Sorry for the delay, since my kids are with my parents at my aunt's farm for ten days I decided to accompany my hubby on a last-minute business trip to London. I only now had the time to go online to post the new chapter...
Oh and I know how much most of you want Christian back in the story, but since it will be at least one or two more chapters before he is back, I decided to put a tiny little treat in this chapter, which is working perfectly with the storyline...
Ana
Gideon and I are in his private jet on our way to visit my mom and Bob in Georgia. I've never been on a private jet and all I can say is that it feels like I am in a freaking flying apartment. We are in the main cabin and it has a huge U-shaped sofa a coffee table with a chessboard in the middle, a bar, two more tables with three chairs surrounding them and a freaking fireplace. The color theme is black and white, all very modern and classy. Gideon also showed me the bathroom, that is big enough to house two sinks, a huge tub, a top of the range shower with all sorts of options I haven't even heard of so far and a small sauna. I mean come on, he has a sauna on a plane, that's just crazy. The jet also has a very large master bedroom as well as a smaller one for guests.
Only seeing all of this was a bit overwhelming and then Gideon told me that he owns 6 of theses jets total, and that when ever I wanted to go somewhere all I have to do is tell him and I can use one of them. I had no idea what to say, so I joked that I would take him up on that offer as soon as I find a guy with whom I want to join the mile high club. Let's just say Gideon didn't think it was funny and he told me in no uncertain ways that what ever guy I wanted to date in the future would be vetted by his security first, because I am now a rich young lady and with that come men who only want to get their hands on my money.
I hadn't even thought about that before, but of course, he is right. But since I am not planning on having a date any time soon, I'll think about it later.
Now, we are in the main cabin and I look at Gideon who seems to get increasingly more nervous the longer we are in the air.
"Are you okay, Gideon?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Because you seem to be nervous."
"I... maybe this wasn't the best idea, Ana. Family gatherings haven't exactly been very pleasant for me in the past."
"Well, it's just you, my mom, her husband and I, Bob will probably talk about golf a lot, while my mom is going to cook up a storm for Thanks Giving. All we have to do is to chill out and have a good time. I for one won't even change out of my pajamas for a week." I tell him with a wink and he chuckles.
"I hope you are not planning on wearing the same pajama for seven days, because if that's the case I won't come anywhere near you and ask aunt Carla if you can have your Thanks Giving meal in the kitchen and not with us at the table." he jokes and seems to relax a little.
An hour later we land in Savannah and as soon as the door of the jet is open I see my mother standing at the side of the tarmac.
"A little warning, my mom is a hugger" I tell Gideon as we leave the jet and we are not even down the stairs when my mom starts to run toward us and pulls me into a hug as soon as she has reached me.
"Oh darling, you look so much better than the last time we have seen each other. I was worried, but look at you now" she says and before I can answer her she has turned her attention to Gideon.
"Look at you... my god so handsome, just like your dad" my mom says and ignoring that Gideon stiffens by the mere mention of his father she pulls him into a hug. She steps back to hold him at arm's length and if I am not mistaken not only my mom, but Gideon too has tears in his.
"It's good to see you again, aunt Carla."
"We won't wait this long to see each other again, okay? I want you to know that my house is always open for you. I want you to feel at home with us... now let's go home. I've cooked all morning we can eat right after you two had time to unpack and freshen up." My mom says and both Gideon and I attempt to move towards the car, but my mom is standing in front of us looking at us with a huge smile.
"Geoffrey would be so proud if he could see you two. Believe me Gideon, no matter what Elizabeth or my parents have told you, Geoffrey was a good man and he loved you with all his heart." my mom says and I can sense how uncomfortable Gideon with this topic is.
"Mom, I am hungry, can we leave now?" I ask and she nods, but just as we reach the car I have the weirdest feeling, turn around and nearly bump into Gideon when I see the private jet on the second taxiway that has just landed. Because on the side of the jet are three letters in huge capitals. GEH and underneath it a little smaller it says Grey Enterprises Holdings.
For a moment I feel sick. "Ana? You alright?" I faintly hear Gideon's voice and turn to look at him.
"I... I... I don't know I am feeling a little dizzy" I murmur and before I can say anymore he has lifted me up in his arms and is carrying me over to the car while I still stare over his shoulder to the jet. Even in the car I can't take my eyes of it and just when we drive away I see him. Christian getting out of the jet, he is standing at the top of the stairs and just stares at the car. In this moment I am eternally thankful for the heavily tinted windows, but still I feel like he is staring directly at me and I am only able to look away when I can no longer see him.
"Here sweetheart, eat this" I hear my mom and she hands me a granola bar from her purse, but I am not sure I can keep anything down right now and of course a very paranoid little part of me thinks that Christian is only here because of me. Please, please don't let this be true...
Back at my mom's house I finally manage to calm down a little. He wanted to do business here and he couldn't have known that I would be here, much less so when I would arrive, so it must be coincidence. So, after taking a shower I change and make my way to the other guest room.
"Come in" I hear Gideon's voice when I knock and find him putting on a sweater when I enter the room.
"Hey, I just wanted to warn you, my mom's cooking is a hit or miss kind of thing. Sometimes it's delicious, but most of the time it's pretty gross, but don't worry I have meds for heartburn, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, light food poisoning and gas with me." I say and his eyes widen in horror.
"Do I even want to try it?"
"Well... the thing is she loves to cook, so she will be pretty disappointed if no one eats, but she goes to bed early and if the food is gross we will just meet Bob in the garage and order a pizza."
"Wow, now I am actually scared to try the food."
"Don't be, so far she's never managed to kill someone... well, the cat was old anyway, I am sure it had nothing to do with the tiny bits of my mom's pork roast she had only minutes before she died" I say deadpan and his mouths drops open.
"Gotcha!" I giggle and he throws a pillow at me.
"So there was no cat?"
"No, but you should have seen your face" I laugh
"Funny, really but oh hey, if the food kills me I guess you won't be laughing if you find yourself as the new owner of Cross Industries." he says and strolls towards the door.
"WHAT? This is a joke right?" My voice is so high-pitched it sounds terrible even for my own ears.
"No, I was planning on telling you later, but I guess now is as good a time as any. Basically my lawyers were pestering me to make my will for years. I was avoiding it because I really didn't know whom to put in. Now all goes to Ireland and you, since she is a minor you have to take the full responsibility until she's 21." he says that so nonchalantly as if he was talking about the freaking weather and not a multi billion dollar company.
"Can you do me a favor?" I ask shocked.
"Sure."
"Don't die, okay, like not ever or at least until I'm six feet under." I beg and he laughs.
"Good for you that I have no intention to die any time soon."
"Perfect" I mutter and we make our way downstairs.
The food was actually really good and it made my mom happy that we all even managed to eat a second helping of the mango chicken she made for dinner.
The next morning Gideon decided to play golf with Bob, who was completely giddy to have someone who likes golf as much as he does. My mom and I decided to go shopping. I needed new clothes anyway now that my weight is slowly becoming normal again and because I know that my mom is totally obsessed when it comes to shoes and bags I bought her Tory Burch wedges with a matching bag and a pair of black suede Louboutains. She even managed to talk me into buying me the same pair of Louboutains for myself. I can't even walk in them, mainly because I am too scared to break my ankle. But according to my mom shoes like these are mainly for events where one can sit most of the time or simply to look at them. Hmm... shoes... I'll never get it.
But since we are going to meet Bob and Gideon at the golf club later for dinner I also bought a very nice dress and some jewelry for myself. I nearly expired when I saw the price, but then I reminded myself that I can afford it now and my heart rate went back to normal. Still, I don't think that I will ever become fully comfortable with the fact that I am a millionaire now.
In the evening we meet with Gideon and Bob at the club, but the entire time while I listen to the three of them having a god time and laughing over silly stories from Gideon's childhood my mom still remembers, I feel like someone is staring a hole in the back of my head. Of course, every time I turn around there is no one even looking my way, but after an hour I can't take it any longer. I excuse myself and make my way to the rest room.
Inside I wash my hands and stare at myself in the mirror. "Get a grip, Ana!" I hiss at my reflection in the mirror just when two women come in and I overhear their conversation while re-applying my lipstick.
"Oh my gosh, can you believe it, first Gideon Cross is here and now Christian Grey, too" One of them gushes and I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Maybe I should just leave... and as I think about it I am starting to get angry. He treated me so poorly and now when I am finally starting to get better he still has so much power over me. In this moment I decide this has to stop. I won't spent the rest of my life being a push over and so I come up with a plan. I make my way to the bar and give the bartender my most winning smile. He comes over to me and smiles back.
"How can I help you Ma'am?"
"A friend of mine is having dinner here, Christian Grey. I don't want to interrupt his dinner and my friend and he are not on the best of terms." I nod over to Gideon and the bartender nods.
"So, would you mind giving him a note from me?"
"We usually don't do that, but I can understand that those two moguls don't get along well, two big fishes in a small pond and all that." he says and hands me a notepad and a pen.
"Thank you, oh do you have Bollinger Grand Année Rose?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Please bring him a glass of it with the note."
"Oh... um... we only sell it by the bottle Ma'am."
"No problem, just bring the bottle to my table." I take my black Amex out and while he gets the champagne I write a short note saying:
Stop staring at me, asswipe!
Yours truly,
Ana
I quickly fold the note and hand it to the bartender. While he takes it to a table that is hidden behind an enormous potted plant I make my way back to table. It takes about 30 seconds when we hear a commotion behind us and all turn around only to see Christian storming out of the dining room with Taylor right behind him and when Taylor stares at me for a second I can't help myself and smirk at him. He glares back and follows his boss outside.
"Ana wasn't that Christian Grey?" my mom murmurs... oh shit, Gideon can't know that I dated him.
"I don't know, but I am sure Kate told me he is spending Thanks Giving with his family." I lie.
"Wait you know Christian Grey?" Gideon asks.
"He is the brother of my friend Kate's fiancé Elliot." I simply answer. Technically, that's not a lie I just left some parts of my past with Christian out and just that second the waiter arrives with the Bollinger and I give a small toast to our new family bonds. And with that Christian is no longer mentioned and we all enjoy the rest of the evening. I have to say, that this note and his reaction gave me even more satisfaction than slapping him at SIP...
A day later my mom had a special surprise for Gideon and I. She has kept tons of pictures and some home videos of Gideon and our father. It was weird seeing my biological father for the first time. He looked so much like Gideon and just from watching the videos it was so obvious that he loved Gideon with all his heart. He must have been absolutely desperate to take his own life and I am convinced that Elizabeth Vidal had her hands in it either she pushed him into committing suicide or ... no I don't even want to go there.
Since watching all those videos took us until late in the evening we all went to bed after finishing the last one. I've noticed that Gideon seemed to be deep in thoughts, maybe this was the first time he heard someone speak highly of our father and the videos and pictures were just a lot for him to take in. I think about this until I am so tired that I drift off into a deep sleep.
There is the most pained, desperate scream that pulls me from my sleep and I sit up in bed. Have I dreamt the scream? I think in my sleep drunken state of mind, but then I hear it again and I know that it is Gideon. I jump out of bed and hurry out of my bedroom. In the hallway I nearly crash into my mom and Bob who are also alarmed by Gideon's screaming.
Bob opens the door and I gasp. Gideon is having a nightmare, he is screaming in his dream for someone to stop hurting him and that he does not want to be touched. It's horrible he is twisting and turning in the bed in a vain attempt to buck something or someone off him. I am rooted to the spot, not able to move. I knew it, I knew that something terrible must have happened to my brother and this nightmare is all the proof that I need.
"Gideon, darling wake up" I hadn't realized that my mom has moved closer to the bed and I want to stop her from touching him, but it's too late, she has grabbed him by the shoulders and the next second he hits her in his sleep and sends her flying against the dresser in the corner.
"Mom" I cry out and Bob is at her side while Gideon is still caught in his nightmare. I have no idea what to do so I scream at the top of my lungs and Gideon wakes up with a start. It takes him all of three seconds to realize what just happened. I am shaking and my mom is still on the floor with Bob checking her for potential injuries. In the blink of an eye he has grabbed some clothes and is out of the room.
"Honey, go after him, don't let him leave." My mom says still a little numbly.
"Mom..."
"I am fine Ana, now please get your brother to come back here, it's the middle of the night." my mom says and so I leave the room and hurry downstairs where I see Gideon leave the house. I follow him, and find him sitting on the porch with his head in his hands.
"Gideon"
"Stay away from me Ana, see this is what I do" he says and if I am not mistaken then he is crying.
"Gideon, please. It was a nightmare you didn't mean to hit my mom." I sit down next to him and rub his back.
"Why are you doing this? Aren't you disgusted with what you saw?" he asks and looks up. He looks so desperate I can't take it to see him like this so I hug him.
"I am not, and why would I... I... just think that there is more to your nightmare." I say and he stiffens.
"You don't have to tell me. I just want you to know that if you want to talk about it, no matter when I am here for you."
He nods slowly, but says nothing. If this woman... his so-called mother didn't protect him from what ever is haunting him even now in his adult life, I am going to kill her.
We continue to sit like this on the porch until we hear footsteps behind us.
"There you are. I was worried you left, darling. Now let's get back inside, it is cold out here." my mom says and Gideon gets up.
"I am sorry, aunt Carla. I didn't mean..." she holds her hand up to stop him.
"It is not your fault, darling. You were having a bad dream I shouldn't have tried to shake you awake. Let's just forget it ever happened. How about I make some cocoa with tiny marshmallows for us before we go to bed. I remember as a small boy it was the only thing that would make you go back to sleep when you had a bad dream" she says and Gideon smiles sheepishly
"Hot cocoa sounds good, aunt Carla."
"Well then let's get inside."
And with that we all go inside and have a hot cocoa before we all go back to bed, but I can't find sleep anymore. Something terrible must have happened to Gideon and from what I saw and what he said while having a nightmare I am sure someone abused him. I can't see anyone even having the guts to try hurting him in any way now that he is an adult. Gideon is packed with muscles, anyone who would try to hurt him would be stupid, which leaves that he was abused as a child as only option. And while I am in my bed staring at the ceiling I send a silent prayer to the heavens that I am wrong...
