A/N: Hi guys :-) Thank you, thank you, thank you! I don't know what else to say. Your support for this story really blew me away. I cannot thank all of you enough! I also realised that there are quite a few readers from germany here, so ... Danke für eure Unterstützung und lieben Worte. Viele liebe Grüße aus dem Ruhrpott :-) Since I haven't heard anything from FF, I think it's safe to say that this story won't be deleted and I can continue The Wild Ones here on FF.
I'm sorry if I haven't responded to all of the PM's so far but my inbox is so full, I'm still trying to find the time to respond to everyone, but between family, job, two dogs, a big house and five ongoing stories it's not that easy to find any extra time, but I'm getting there and I hope by the end of the week I'll have all PM's answered.
I've read all your reviews and 99.9 percent want a HEA with Ana and Christian as couple, so that's what will happen. About Ana and Elliot dating, that seems to be a big no-go for most of my readers, so I won't go there. Well, not in this story anyway, but maybe one day I'll write a one-shot or short story about them as I love Elliot almost as much as Christian ;-)
So a big thank you again for all your support and now on to chapter 9...
Ana
I wake up the next morning and it takes me a couple of seconds to find out where I am. But then I see the painting of a naked woman on the wall facing the bed and I know where I am. Elliot's guest room.
I wish I would be in my bedroom, because that would mean yesterday was a bad dream. I have no idea whether I should laugh or cry about what happened yesterday. My first inclination was to cry and to hope that Christian would come back and comfort me. Then I realised how pathetic that was and with every passing second I got madder until I started to fear that Christian would return and the whole situation would escalate. That in turn resulted in me giving myself a massive panic attack making me fear I wouldn't survive it this time. In my panic I called Elliot. Thank god I decided to give him a set of spare keys for my apartment. He was by my side within 15 minutes and managed to calm me down.
Of course, he wanted to know what happened, but all I told him was that Christian stopped by and we locked horns again. I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth, because I knew he would have gone to the penthouse to beat Christian to a pulp for that one. They are brothers, I don't want them to get into a fight over me, not just because I know Christian would never forgive Elliot if Elliot would attack him, but I know that in the long haul Elliot couldn't live with himself either.
I get up and take a shower before I get dressed. Most people need comfort food when they are upset, I on the other hand need comfort clothes. When I'm upset I want at least feel totally comfortable in my clothes, so I'm glad that Elliot who packed for me took a pair of dark jeans, tank top, a hoodie and chucks from my closet. I braid my hair and get downstairs, but Elliot is nowhere to be seen. I look around in his open living room with kitchen and find a note on the breakfast bar.
Taking your dogs out, will buy some bagels on my way. Coffee is ready. Elliot.
I smile at the note, but instead of coffee I decide to have an orange juice. I find a bottle of orange juice in the fridge and pour myself a glass. When I sit down I wince. Damn it, I'm sore. Great just another unpleasant reminder of Christian, I think to myself just as Elliot's phone starts to ring. At first I think about answering the call, but I don't know if Elliot would like it if I would answer his phone, so I wait until I hear the answering machine.
"Hey this is Elliot Grey, please leave a message." comes Elliot's voice from the speaker on the answering machine and next I hear a voice I really didn't want to hear this morning.
"Elliot, it's me Christian. Look, I know that Ana is at your place. I stopped by her apartment this morning and she still wasn't here. I don't know what she has told you, but I fucked up, big time. Please, tell her to call me. Bye."
Call him? Yeah, right. Probably so he can yell it me for not making it even more clear that I am ... or was a virgin. The last thing I want right now is to talk to Christian. Just because he knows the truth now, doesn't mean that I am going to forgive him anytime soon. Plus, I know that if I see him now, I am going to lose it, big time.
15 minutes later Elliot returns and looks at me. "What is wrong?"
"Christian called, he left a message on your answering machine. He wants me to call him."
"And?"
"Nothing, I'm not going to call him. I don't want to see him or talk to him."
"Okay, look I don't want to pressure you into telling me anything, but I would really like to know what exactly happened yesterday. Do you want me to call him?"
I sigh, I know all Elliot wants is to help me, but I don't want to put this on him. "It's okay, Christian was just his usual asshole self. Come on let's have breakfast, I'm starving."
Elliot looks at me like he wants to say more, but in the ends he nods, we have breakfast and he drives me and my dogs back home.
"I'm coming up with you, I think it's time to have a little chat with my brother. He has to stop upsetting you at any given chance." Elliot says as we get out of the car and I cringe inwardly.
"It's okay, Elliot, really."
"No, it's not little one, so let's go." He gives me a look that tells me there is no way to change his mind about it, so I give up and get into the elevator with him.
As the doors of the elevator open at my floor open I gasp. There are 6 vases with the most beautiful flowers outside of my apartment and standing there is Christian holding another bouquet of flowers in his hands.
"Ana ... I've been waiting for you, those are for you" he says and hands me the flowers.
"Just go, Christian. There is nothing I want to talk about with you" I mutter without looking at him.
"Please Ana, I know that there is no apology for what I have done yesterday. But please, at least give me a chance to explain myself. I'll do what ever you want."
"Great, I want you to leave me alone. The time to talk was yesterday when you decided to just leave, now it's too late!" I snap.
"Look, I ... I was shocked, I don't even know myself what I was thinking. But I will do what ever it takes for you to forgive me." his voice sounds so desperate I almost expect him to drop to his knees and beg me for forgiveness, but only thinking about yesterday and all the other times since I am back when he insulted me is enough to ignore his desperate tone.
"Christian, what part of leave me alone don't you understand?"
He looks at me as if he is trying to find anything he could do to make me forgive him. "Look Ana, I'm an ass, I know, but I can make it up to you. I know I can, just give me a chance. You ... you like to go to the beach, right? I'll buy you your own island, would you like that?"
Oh my god! Tell me he did not just try to freaking buy my forgiveness. Okay, now I'm officially mad.
"Are you out of your mind, Christian? What is wrong with you? You think you can buy my forgiveness? Why not just hand me fifty bucks for a quick fuck in a corner somewhere? You are disgusting! Leave! Leave me the fuck alone" In my rage I start to hit him with the flowers he handed me earlier making him walk backwards towards the elevator until his back is against the doors. I drop the flowers, push the button for the elevator.
"Ana, please..."
"No, not Ana please! I begged you to stay and you just left me there. And you can't even apologize without fucking it up. I don't know what is wrong with you, but I don't want to see you until you a have managed to get your shit together." I hiss at him turn around and stalk towards my door still fuming and when I see the other flowers around my door I turn back around.
"And all of those flowers better be gone the next time I leave my apartment, understand?" I yell at him and unlock my door. "I'm sorry, Elliot, but I need to be alone." I mutter get in with my dogs and slam the door shut. I sink to the floor and rest my head on my knees.
No wonder it is so difficult to get an appointment with John, Christian probably needs 90 percent of his time, if he is really trying to work on his issues. I really don't know what to do. It's like Christian has become one giant anxiety trigger for me. Either I end up throwing my guts out or I lose it and don't even realise what I am saying until it is out of my mouth.
The only thing I really know right now is that I need time to myself. If my parent's anniversary wasn't just two weeks away and I had a shitload of things to do until then, I would just pack my bags and leave Seattle for a while. But as it is, all I can do is to wait and see if Christian is going to respect my wishes and gives me some time to think this through. If not, I have no idea what is going to happen next...
Elliot's POV
I stare at my brother who is standing by the elevator like a beaten dog. Hell, Ana might be only 5'2, but after seeing her as angry as she was even I wouldn't want to be on her bad side. Still, I have no idea what happened last night, but I am sure a fuck not leaving until Christian tells me what is going on.
"Come on bro, let's take these flowers and get up to your penthouse." I mutter and grab four of the vases.
"Wait, maybe she wants them later" Christian says with hope in his voice.
"Christian, honestly? Haven't you listened to her at all? She wants you to leave her alone, if she leaves her apartment and sees those flowers, it is only going to piss her off even more. So, take the rest of those flowers and let's get to your place." Finally he nods grabs the two remaining vases and the flowers from the floor and we get into the elevator.
Once in his penthouse I follow him into his study and we sit down. "Has Ana told you about last night?"
"No, she wasn't exactly in a state to talk much last night"
"What, why? What was wrong with her?" He looks like he is sick with worry and I actually feel bad for him, but I am not going to go behind Ana's back by telling him about her panic attacks.
"Look bro, I can't tell you, but believe me. Ana has her own issues and your behavior in the last weeks hasn't helped her to get any better."
"But she is alone now, is it okay for her to be alone or does she need help?"
"Christian, if she needs help, she will call me. So, now tell me what happened last night?"
He gets up and pours himself a brandy. "Do you want one, too?"
"No thanks bro, and you shouldn't drink either, it's not even noon."
"Believe me, if you want me to recall my colossal fuck up from last night, I'm going to need this."
I shrug and he sits down again staring at the tumbler in his hands. "I had no idea that Ana had moved to Escala. So, when I saw her in the elevator yesterday and she told Ros that she lives here I got pissed. I had dinner with Ros, we talked about the company I want to buy and some other business and when she left I decided to talk to Ana. I mean, why the fuck did she have to move to Escala out of all places in Seattle?"
I snort. "Really bro? Let's see, first Ana is a young, single woman, so clearly she would want to choose a safe area and building when she buys her first apartment. Second, it is close to campus. Third it's one of the most modern buildings in Seattle..."
"Okay, okay, I get it. You are right, but yesterday it just fueled my anger, so I decided to confront her. I went to her floor, knocked and she let me in. I made some remark about her apartment and she told me you helped her with the move and everything. I ... I asked her if she is fucking you now, too."
Fuck, he did not just say that. I get up and start to pace the room. "Are you kidding me. What's next Christian, do you think I would fuck Mia, too or maybe even Anya?" I hiss and run both hands through my hair.
"No, christ, Elliot. Mia is our sister, that's completely different."
"Not to me it isn't, Christian. We grew up together, for me there is no difference between Mia, Ana and Anya. If anyone would ask me I would tell him I have three little sisters, because that's how I feel about Ana and Anya. Fuck, I would feel like pervert even thinking about having sex with Ana. Let me guess, she didn't take that question very well?"
He hangs his head. "No, she didn't. She was pretty mad at me and she ...fuck Elliot, she told me she is still a virgin and I did not believe her, instead I got mad, too. And then I lost it. I wanted her so bad for so long and I just grabbed her and kissed her. I thought she would push me away or even slap me again, instead she kissed me back. She wanted it as much as I wanted it and in that moment I thought ... I thought if she has fucked so many guys that I want her too and I got carried away. Before I could even think about it I had her on the kitchen floor, my dick pulled out of pants and ... fuck Elliot, she tried to tell me to go slow, but it was too late and the moment I entered her and realised that she really was a virgin ... I ... I went into shock. I realised how badly I had fucked up ... Ana had tears running down her face and when I looked into her eyes I could see that she could not believe I would do that to her, take her like this and I panicked, I didn't know what to do. So like the asshole I am I got up and just left her there. She wanted me to stay, but I couldn't all my instincts told me to run. I took me until I was up here and finally started to think about it I went back to her apartment, but she was already at your place."
I stare at my brother. No wonder Ana didn't want to tell me what happened. Fuck, for the first time in my life I want to beat the living shit out of my brother. But I can't, even to this day I still sometimes see him as the lost little boy my parents brought home all those years ago, and right now he looks just as lost as he did back then. Fuck it, I need to hit something or else I won't be able listen to him anymore. And so I punch the door and leave a hole in it.
"So and now do tell, what the fuck possessed you to take a girl you have known for all your life like a hooker, fuck I wouldn't even treat a hooker that way. Man, way to make a girl feel special and you really just left her on the floor? Jesus Christ, that is probably the biggest fuck up in the history of fuck ups, you really did it this time bro!"
"Don't you think I know that? Help me Elliot! How do I make Ana forgive me? I have no idea what to do and as you just saw the moment I open my fucking mouth I only make things worse."
I look at him and this time I smirk. "Well, first don't show up and buy her things she could use as a potential weapon against you. By the way you still have some petals in your hair."
He runs his hands through his hair and shakes his head. "Hell, I never thought that Ana could go off the deep end like that." he mutters more to himself than to me.
"Yeah, well I guess she never got insulted and treated like shit by you before. Damn, that's such a mess. You have some serious groveling to do before Ana is going to forgive you. Especially seeing that she had a crush..." fuck I shut my mouth immediately. Damn it, I did not want to tell him this.
"She had a crush? On whom?" Okay, whatever before he makes more stupid ass assumptions I might as well tell him.
"On you, you idiot. How could you not notice that Ana had it bad for you for years. I noticed it years ago, actually that girl had a crush on you before she even knew what having a crush on someone even meant."
"No, you must be wrong."
"Nope, I am not. Ask Mia if you don't believe me. Girls talk and all, but anyway. You must have noticed that you were always Ana's favorite person in the world. Don't you remember how she learned to walk?"
He frowns and shakes his head. "Well, that let me tell you. Carla stopped by with Cooper and Ana. You, Cooper and I were playing with toy cars and Mia and Ana were sitting on a blanket. Mom and Carla asked me to watch Ana and Mia for moment as they wanted to get a snack and something to drink for us. So, I sat down with them and while Mia was playing with some ball with a bell in it Ana was staring at you trying to get your attention, but you didn't even look at her. She pulled herself up using a chair next to the blanket and with a look of utter determination she started to wabble towards you, plopped down next to you and started to clap her hands happy as shit that she managed to get closer to you. And from that moment on, she was your little shadow and don't tell me you forgot that as a kid Ana would always follow you around. That girl adored you from day one, that's why she holds such a grudge when ever you hurt her."
"Like the time she didn't speak to me for months after I lied to her about my drinking habit as a teenager." he mutters deep in thoughts.
"Yep, like that. And this time you did not just lie to her. You insulted her at any given chance and yesterday, well fuck bro, you better come up with a really good plan to pull yourself out of that mess."
Now he gets up and starts to pace "Don't you think I know that, but how am I supposed to make it up to her if she doesn't want to see me?"
"You need to give her some time, let her calm down, Christian. Wait like four or five days, then send her a text. If she replies that's a good sign, if not take the hint and give her more time. And while you are waiting you are going to talk to Cooper. You turned him against her, now you know the truth so fix it."
"Okay, yes I can do that. What else?"
"Jesus bro? Have you ever dated before?" I ask him frustrated with his lack of empathy for women.
"You want to know the truth?" he asks and I nod. But what he starts to tell me over the following hour is not what I had expected. That fucking old hag Elena Lincoln seduced him to become her sex slave and after six years of getting whipped, caned, humiliated and fucked by her he moved on to become a Dominant himself. All the while Elena had her claws in him and manipulated him. Christ, she fed him lies with a spoon and like a good little slave he swallowed them all. I have no idea what to do or say. Damn it, I want to seriously hurt Elena Lincoln and at the same time I want to kick myself. Had I told my parents that she came on to when I was 14 maybe none of this would have happened to my brother. And to top it all, he is in love with Ana and right now she doesn't even want to look at him. In this moment I know my brother needs my help. He has no idea how to deal with this situation and will probably fuck it up for good with Ana if I don't try to get him on the right way.
"Okay, fuck me, I have no idea how, but I am going to help you fix this. Grab a notepad and a pen!"
"What?"
"You are going to write down what I am going to tell you." I tell him and he rolls his eyes but grabs a notepad and a pen.
"Good, first do not, and I mean under any circumstances contact Elena Lincoln, you don't meet with her, call her, take her calls or have any contact with her at all. If you see her walking down the street, you go into the other direction, understand?"
"I'm not planning on ever seeing her again. She lied to me, she is a criminal and a pedophile, I'm done with her!" he tries to defend himself.
"Ever heard of something called the Stockholm Syndrome? Just avoid her, so she can't suck you in with her lies again." I stare at him until he writes it down and I continue.
"Second, visit Cooper and tell him that you were wrong, do not tell him what you did yesterday or else you might end up losing all your teeth, he doesn't need to know everything, just the important part and that is you were wrong and you both should be ashamed of yourselves for treating Ana like that."
"Okay, when comes the part where I can see Ana?"
"Wait for it, third you will not try to contact Ana for the next couple of days. Give her time, if you do so she will calm down and you are showing her that you are willing to respect her wishes."
"I'm not sure about that Elliot, what if she thinks I just don't care?"
"She won't, that is why I told you to send a text after a couple of days to test the waters. Also, sit down and write a letter for her. You will probably fuck it up with your temper if you talk to her in person. Write her a letter, not on your computer, but in handwriting, women like that. Explain what happened and apologize, you can not apologize enough, got it?"
"Good, what else?"
"That kinky room you talked about, show me."
"Why?"
"Well, since you still have that room, I assume at one point you want Ana in there, I want to make sure there is nothing in there that makes her run for the hills."
He looks not happy at all, but I'm not backing down on this. I'm not wasting my time trying to get them together if he fucks it up again the moment he shows her his kinky ass fuck room. Finally he leads me up the stairs and unlocks a door. I walk in and look around. Most of the things aren't that bad, but then I see all those whips and canes and shit.
"Okay bro, those belts and whips and canes, they have to go."
"I wouldn't use them on Ana anyway" he tries to defend himself.
"Well, then why keep them? Believe me they do not make this room look cozy or anything, get rid of that shit or Ana will probably run for the hills."
"Fine, I'll remove them. What about the rest?"
"I don't know, you have to figure out what Ana likes, show her the room and wait for her reaction, but for pity sake do not just use something on her without asking her first. If you want to have any chance to have a relationship with Ana you need to see her as your equal. Ask for opinion and if she says no, it's no and not okay I'm trying to convince her later. You have to earn her trust again, so don't do something that makes her think you don't respect her wishes and opinion. And bro, I am going to be very clear about this, if those canes and shit don't go and I ever find out you used them on Ana, you will have to deal with me. Just think about how you would feel if Mia would meet someone who wanted to use that shit on her." Hearing me say that he actually cringes, but I have to make that clear, hitting a girl with that shit, even if she wants it, is wrong. I know that is just my opinion, but I was raised to protect and respect women and I wouldn't hit a women no matter what.
After getting back into his study I give him some more advise on how to get Ana to forgive him and after we had lunch together I leave while Christian drives over to Cooper's to talk to him. Hell, I really hope Ana and Christian can somehow overcome this mess and be happy together. They deserve it, so I will try my best to help them get there...
I have to update FSOHT first, so I probably won't be able to update until Thursday...