Chapter 5: House Haunting
Author's note!
Hello readers! Thank you for all your lovely comments and reviews, please keep them coming because I really do enjoy them all and will get down to replying them. I would just like to say that I have only read one sex scene in the trilogy and did not understand the terminology and was extremely uncomfortable. Hence, please don't be expecting a wonderful sex scene if I ever get down to writing one.
**** I'll be going to China today for two weeks with only my iPhone, so unless they come up with a fanfiction app that allows me to publish from my iPhone, don't be expecting an update. Feel free to follow my Instagram at CatchingMyStars !
**** AHAHAHA. But okay, if I do update over the course of the next few weeks, please direct your thanks to my friend Charis, who has agreed to TRY and upload my files which I will send to her via email!
Right at the front of my apartment stood a pair of men. They were dressed smartly in working pants and button up shirts with office ties around their neck. But what really gave them away as Christian's men were the wires discreetly connected to their ears.
I would probably not have picked up on it, but after hanging around Christian for the past few weeks, I grew more sensitive towards such little gadgets. Sawyer was the only one who ever scratched at it, drawing my attention to its existence.
Subconsciously, I patted down my pockets. Suddenly, I came to the realization that even if we could get past them, I did not have a key. "Ethan?" I said through my teeth, trying my best not to give away our hiding spot.
We were located a few feet away, behind a pillar of another building. Just then, he emerged and swooshed past me, heading directly towards the enemy. I could not help but notice his comfortable strut. Apparently I was the only one hiding.
" ETHAN!" I hissed, striding after him.
Spinning on his feet, he stopped short and I slammed into him. "What, Ana?" His voice was too loud and with too much emphasis on my name.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as the men took interest in us.
Looking up at him, I faked a smile. " I don't have a key."
Carelessly, he shrugged his arms. " Neither do I."
Before I could speak, he let out an exasperated sigh as if I was missing the main point. "Anastasia Steele," He said a little too loudly then leaned in to whisper, " Didn't you think I've thought this through?"
Finally, the computer in my brain had finished rebooting and was now up and running. Oh, I was the key.
Throwing his arm around me, he hauled me directly towards the men... Who were on a lookout for me. Their eyes widened ever so slightly at our entrance.
" Boys," Ethan cast them a teasing grin, " I'm sure you know Anastasia Steele here."
They scanned me from head to toe, as if comparing my physical appearance to something they had been shown. My mind skipped to the idea of police dogs, given a scent to sniff and hunt out.
" Yes yes, now. She'd like to get into her apartment."
Hesitation crossed both their faces.
"You don't expect her to break into her own apartment, do you?" Ethan's voice was cryptic. Before they could answer, his arm slipped down my back as he jerked me forward.
Just like that, we had bypassed the two guard dogs.
When we made it to my door, Ethan released me and pushed it ajar. Imitating a gentlemen, he bowed forward as his right arm swept forward. Unexpectedly, he playfully said " Me first."
" Huh?" I was momentarily shocked at his bad manners.
He winked at me, " Have to check if unwanted visitors are awaiting your arrival." Then, he stepped into the apartment as I waited outside.
Ethan was right. The last time I had stepped into my apartment, my world had taken a dive into the dark abyss. Nobody should ever go through the experience of having a gun pointed at them, even if there was a high possibility that no shots would be fired.
On the other hand, sending Ethan in there first would put him in danger! My inner goddess snapped.
My mouth dropped at the thought, "Ethan!"
" Ana!" I heard him holler back, still alive.
I breathed and directed my attention to something else before I could suffer a heart attack. The two men were fidgeting, the taller one whispering into his wire and the shorter one shooting me worried glances.
Worried... For me? No, that couldn't be right. He had just let me pass him and knowing Christian's feisty behavior, his job was on the line.
" Ana." Ethan tapped me on the shoulder and I jumped in surprise. He suffocated a laughter at my reaction and I hit his bicep softly in response, he had taken advantage of the fact that I was on edge. "Go on in, I just need to take this call."
Stepping aside, he whipped up his phone. " Kavanaugh."
He slipped into an intense conversation. Deciding that I should give him a moment, I entered the apartment and shut the door behind me.
The feeling of betrayal slammed into me head on. Standing in this very spot I had not too long ago, the memories overwhelmed me. A paralyzing pain squeezed my heart and travelled up my body. Its cold hand wrapped around my throat and tightened its hold.
I watched the scene play out right in front of me like a bad movie that would not end. Leila's smirk as I was taken away, the moment the door closed, Christian reaching for her...
The chill clenching from both sides of my throat, an involuntary breath leaving my system as the agony compressed my frail heart. Helpless, my eyes followed Christian and Leila into my bedroom.
Once again, my tears blinded me as I realized why he had bathed her after. He bathes after our heated sessions as well. My body suddenly felt filthy at the idea and I fell to my knees, gasping for breath.
" Ana," Ethan's voice was grave and loud from behind the door, " Christian just personally raided my poor friend's apartment."
I heard the door squeak open and his shoes against my floor, fervent arms circled around me and Ethan pulled me down onto his lap. He let me cry as he stroked my hair, over and over.
Even with Ethan's affection, my mind could not overcome the tragedy that had played before me. Christian had never given me a reason to doubt him, unless I counted the fact that he has slept with probably half of Seattle and his bad record with steady relationships.
Resentment filled me as my heart pounded, spinning around my love for Christian. I still loved him, I felt it. But his hands, the same hands that had touched me and then Leila... The waterworks were on maximum and I clung onto Ethan for dear life.
Why couldn't I have fallen for someone normal? Someone who would treasure and love me, stay faithful to me and made love to me. I thought of the filthy word Christian has used to describe out intimacy and cried even harder.
Mentally, I ran through my list. Jose. There was always Jose. He was a pretty nice guy, I had known him for such a long time that...
But he's not Christian, my inner goddess snapped as she rolled her Barbie eyes at me.
My treacherous body chanted Christian's name repeatedly.
" WHAT THE F***?!" That voice.
I lost my heartbeat.
Ethan's was violently torn from me and my eyes flashed open to find Christian glaring at him. Christian was in denim jeans and a white linen shirt with the first two buttons undone. He looked shaken with exhaustion and anger.
Just as I had expected, Christian's strength outdid Ethan's and he nailed Ethan against my wall in a moment of fury. " HOW DARE YOU MAKE MY ANA CRY?!"
Surprisingly, Ethan pursed his lips and shrugged callously, not at all intimidated by the ball of raging angst. How was he so calm? " You mean how dare YOU make Ana cry?" Ethan clarified with a mock angelic tease in his voice.
Christian let out a feral snarl as he raised his fist, building as much distance as he could in order to land a hard one on Ethan.
" NO CHRISTIAN!" I sprung up to my feet and was about to dive forward to take the blow when Christian got knocked onto the ground.
" GO TO HELL, CHRISTIAN TREVELYAN-GREY." Compared to Christian's earlier snarl, this bark was far more threatening in every way.
Elliott lent a helping hand to a fallen Ethan, hoisting him up with a slanted smile.
Momentarily, I was stunned, my words lost to the scene that had unfolded before me. Never before had I known that she had such intense strength, even Christian's eyes were huge with surprise.
"Kate?" I squeaked, watching her wrestle the most muscular man I knew.
I heard Ethan chuckle as he put an arm around me, " Back-up."