Chapter 30:

I wake up in the morning with the worst hangover from hell. Why on earth did I drink so much? And how did I end up in my own bed? The last thing I remember was calling Christian and- Oh, Christian. I put my hand to my face and sigh. This should be hilarious. I ease myself out of bed and walk to the kitchen where I see Christian at the counter drinking some coffee looking deep in thought. I stand awkwardly waiting for him to look up but he never does. I debate which way to go with this, either I could be all lovey with him or I could just let him stew until he blows up in my face. I walk over to him and clear my throat. He looks up at me and smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes. Shit. "Good morning." I smile.

"Yep." He says dismissively, without looking at me.

"Ok." I say, drawing out the 'O'. I walk to the sofa and sit down, turning on the TV to dispel the silence in the room. I put on Christian's favourite episode of Friends on. "Hey Christian, it's the one you like. You know, the one with Unagi?" I turn to him and he nods without looking at me. "Christian." He ignores me. "Christian?" I say like a child. He snaps his head up and shoots me a glare, I immediately shrink back into the sofa. I sit without saying anything for about an hour. I would actually prefer him to be yelling at me than this silence. So when he gets up to go and take a shower I follow him. When I walk in he's already under the shower head, standing straight with his head against the wall. "Christian." He jumps and turns around, then rolls his eyes and shuts off the water.

"Get out Anastasia. I'm trying to take a shower."

"Christian talk to me. I hate you ignoring me." I plead. He sighs and

Gets out the shower.

"I can't talk to you right now Ana." Ok, so we're back to Ana, that's something.

"Why not?" He runs his hand through his hair and sighs.

"Because I don't know what to say. I'm so fucking angry with you I can't even put it into words." He is staying strangely calm and it's alarming me. I thought he would turn into raging tornado Christian, but instead he's a light drizzle, and it's unsettling to say the least.

"I know. I'm so sorry. I won't ever do it again, I would have never intentionally put you in distress I just got a bit carried away." He shakes his head.

"It's not good enough Ana. We're supposed to be moving in together in a few days and you're out acting like an immature teenager. How can I live with someone who can't act mature and have a nice drink with her friend. Why did I have to fall in love with a child?" He mutters to himself. I take a step back and take a breath in. I know what I did was wrong but shit was it that bad? I have to try to contain my temper and my tears.

"I'm not a child." Is all I can get out in a small voice without screaming at him. He looks at me and huffs again.

"Ana, you have to admit you're immature. What you've done, I just- maybe us moving in together is a bit too soon. You're clearly not ready for an adult step like this." I just continue to look at him confused. I try to stop it but I feel my eyes fill up with tears that I violently brush away with the back of my hand.

"Fine. Maybe we shouldn't live together. In fact, you probably don't want to be around a child like me so why don't you just leave." He looks up at me worried. "Oh, sorry were you expecting me to thank you? I don't know what sort of great life experience you had the six years I wasn't born but that does not give you the right to call me, a grown woman, a child. Maybe we keep having these little arguments because you're the fucking child! You sulk just because I got drunk, for the first and last time may I add. You try to control me and tell me that I can't look after myself and that I'm a child. Maybe before you start giving life advice to other people you should try being an encouraging boyfriend instead of an asshole who thinks he knows fucking everything. God I can't even look at you right now. You want a mature action from me? Get the fuck out of my apartment before I slap you. And don't speak to me until I've calmed down." I am breathing heavily by the time I'm finished and Christian looks astonished.

"Ana-"

"-No, don't. Get out." He picks up a towel and his clothes and walks into my room to get changed. I take a few deep breaths and walk into the living room where I wait for him to get dressed. When he emerges he walks towards me and goes to kiss me goodbye but I move my face away and take a step back. He looks hurt but he just walks out and shuts the door. Finally a tear slides down my face and I kick my counter. "Fuck! Shit! Fucking shit fuck!" I scream at the ceiling. A child? I'm a child? After everything I've been through, what I've had to do in my life and I'm a child? Does he regret falling in love with me? I manage to convince myself that it doesn't matter and try watching TV again. What if he never comes back? What if he thinks that I'm breaking up with him? Steele, this isn't pretending that it doesn't matter. Oh god, what am I going to do? I grab my car keys and head to the one person I know who can make anything better.

It's been five days since I've seen or heard from Christian but it feels like five years. I've just sat staring blankly for 120 hours waiting for my phone to ring. But it doesn't. Not once. Is this it? Did we go one argument too far? Well I shouldn't be the one to apologise he called me a child. I just snapped, he has called me immature one too many times. But I love him so much, I desperately want to see him but I can't if he doesn't apologise for what he said. "God!" I shout, punching my pillow. My furniture has got most of my anger taken out on it. So have all the boxes. I just need an excuse to talk to him. I get brought out of my thoughts when I hear a knock at the door. I sprint to the door and fling it open with such gusto the man looks very taken aback. I deflate when I see it isn't Christian. "Can I help you?" I say politely.

"Are you Anastasia Steele?" I nod and he smiles. "We've come to get your things, for Seattle." My eyes widen.

"What's the date?" He looks at his clipboard.

"Uh, it's the 19th ma'am." Oh no. Today is the day I'm supposed to be moving in with Christian. I nod and he and three men walk in and start taking out my boxes. I take out my mobile and dial Christian's number.

"Grey." It's not his normal authoritative voice, it's sad, and sorrowful.

"It's me." I hear him gasp.

"Ana?"

"Yeah. Um, the removal men are here and they're loading up my stuff. Are we still living together?" I hear him sigh.

"I'll be over in a second. I'll see you soon."

"Ok. Bye."

"Ana?"

"Yeah?" Theres a silence until he says something.

"I love you." My heart skips a beat like it always does when he says it. I smile brightly.

"I love you too." I can practically feel his smile through the phone as we hang up. I think we can work through this. And then we can live together.

A/N - Hi guys! Laptop is fixed! Wooo! Back to updating normally again! Thank you for being patient but this unfortunately means a short hiatus for Mystery. It'll come back, just once I've finished this story. And we're close! So it won't be too long. Thank you as always!

Sophie x