A/N: Once again, I found myself listening to a song over and over again, and the only logical thing to do was to write a one-shot lol. Inspiration for this story is The Band Perry's song "Don't Let Me Be Lonely." Enjoy!
A POV
"You've reached Christian Grey. Sorry I can't come to the phone right now so leave a message at the beep.", I hear before hanging up the phone. That was the third time that I tried to call him and got the voicemail. It was also the third time that I chickened out and couldn't leave a message. It's not that I don't know what to say because I know exactly what I want to say. I'm simply having a difficult time translating my feelings into words.
"Please tell me that you left a message that time.", my best friend and roommate Kate says while standing in the doorway with a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. I shake my head and hold my hands out for the frozen treat which has been like my second best friend since I arrived back at our apartment an hour ago following a fight with Christian, my boyfriend. I love that man more than life itself, but he can be the most difficult man in the world at times. "You do realize not leaving a message isn't helping make things better."
"Neither is the way he acted." Kate and I went out to dinner last night and then to a club where a slimy, greasy haired guy started putting the moves on me. Thanks to my dad's insistence that I learn self-defense, the jerk was left in middle of the dance floor with his nuts possibly dislocated courtesy of my knee. The situation was under control until I turned around and saw a pair of furious gray eyes. I jumped in front of Christian in an unsuccessful attempt to stop him from going after the guy. Before I knew what was going on, the entire club was watching Christian pound on the guy who had gained his second wind. It took Christian's bodyguard Taylor and three bouncers to pull them apart.
"What in the hell was that?!", I shouted once we stepped out of the club. "Do you not trust me to take care of myself?"
"I trust you, but I don't trust the guys who are in there waiting to pounce on you. I really don't know why you're so pissed anyway.", he shrugged, taking my hand and attempting to lead me to his waiting car. "Ana, stop being so stubborn."
"This was supposed to be a night for me and my best friend. You swore that you wouldn't interfere with it. You showing up is a clear sign that you don't trust me even though you say that you do. I'm tired."
"Me too baby. It's been a long day so why don't we get out of here and go back to my place where we can curl up and forget about this stupid night."
"I guess that I should make myself clear. I'm tired of wondering if you're going to jump on the guy at the coffee shop just because he tells me to have a nice day."
"It depends on if he's undressing you with his eyes.", he said with a smile that usually has my body on fire in seconds.
"You don't get it, and I don't know if you ever will.", I murmured before walking away with my name being called even though he didn't come after me. Why didn't he follow me and beg me to stay? Because you're the one who walked away! Make your mind up girl!
By the time Kate and I arrived back at our place, it was after midnight, but my body and mind weren't the least bit tired. All I can think about is Christian. He was doing what he does best, protecting, yet being overbearing. When it comes to his work, the man is spilling over with confidence, but he lacks that faith in our relationship.
"I'm going to slowly take away the ice cream so please don't bite me or anything." Kate starts to cautiously approach me with her hands up.
"Why?", I growl. "The ice cream is helping me."
"By adding to your waistline? Ana, the only thing that's going to help you is a call to Christian, and I don't mean a call in which you hang up."
"He's not answering." Admitting defeat, I hand her the ice cream and lay back on the light blue sofa with my eyes looking towards the window. The moonlight is shining through the dimly lit living room as I think about all the nights in which Christian and I made love with the same backdrop.
"I think the two of you will feel better in the morning once things have settled down, and you've had some time to think." Thinking is all that I've done since being with Christian. Our relationship started out very non-conventional when he wanted me to be his submissive. That should have sent me running, and I did briefly walk away, only to have my heart betray me and send me back to him. We're now in a relationship that's a mixture of vanilla and kinky fuckery. Still, I need space. The once non-existant exhaustion suddenly comes rushing through my body as I close my eyes. "Goodnight Ana."
"Night.", I mumble at the sound of Kate turning off the small lamp in the corner of the room. This is the first night in what feels like eternity that I haven't had Christian's arms wrapped me, and the void sends shivers throughout my body. I wrap my arms around myself and bring my knees up closer to my stomach in a failed attempt to make up for the emptiness. In an instant, all the bad from tonight dissolves into a wave of sadness and loneliness.
C POV
"Are you seriously going to sit there and not answer her calls?", Elliot asks. "And mom is always telling me that I'm the stubborn one in the family."
"If I answer it, I know what she's going to say, and I don't think I'm ready to hear it. No, I know that I'm not ready to hear that she doesn't want me anymore.", I tell him while sitting in my study.
I'll be the first to admit that I fucked things up with Ana tonight by going after the bastard who came on to her even after she had groaning in pain, but I wanted him to know that he doesn't mess with Christian Grey's girl and get away with it. Ana's called me three times since I arrived home, but I've ignored all three calls. It took a lot for me to conform and give in to a relationship with Ana, but once I did, I realized what I had been missing, love. That damn four letter word was once nothing to me, but with Ana, it means everything. Now that I've got this gift I'm so worried that I'm going to lose it that I'm constantly doing things with good intentions. The problem is those good intentions only come back to bite me in the ass.
"When and if she calls again, I'm answering the phone even if I have to beat your ass to get it. This needs to be resolved, and I'm not just saying that because it's almost one in the fucking morning. Well, I am, but I also hate seeing you like this. Why don't I call Kate to find out where Ana stands. She's her best friend who has insight on what's going on in her head."
"I don't want Kate to get involved in this. I'm also sorry that you got dragged into this. Since it's late, why don't you crash in one of the guest rooms."
"What about you? Aren't you planning on sleeping?", he asks. "You've got work tomorrow and need rest." Elliot has no idea that sleep used to never come for me.
"I'm going to stay up a while longer."
"Try and sleep. Goodnight." Once he's left the room, I move over to the sofa where Ana and I made out just this morning before work. Running my hands along the end, I recall her head laying down as I placed butterfly kisses along her neck. I can hear her giggling while I tried to undo the zipper of her jeans, but it wouldn't budge, thus us only having a make out session. I can feel her heart still beating against mine as i held her. These memories should be comforting, but they're only bringing me loneliness.
"Don't let me be lonely.", I whisper to myself.
"I won't.", the softest voice says from the doorway. When I turn around, I see her standing there in the same beige sundress that she was wearing earlier. Her body is still mesmerizing, but pain and uncertainty are evident in her eyes.
"Am I dreaming? Are you really here?", I ask while staggering in her direction.
"I'm here. I tried to call you, but all I got was your voicemail."
"I was afraid of what you would say when I answered it, and now I'm afraid of what you're going to say."
"I didn't come here to frighten you or cause you any pain. I've been struggling to find the right words, but nothing seemed right. I finally said screw it and got into my car and drove here. You shouldn't have hit that guy tonight even though you meant well."
"I know that now, and I regret it."
"I also shouldn't have walked away from you. I should have stayed and heard you out, but I didn't. I left you there and went home placing all the blame on you until I finally saw that I was also in the wrong. I tried to sleep, but that only involved unpleasant dreams which woke me up feeling like crap."
"I told Elliot that I was going to try and sleep, but I didn't really plan on it. Ana, I love you, and I promise that I'm going to try and not be so possessive. I see now that trying to keep you is only pushing you away, and I don't want that. I don't want to be without you."
"I don't want to be without you either. I don't want to feel the loneliness that consumed me tonight."
"Same here. I've been there before, and I never want to go back there." She stands on her tiptoes and places a kiss on my lips. I've missed that touch. I've missed her.
"We won't let each other be lonely."