I suspect they are far from over. I adore Mia and I don't want a repeat of my situation from before... I think it's best. I don't want to lose her friendship or ruin anything between you guys."
"We're not the Kavanaghs. If it's a matter of an NDA, well you signed one with me, which prohibits me from talking about what you tell me as well. We can talk to my legal team if anything... just give me a chance, Ana."
She looks down and shakes her head. I cup her face and kiss her forehead.
"I'll think about it. I just need some time."
"Is a week enough?" I ask
"I don't know, maybe." She murmurs.
I ask her to look at me and she does. "I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow for a week. When I come back from London on Friday morning, we're going to meet for dinner, talk about all this and then I'm going to fuck your brains out. Is that acceptable to you?"
"Y-yes." She stammers but keeps her eyes locked with mine.
"Good. Until then, I think you deserve a little preview to keep that overactive brain of yours occupied. You've had a difficult week and I'm going to make you feel good."
I kneel down. Her eyes widen and her lips part at the sharp intake of breath.
"Do you realize how beautiful you looked tonight? And every other day and moment that I've spent with you? It's taken every ounce of my will power to not fuck you."
I give her a smile as I raise her dress to her hips and slide her white lace panties down and put them in my pocket.
"W-ha... where are you taking those?..."
I look up. "I deserve something to keep my occupied too, don't you think?" I lean in kiss her swollen lips, alternating between licking them slowly and lightly biting them before I latch on and suck on her clit. She grabs my hair and loudly moans my name. I tease her endlessly, bringing her to the brink and then stopping till she begs me, almost screaming for me to let her come. All in good time, baby.
I feel her start to tremble as I fuck her core with my tongue. She tightens her grip on my hair while her leg resting over my shoulder does the same as she arches her back and screams my name in ecstasy.
"FUCK... Christian... Christian" she pants over and over out of breath as I drink up every ounce of her cum. She tastes sweeter than the cherries from yesterday.
I pull back after a few minutes and help her balance herself as I make my way to stand and hold her up. I cup her face, tilting it up to me and look into her eyes.
"Feeling better?" I ask with smirk and she shyly giggles. "I love that sound, Miss Steele."
"I guess I owe you."
"No you don't. This was for you... I wanted to make you feel good. Just promise me you'll give this a chance before writing this off completely?"
She swallows and quietly nods. I lean in for a beseeching kiss by pouring all of myself into it. She responds in kind and pulls me closer to her holding me like she'll never let go.
"I'll miss you." I whisper and bite her lip.
"I'll miss you, too. Hurry back.
A/N: These kids need to just do it already and get it out of the way. Who's ready for the big reveal? How did you like this chapter? Next chapter will be long too I think. They both will share their secrets. It's going to be hilarious in it's own way.