Authors Note:

Thanks again for the feedback, I appreciate it, this is my first fanfiction that I've actually shared with anyone so I'm glad you like it, I might share my others at a later date, the idea for this story just popped into my head. I know at the minute you don't know much about any of the characters, especially Ana, only the last chapter you got a bit about Christian, I have changed his slightly, but in time you will know a lot more. I'll just point one thing out before you do read on, Ana and Christian don't end up together YET, there's a few obstacles that they have to face together first. There's a lot more of Elena coming up, Jack Hyde will be in the story too along with Christian's family. Plus I know I have Elliot already engaged in this story but that doesn't mean him and Kate won't meet and have their own love story, just be patient. There's a bit of a time jump in this next chapter but not by much, I hope you enjoy it and thanks again for reading!

Chapter Eight:

It's been two weeks since I left the hospital, and if I am being completely honest, it's been the best two weeks I have had in a really long time aside from the occasional argument between Christian and myself but other than that we've become friends, we talk on the phone nearly every day and even if we don't we text or email each other, much to Kate's annoyance, she doesn't trust him, not that I don't blame her, he doesn't like her much either, I found out later on that they both had it out with each other whilst I was unconscious in the hospital. But even so, they both try and keep it civil when they are around me. I think it also has something to do with Christian's brother Elliot, Kate won't admit it but I know she likes him but he's engaged, he's getting married in a matter of weeks, we are both invited to the wedding, they also met whilst I was in the hospital and hit it off straight away, they are trying to be friends.

One of the few arguments I have had with Christian was about my job, he hates it, I think he probably more than hates it, he doesn't think it's safe especially after what had happened to me, I took the blame for that, I picked my beer back up from the table after my friends had left so it was my fault, I shouldn't have been that stupid. Christian made me take a week off work so that I could recover even though I felt fine, he wasn't convinced. So I finally went back last week, even though he won't admit it, I know he's having me followed, I can feel someone watching me all the time I am there and even when I'm driving home at 4am I still have that feeling, I've asked him several times about it but he keeps saying he doesn't know what I'm talking about, I know different. That was another argument we've had, my car. He doesn't think it's safe, he wants to buy me a brand new one, I refuse to even think about his offer, there is no way I am letting him buy me a car just because he thinks he should.

Pushing all that aside, I'm stood in my bedroom looking in the mirror trying to decide what to wear, it's the day of my graduation, I've been dreading this more than anything, I have no family there to support me or congratulate me on probably my biggest achievement or the biggest day of my life up to date, Kate and Christian have both told me I'm not alone, but neither of them could possibly understand this feeling I have, they both have loving families, I don't, it's that simple. Christian is handing out the all the degrees today, including mine, I'm rather nervous about that too, I'm nervous about the whole day and I just want it over with, I've finally decided on what to wear when my phone bleeps.

Are you all set? C

No, I'd rather not be going. A

You'll be fine, I'll see you there. C

Again with the whole, you'll be fine, doesn't anybody understand that I won't be fine, I'm a nervous wreck now, I'll be so much worse once I'm there, maybe I shouldn't go, I'll just stay here locked in my room. Before I can even contemplate the idea, Kate bangs on my door.

"Steele, it's nearly time to go. Are you ready?" I didn't answer so she bangs on the door again.

Steele!"

"YES! I'm nearly ready! Just give me five minutes will you!" I yell back at her. I suppose I can't escape now, she'll be standing outside my door waiting for those five minutes to be up. Finally I am dressed and ready to go, I open my door and I was right Kate is standing there.

"You look beautiful Steele" I smile as I walk past her. I decided to wear a grey alter neck dress with my favourite black heels, favourite because I can somehow manage to walk in them without falling over.

All too soon though we had arrived at our graduation, families and students were everywhere, everybody in their graduation hats and gowns. I stood with Kate and her family whilst waiting to go inside the hall.

"You look beautiful" I turned around to come face to face with Christian, I looked sceptically at him.

"What? Can't a friend tell another friend that's she's beautiful" he smirked.

"Hello Mr. Grey!" I smiled back at him. He reached for my hand and kissed it. I shook my head.

"How are you?"

"The same as I was the last time you asked a few hours ago, I don't want to be here Christian" he pulled me to one side away from everybody else.

"What's wrong?" he asked me, looking straight into my eyes.

"I just, Christian I have no family here. Look at everybody around us, there's family all over. I know I shouldn't complain about this but…"

"Ana, one of these days you are going to tell me about your life in Detroit…" I shook my head, no I'm not.

"Ana, you are not alone here, you have Kate and her family and by the looks of it, you are close to them…and you do have me" I didn't say anything, I just looked down at my feet, he lifted my chin up back up to look into his eyes. He did have the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen. Stop it Steele! You are friends!

This was another thing that was bothering me, we'd become good friends over the last couple of weeks and I actually was beginning to really trust him but I couldn't not be extremely attracted to him, in fact he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen on the outside and especially on the inside but I know he didn't see me that way, he just wants us to be friends and I somehow had to get over my little crush that was developing rather quickly. Kate always tells me I need to date more, maybe I should ask her to set me up with someone, so I would stop thinking about this beautiful man in front of me.

All too soon, it was time for me to finally graduate. I sat in the audience whilst important members of our University were introduced, Christian was sat up there with them, he told me he was giving a speech today but he didn't tell me what it was about, at one point we caught each other eyes and he winked at me, I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing, he narrowed his eyes and glared slightly which only made me want to laugh more. He's told me on more than one occasion to stop biting my lip around him, every time I asked why, he changed the subject.

"Did you see that? He winked at me, he definitely winked at me" a girl sat in front of me whispered to her friend. I rolled my eyes at her.

"He's gorgeous" her friend replied.

"I might see if I can manage to talk to him afterwards"

"I think you've got a real chance, he's looking this way again" as she said this I looked up, he was looking this way, he was looking at me again, I shook my head at him, he smirked back.

"Look, he's smiling at you. You have to talk to him as soon as you get the chance, maybe you'll marry a billionaire…" I actually did laugh then, they both turned around and stared at me, I looked the other way none the wiser and turned my attention back to the Chancellor of the University who was introducing Christian.

"..It is our greatest honour, so please welcome Mr. Christian Grey". Christian stands up from his seat, fastens his suit and shakes the Chancellor's hand and then makes his way to the centre of the stage and up onto the lectern, he looks around the hall but doesn't look at me this time. He begins his speech…

"I'm profoundly grateful and touched by the great compliment accorded to me by the authorities of WSU today…" as he was talking, I looked around the hall, every single person was looking at him, watching his every move as he talked. Nearly all the girls in here were leaning forward staring at him, some even with their mouths open. I turned my attention back to Christian.

"…Our aim is to develop viable and ecologically sustainable methods of farming for third-world countries; our ultimate goal is to help eradicate hunger and poverty across the globe…I have known what it's like to be profoundly hungry, this is a very personal journey for me…" What?! He's never told me this? Maybe you should him ask more about his life Steele!"

His latest confession in front of all these people has completely thrown me off guard, why didn't he tell me? We are friends after all, I know he was adopted when he was four but that's about as far as we've got, we've never brought up our pasts, because neither of us want to talk about it. I definitely can't tell him about mine, he will never look at me again, and he would think I'm a freak. My mind is brought back to the present as I hear clapping, Christian has finished his speech and is now stood waiting to give out our degrees.

It takes a while and my nerves are getting the better of me the longer I sit here waiting for my name to be called up, maybe I could just sneak out now, nobody would notice. But before I can think about that any further, my name is called up. I walk up to the stage praying I don't fall over, but as this was me and as I was extremely nervous I almost did fall over my gown but a hand caught me, I looked up just before I fell completely flat on my face, somehow Christian had moved to being in front of me. What the hell was he doing? He looked at me and smiled whilst he held my hand tightly, and somehow my nerves and anxiety disappeared and it was just the two of us. Yes, I definitely needed Kate to set me up with someone!