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Christian Pov
As I sit in this waiting room I can't deny how helpless I am. I figured I could call Ray, then I figured the hospital already did that so I called the next most important person in Ana's life, Kate. My thoughts in regard for Ms Kavanagh where no secret. I believe she was entirely to self assure, in a way that was entirely unappealing. Yet my brother Elliot was bewildered by her. Taking my phone from my suit jacket, I see a strew of missed calls. Mostly business and 1 from Taylor. I didn't have the time nor emotional capacity to care. I wanted to focus on Ana, and I know she would want her best friend here wither I like it or not.
"Hey bro whats up" Elliot said in that careless tone he had always had. I didn't have Kate's number but I knew Elliot was with her. I take a few deep breathes in order to compose myself.
"I need to talk to Kate" my voice sounding off but not as bad as I truly was. Elliot must have been able to sense how off putting I sounded and handed the phone to Ms Kavanagh.
"Umm, hi?" Kate asked, obviously confused by my request. I needed to focus, there wasn't much I could do for Ana but I was hell bent to do what I could.
"You need to get on the 1st flight home, I'll purchase the airfare if need be." I said my voice firming as I was starting to feel my natural urge to control kick in.
"What the hell why?!" Kate asked sounding almost offended at my demands. I was trying to avoid saying it. The words that ached in my heart and echoed in my head.
"Ana was shot." I said tears slowly streaming down my face, at this point I wasn't wiping them away anymore. The other end of the call was deafeningly silent.
"What the fuck did you say to her!?" Elliot was back. He clearly didn't her what I told Kate so I was forced yet again to say it. I wondered in that moment if there was possibly another sentence in the human language that could sicken me more, then talking about Ana getting shot.
"Ana was shot, an ex of mine had a psychotic fucking breakdown tracked down Ana and fucking shot her." I said crying yet again. I hated talking about it. I hated crying so much. I always found this of emotional out burst to be weak, but now I felt all the pain and it was all to real. I had nothing more to say to Elliot or Kate so I hung up. I wondered what was keeping my mother so long. Did she find Ana, is she okay or is it bad really bad, like the kind of bad that I would forever live in this emotional hell. Checking my watch I see she has been gone for 15 minutes. My hand begins to twitch with the urge to call her. Just something, anything. God I was loosing my mind! Just then my mother emerged and her face that of a doctor, totally impassive and unable to read. I rushed my steps in order to reach her quicker. God I was mess.
" She is in surgery now. They are trying to extract the bullet , but its seem to have fragmented which is posing them quiet an issue." my mother said.
"What, what does that mean? Will she be ok ?" Do people live thru that?! How does a bullet break? Bile began to rise in my throat.
"Depends on the bullet, they want to remove it all to avoid complications due to its location, it could hit a vital organ." Ok, now even I knew that that was pretty serious. I didn't feel anymore. I was so numb to the world around me. I needed her like I needed to breathe. I should have told her more. I should have loved her more, shown her I loved her more, said I loved her more. She was perfect for me and I should have treasured her more. She deals with all my baggage, and what does she get in return? Shot she gets shot. Her life was in the balance because of me. I was the reason this happened. I should have had a better handle on the Leila situation. I could have done more. I couldn't breathe. The guilt was all consuming I had to go. I ran. I had to go I needed to get out. My mind was blank and my legs where just caring me. Hoping in the SUV, which I had so hastily parked, I drove. I had to get away, I couldn't allow myself to be around wither she lived or died because I was responsible. I didn't deserve her anymore.
Ray's Pov
Setting my boots down, I swung open the fridge in search of a cold beer after a long days work, well it was just fishing but required effort so I''ll settle for work. I was startled when my phone rang. No one calls me, ever. Looking at the caller ID I saw it was a Settle number. Must be Annie.
"Hey ," my voice relaxed and off guard. I enjoyed talking to Annie. I worry about her in that big city with that big business man she is with.
"Is this Mr Raymond Steele?" a woman asked, this wasn't Annie much to my dismay.
"Yes," I answered wondering why such the formality .
"This is Jackie Watson at the Settle Memorial Hospital, Anastasia was brought in moments ago, with a gun shot wound. She is in surgery now. Your her emergency contact." the woman chimed, as if my entire world didn't just stop. As if she broke hearts for a living. Her words still echoing in my head, I can't wrap my mind around this.
"That's impossible, who would, why would, how could?!" I had so many questions and my brain couldn't form a single one of them.
"Mr Steele, if you would like to come down to the hospital. The police and doctors can answer your questions." I hung up. Who would shoot my little girl? What the hell was she getting herself into? Then I knew deep down in my gut, it had to do with that guy I saw her with. What was his name? Grey! What the hell did he get my daughter into. Annie was always smart, she'd never get herself into something like this. Hopping in my truck I took off. I was zooming. My mind was racing.
My mind filled with memories. Like when I taught her to ride a bike, or fish. When she brought home her first boyfriend. Or how gorgeous she looked on her prom night. She was my greatest joy, and I didn't know it was possible to love a child that's not even yours the way I loved Annie. I was thankful she had allowed me to fill in as her father. I've never told her that. I didn't tell Annie a lot of things. I assumed she was smart enough, she knew. Then it hit me and I wondered then if all those memories where all I had left to hold onto. As a lump in my throat rise, my foot when further on the gas.
Christians Pov :
I was just 5 miles out side of Settle, when my phone buzzed and buzzed. I wanted to ignore it, I needed too. The reality was I terrified of loosing her because that meant loosing everything. I had caused her all this pain, and I didn't ,no , I couldn't hurt her anymore. When the buzzing wouldn't stop I answered.
"Grey," my voice had regained all its strength and control. I shutter inwardly that I could sound so ok and inside being torn apart.
"Christian, where the hell are you ?!" I was annoyed at my mother's interrogation.
"I can't. I can't sit there and wait for Ana to die and know that I'm the reason" I said allowing my words to sink in.
"Christian Grey, this is not the man I raised. Yes, the woman you love is hurt, but you don't run away. If you love this woman you will fight for her. She is weak, and you need to be strong for her, no matter what that means." Her words where all too true.
"What if she dies.." I ask saying my greatest fear out loud.
"I don't know, but could you forgive yourself if you weren't here and something did happen?" I knew I couldn't. Live or die I couldn't stay away, or forgive myself if I walked away.
