Chapter 2 - Meet the Family

Ana's POV

I was sitting in math class, thoroughly confused with today's notes. I was probably going to have to meet with Mr. Warner later. I really needed to do well on the upcoming test.

I looked at Christian sitting next to me. He had his notebook open doodling instead of taking notes. I wished I could skate through school like him.

I ripped out a piece of paper and wrote, "Nice notes :p," and passed the note to him.

He grinned, wrote something down, and passed it to me. "You should take some real notes instead of all those numbers."

I wrote down the indefinite integral Mr. Warner tasked us with solving and handed it to him. I had no idea how to solve the problem and assumed Christian didn't either because he never paid attention in class.

Again, he smiled at me and subsequently began to write the solution. I furrowed my brows when he handed me back the paper with the right answer circled at the bottom. I was completely baffled. He was really smart!

"You need to be my math tutor," I whispered to him.

He softly chuckled and I added, "I'm being serious Christian. How the hell do you know how to do this?"

Before Christian could answer, Mr. Warner dismissed the class. Everyone rushed out of class, and I started walking with Christian to our next class.

"I'm good with numbers," he said to me.

"Obviously," I snarked, "I, on the other hand, am on the struggle bus."

He laughed at my expression and said, "I can help you anytime you want."

"I'm going to have to take you up on that offer," I replied as we walked into our next class.

Christian's POV

It was the end of the school day, and I was contemplating asking Ana if she wanted to come to my house, so I could help her with math. I really wanted to spend more time with her, but I was too nervous to outright tell her that.

My inner demons were screaming at me, telling me not to get Ana involved with my dark shit. But I somehow couldn't let go of the feeling in my heart that told me to go for it. I know it sounded crazy, but she brought out a different, lighter side of me just from the few short days I'd known her.

When we got out of our last class, I asked her, "If you're free today, I can help you with math at my house. Or your house."

She responded, "Oh, that's perfect. I don't have cheer practice today. You live in Bellevue, right?"

"Yep," I answered, "It's about 20-25 minutes from here."

"Okay, that sounds good. Should I meet you there?" she asked.

"I can drive us both and then bring you back to school later. Or I could drive you home and pick you up tomorrow morning," I replied logically.

"That's so nice of you," she said, "We can figure it out later. Let's get going."

Being the gentleman I was, I opened my car door for her again. She gave me a bright-eyed smile and commented, "You know you don't have to keep doing that for me. I'm perfectly capable of opening doors."

I asserted, "Well, you shouldn't have to," and she rolled her eyes at me.

When we got on the freeway Ana turned on the car radio, and some Taylor Swift song was on.

"Is it okay if I turn it up?" she asked considerably.

"Yeah," I nodded, and she immediately jacked up the volume.

She started singing the lyrics perfectly, and I couldn't help but laugh at her silliness and sheer cuteness.

"You have to know the words to this song, Christian," she asserted, "It's a classic."

"I promise you I don't," I replied.

"If you help me with math, I'll give you a Taylor Swift crash course," she joked.

She continued singing along and started dancing in her seat. If that wasn't the cutest shit I'd ever seen then I didn't know what was.

When we finally pulled into my driveway, I saw my mom's car already there. Great! Now she's going to embarrass me in front of Ana. Please, God, don't mention that I've never had friends over before her. Ana's going to think I'm a complete loser.

I put the car in park and rushed over to Ana's side to open the door for her.

When I got there, she was already closing the door for herself. "I beat you to it," she teased.

This time, I rolled my eyes at her, and I heard her glorious giggle.

I led her through the back door to the kitchen, hoping my mom wouldn't be there waiting, ready to begin the Christian Grey embarrassment session.

Ana's POV

Holy crap! Christian Grey invited me to come to his house. Did this mean he was into me? Or was he just feeling bad for me because I sucked at math? Whatever his reason was, I was excited to spend more time with him, not in a school setting.

When we arrived at his house, I was in awe. I assumed he was wealthy, but wow. Actually seeing it was something completely different. His house was a mansion, and absolutely gorgeous. The house was stunning, built in a classic French Provincial style. There was an ornate fountain out front at the center of a circular driveway. Luxury cars lined the driveway: a G-Wagon, a Lamborghini, and a Range Rover.

Wait, what if his parents were home? Crap, I'd have to meet them and make a good impression. I walked nervously along with Christian as he led me into his home.

Christian's POV

Thankfully, Grace wasn't in the kitchen, and I led Ana to the breakfast bar. The only downside was that now she could pop up at any time.

"You can put your stuff down here. Do you want anything to drink?" I asked, playing the perfect host.

"Just water," she replied.

I grabbed two glass bottles of Voss water from the fridge and handed one to her.

We both sat down, and Ana took out her math homework.

"What do you need help with," I asked.

She ended up asking me a throng of questions and I skillfully answered each and every one of them. After her questions, Ana began doing her homework.

A few minutes later my mom walked in. She looked surprised that my friend was actually real, and wasn't something I was making up.

"Hello, dear," my mom piped in, "Who's this?"

That caused Ana to turn her head up from her homework.

My mom walked towards us, and Ana got up to greet her.

"I'm Anastasia. It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Grey," she said and held out her hand.

My mom completely disregarded the handshake and went right in for the hug in typical Grace Grey fashion. Embarrassment #1 already committed within the first few seconds of meeting her. Be cool, Mom!

"Please call me Grace," she told Ana.

"Then it's lovely to meet you Grace," Ana corrected herself.

"You too, Anastasia," my mom replied, "Christian's never brought any of his friends over before. Forgive me if I got a little excited."

Okay, now I just wanted to hide. "Mom," I groaned, "that's enough."

Ana's POV

When Christian's mom popped up in the kitchen, I was terribly nervous. Act normal Ana. His parents needed to like you.

When I went to give Christian's mom a handshake, she gave me a hug instead. That eased my nerves a little. She also told me to call her Grace instead of Mrs. Grey, so that helped with the nerves also.

She mentioned something about Christian never having friends over, and I heard him groan in the background. Although, I wasn't surprised to hear that about Christian. From what I observed about him in a few short days was that he didn't easily open up to people, and he liked to keep to himself. It seemed that the only exception to that was with me. Hmm, something to think about.

"So Anastasia," Grace started, "You're in Christian's grade?"

"Yes," I replied, "We're in all the same classes, so that's how we met."

"Would you like anything to eat or drink Anastasia?" Grace asked me.

"No thank you," I refused politely. "Oh, and call me Ana."

"Are you involved in any sports Ana?" she inquired. "I keep telling Christian he should try out for football, but he won't listen to me."

"I'm on the cheer team at school," I told her.

"Oh, that's wonderful," she exclaimed, "Christian's little sister, Mia, tried out for the cheer team this year. She goes to Bellevue Prep."

"Christian told me," I smiled at her.

"Ana, if your parents are okay with it you should stay for dinner," she stated.

I heard Christian groan in the background again and he mumbled, "Mom."

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose on you like that. Christian was just helping me with my math homework," I said.

"Nonsense," she insisted, "We'd love to have you for dinner. Christian's father should be home around 6. I have to go pick up Mia from school right now, but please stay, Ana."

I smiled at her, and she grabbed her keys from the counter. "I'll see you both for dinner," she said to us as she left the house.

"I'm sorry about my mother," Christian apologized.

"No, don't apologize," I said, "Your mother is lovely."

"You don't have to stay for dinner if you don't want to," he told me.

Does he not want me to stay? Um, does this mean he's not into me? Gah!

I wasn't sure what to stay, but Christian interrupted my thoughts, "I mean, I'd love it if you wanted to stay, but don't feel pressured."

My ears perked up at that statement. So he did want to spend more time with me…

"Sure Christian," I replied "I'd love to stay for dinner. I'm excited to meet your little sister," I commented.

"Be prepared for non-stop talking from Mia," he said.

I smiled at him and we got back to my math homework.

It was about 5 when I finished my math homework. Christian was an amazing tutor.

"Your house is stunning," I commented.

"Ya, I guess it kind of is," he agreed. "I never really paid much attention to it, but my parents have done well, I guess. Would you like a tour?"

"I'd love one."

Christian's POV

Okay, first of all, why did my mother have to embarrass me like that? She really had to mention I'd never had a friend over. Way to make me sound like a complete loner and idiot! God, and she invited Ana to dinner. I did want her there, but that was way too far. I doubt Ana wanted to hang out with my family tonight.

Nonetheless, Ana said she was going to stay, no doubt being polite to my mother who all but demanded her to stay for dinner.

Anyways, Ana commented on how beautiful the house was. I guessed I never really paid attention to my privilege. This was the kind of house you saw in movies, and I got to live here.

I asked her if she wanted a tour, and she said yes. I started by bringing her to our massive backyard. I walked her over to the boathouse, which was one of my favorite places to escape.

Ana gasped in awe when I brought her in. The boathouse was filled with vibrant, blooming flowers, and the light was reflecting majestically on the water and glass. Ana was looking at the beautiful surroundings, but I was staring at her. For me, the beauty wasn't in the boathouse, it was looking at it through her gleaming eyes. Fuck, when did I become such a sap! Cool it, Grey!

"Do you come here often?" she asked me.

"Yeah," I replied, "Sometimes I just sit in here and think at night."

"You don't sleep?" she attempted to joke.

There was no way she could've known that I never sleep because of my terrible nightmares. I somberly replied, "No."

She noticed the struggle in my voice and moved on to a different topic. "Do you go sailing often?" she asked me.

"Yeah," I answered, "I usually go with my dad and brother."

"That sounds lovely. It must be nice to have such a close family," she commented.

I nodded and led her out of the boathouse to show her the rest of the house. I showed her the garden and infinity pool before leading her back inside.

Ana's POV

When Christian led me back inside, his mom just got back home with his little sister. I heard her voice before I could see her.

Christian commented, "Be prepared, Mia might bombard you."

"I think I can handle her," I joked.

When Mia saw me, she ran up to me and gave me a hug. She was absolutely adorable!

"Oh my gosh, you're real," she exclaimed.

"Hi," I greeted, "You must be Mia."

"That's me," she asserted. "I absolutely love your shoes." Was it possible to already love her? She definitely knew her fashion. I looked down at my new Christian Louboutin booties.

I replied, "Thank you."

"Those are from the fall collection, right? I wanted to get them, but my mom said I already had too many shoes," she said.

"A girl can never have too many shoes," I replied, and we both giggled.

Christian's POV

While Mia ambushed Ana, Grace said she wanted to talk to me.

"Christian, Anastasia is just lovely," she said.

"I'm aware, mother," I replied.

She started grabbing things out of the fridge and placed them on the island to start dinner.

"You should bring her around here more often," she suggested.

"If you don't scare her off," I quipped.

"Oh, hush, Christian," she chastised me, "Don't be so melodramatic."

I rolled my eyes at her and went to go save Ana from Mia's exuberance.

"Mia, that's enough. I was giving Ana a tour of the house," I told her.

"Sorry, Chrissy. I'm going to show Ana my closet. You're going to have to wait," she snarked.

Ana shrugged at me and smiled as Mia dragged her upstairs.

"Mom, you need to tell Mia to calm down," I complained.

"Christian, stop complaining," she declared, "Your family's excited for you, that's all."

Again, I rolled my eyes at her and she added, "Lighten up, sweetie, and go set the dinner table for me."

Begrudgingly, I listened to her and grabbed the plates and cutlery from the cabinets to set the table.

I was setting the table when I heard the garage open, which meant that my dad must be home. He walked in and greeted my mother with a kiss. Ugh, barf!

He walked into the dining room and greeted me, "Hey son."

"Hey, dad," I replied.

"Mom tells me you brought a friend over," he stated.

"I did, but Mia is currently harassing her right now," I snarked.

He laughed and said, "Well you know how your sister is. She's very enthusiastic."

I nodded in agreement.

"I'm happy for you son," he started.

"Dad," I interjected, "I do not need to hear another member of my family remind me that I have no friends."

"Son," he continued, "It's a good first step."

"Dad," I interrupted him again, "I've heard enough from Mom already."

He gave me a knowing look and said, "Okay then, I'll leave you to it."

When I finished setting the table, I went back into the kitchen where my mother was finishing up dinner – spaghetti carbonara, caesar salad, and roasted vegetables.

"Christian, dear," she got my attention, "Will you please go upstairs and tell Ana and Mia dinner will be ready in 5 minutes."

"Of course, mother," I replied, and marched up the stairs to Mia's room.

Mia was, of course, talking Ana's ear off while showing her all the designer pieces she has been amassing. I knocked on the door and relayed the message: "Dinner will be ready in 5 guys."

"Got it, Chrissy," Mia shouted.

Ana's POV

Mia and I really connected through our love of fashion. She brought me up to her room to show me all her clothes and accessories. This girl's closet could rival mine.

While I was fawning over the designer handbags she said, "So Ana, you and my brother…" implying that we were a thing. God, I wished.

I laughed at her suggestion and said, "We're just friends, Mia."

She eyed me skeptically knowing I wasn't telling her the complete truth.

"You like him don't you?" she asked, no doubt already knowing my answer.

I replied, "Maybe a little," and we both giggled. "Don't tell him," I demanded.

She put her hand on my shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Ana. My lips are sealed. But if it makes you feel any better he's into you too." Well, that was encouraging.

Mia went back to showing me her clothes when Christian knocked on the door. He told us that dinner was almost ready and went back downstairs.

"Should we go downstairs?" I asked Mia.

"I'm starving," she commented, "So, that means yes."

When we went downstairs, Grace was putting the food on the table, and who I was presuming was Christian's dad was helping her.

He saw me and immediately came to greet me. "Hello, Anastasia. It's so nice to meet you," he said as he held out his hand for me to shake.

I shook his hand and replied, "Hi, Mr. Grey! It's great to meet you too."

We all took our seats at the table, and Christian took the seat next to me.

"Dig in guys," Grace said, "I know you're all hungry."

We were all passing the food down the table, and I put a little bit of everything on my plate. The food smelled so good, my mouth was practically salivating.

Mr. Grey asked directed at Christian and me, "So, how's school going so far guys?"

"Good," Christian curtly replied.

I internally laughed at his short response and spoke up, "Really good so far, Mr. Grey. Christian has already been such a big help to me in math. I'm absolutely terrible at math, but it's a necessary evil in school, I guess."

"Math was never my favorite subject either, Ana," he replied, "And please call me Carrick. Mr. Grey makes me feel old."

I smiled at him and he eyed Christian, no doubt because of his short answer.

I grabbed another forkful of Grace's delicious carbonara and silently moaned. I wished I could have a meal like this every night. With me living alone, I had to cook for myself. I loved cooking and did it well, but it was hard to find time every night with school and cheer, so I usually had to order takeout. I'd love to have a mom that made home-cooked meals every day. Christian was so lucky.

Mia and Grace were having their own conversation, while Christian's dad was still focused on Christian and me.

"Are you involved in any sports Ana?" he questioned.

"I'm the captain of the cheer team at school," I stated proudly, "But I'm not sure if that actually qualifies as a sport."

"Oh sure it does," he replied, "I keep telling Christian to try out for something but, of course, he doesn't listen to me."

Christian rolled his eyes at his dad's comment, and I laughed to myself.

Mia jumped into the conversation, "Oh, I forgot to tell you guys. I made the cheer team. I'm going to get to wear the super cute skirt and we're getting matching hair bows."

We all congratulated Mia – she seemed super pumped.

Grace asked me, "So, Ana, what do your parents do?"

"My dad used to own a security company, but now he works in Washington D.C.," I replied, "and my mom lives in Georgia with her husband."

"You live alone, dear?" she sounded surprised.

I was used to that by now. When people heard I lived by myself, they usually wondered how my parents trusted me on my own.

"Yes," I replied, "My dad got a job in D.C. he couldn't refuse. I really wanted to stay in Seattle to finish high school. He was hesitant to leave me on my own at first, but he really trusts me now."

"What about your mother dear, if you don't mind me asking?" Grace rebutted.

"We don't have a close relationship," I replied, not wanting to get into it any further.

Christian butted in sensing the tension in the room at the mention of my mother, "Mom, Ana's dad works for the president."

"Raymond Steele is your father?" Mr. Grey asked me.

"Yes, that's him," I replied.

"My law firm worked with his company on a few contracts," he said, "He's the White House National Security Advisor, correct?"

"Yes, he and President Grant were in the army together, so that's how he got that job," I replied.

"Well, Ana," Grace began, "you're always more than welcome to come here anytime you want. It must be lonely living all alone."

"Sometimes it does," I admitted, "It's so nice to have a home-cooked meal for a change. I'm always too busy to cook. This is delicious by the way."

"Thank you, Ana," she replied with a smile.

We all continued to chat until we were done with the meal.

"Thank you so much for dinner, Grace," I thanked her.

"Of course, Ana," she replied, "I really do mean it. You're welcome here anytime."

Christian's dad excused himself and Mia ran up to her room saying she needed to get tomorrow's outfit for school ready.

Grace started to clear the table, so I insisted, "Let me help you clean up, Grace."

"That's okay, Ana," she refused. "Christian, why don't you finish showing Ana around the house."

Christian nodded at her and led me out of the dining room. He showed me the movie room, gym, wine cellar, and all the other rooms.

The last room he showed me was the living room with a gorgeous Steinway grand piano as the centerpiece of the room.

"Do you play?" I asked while motioning to the piano.

"I've been playing ever since I was six," he responded.

"Can you play me something?" I asked hopefully.

"Sure," he replied and took a seat on the piano bench.

I took a seat next to him, and he began to play a beautiful tune – Clair de Lune by Debussy.

I got lost in the music, watching his hands expertly glide over the ivory keys.

When he played the final note I commented, "That was beautiful, Christian."

His gaze met mine and I got lost in his blue eyes. I rested my hand on top of his and felt a surge of electricity run through my veins. His face kept inching closer to mine, and my heart started pounding. Was he going to kiss me?! I think so! I closed my eyes expecting to feel his lips on mine, but instead, he jerked his head back and faked a cough.

We both pretended like that almost-kiss never happened and giggled at the awkwardness.

I checked the time on my phone and said, "It's getting late. I should probably head home."

He replied, "I can drop you off at home now and take you to school tomorrow morning."

Disappointed that he didn't kiss me, I simply said, "Sure."

Christian's POV

As I drove Ana home, I couldn't help but think of that moment at the piano. You chickened out Grey! You should've fucking kissed her. God, I really wanted those to feel those full, pouty lips on mine, but I got too nervous.

As much as I wanted to kiss her, I was still reluctant because of all my issues. Anastasia was too good for someone like me. I was fucked up on the inside and out. She deserved someone better than me, but I was already too attached to her to let her go.

Ana gave me the directions back to her apartment and I pulled up right in front of the building. She waved goodbye to me and I told her I would see her tomorrow, bright and early.

Throughout the silent car ride, I couldn't tell what she was thinking. Was she disappointed that I didn't kiss her? Did she even want me to kiss her in the first place? Fuck! Who knows!

She sure looked like she wanted me to kiss her… Or was I reading the situation wrong? When she put her hand on mine, I felt my heart jump out of my chest and fire coarse through my veins. Did she feel the same way? God, I hope she did.

When I got home, I jumped in the shower and went to bed, exhausted from today's events.

Ana's POV

After Christian dropped me off at home, I immediately texted Kate to tell her what happened today.

Ana: You'll never guess what happened today

Kate: What?!

Ana: I went to Christian's house so he could help me with math. We almost kissed!
At least I think we did

Kate: OMG girl! He's so into you. Why didn't you guys actually kiss?

Ana: I think he got too nervous. Our faces were literally centimeters away from each other

Kate: Invite him to the party tomorrow night. Maybe you'll have another chance there ;)

Ana: You're a genius Kate

Kate: I know :)