This is for Jaduhe and Socialelite8 – thank you for your continued support and great reviews
Christian
"Good afternoon Mr. Grey. My question for you has two parts to it, do you have any regrets? What sacrifices have you made to get where you are today?" She says the last part with a rush of breath. From the look on her face she was not expecting to be put on the spot but she sure did hit home with those questions.
The questions I knew had a double meaning. I look off to the side and see Taylor's frown. I do not believe he has ever seen me thrown by a simple question. I kept this part of my life away from everyone. She is the main part of my past that was to be protected from scrutiny. I look past Taylor and see everyone's expectant faces, just waiting for me to answer. I take a big breath and try my best to fit in my feelings but also make sure that the audience does not understand the double meaning.
"What an excellent question Ms. Steele , (really Mrs Grey), I have a lot of regrets that I have to deal with every day. Decisions I made when I was young always have an impact on the life I have now. I also sacrificed my family life. A life that is still want and would fight like hell to get back. When I was young the future I wanted I allowed to slip through my fingers willingly. And if I may say my future looks mighty brighter as of right now." I hope to God she understood half of that.
I stare back at her the entire time and as I talked she just grew more and more rigid.
"Did no one else have a choice in your decisions? Would you say you are a man of single minded passions?"
I should have expected this. I should have known my Ana would never agree with what I had done.
"You can say when I have a goal in mind that I do not stray but stay focused on that goal. And I have found that my passion was lost for a couple years." I am trying to have her understand.
"Well thank you for that brief explanation." She hands the mic off to the MC and sits back down. The room now seems brighter with knowing she is in it. The MC wraps up and I am guided to a side class room and refreshments are served. I search the room and finally see Ana in the back checking her watch. I stay long enough to receive more thank you for comings and please come again. Ana makes her exit and I am being held up to follow her. I finally burst out of the doors and see she is already a block away.
"ANA!"
"ANA!"
I run and eventually catch up with her. When I am finally in front of her I see she is shaking her head and tapping her foot.
"Ana please do not do this. We need to talk." I plead. I look up to see Taylor ten feet back and confused. I don't care I just need her to talk to me.
"Oh now you want to talk after all this time!" She screams at me and she lifts her fist and punches me in the jaw. HOLY SHIT! I hit the ground hard. I look up to Taylor holding on to Ana and she tosses her head back and gets Taylor right in the nose. He drops her and she runs off.
"Grey what the hell was that?!" Taylor groans while trying to stop the bleeding from his nose.
"It was just a mistake Taylor lets move on. I know where she is going to be tomorrow, she is going to be at the graduation." I stand up tall and walk back to the truck. Taylor follows fast behind me.
"Sir I will file the usual paper work for assault when we make it back to the airport. We already have her last name so it will not be hard to find out the rest." Taylors says as he buckles in and gets ready to leave.
No I cannot have him anywhere near Ana. I don't want to ruin her life. I just want to talk to her.
"No. Just leave her be Taylor. There is no need to do that. Also we are not leaving. Book us a hotel for the night. I need to be at the ceremony tomorrow." I say in my no nonsense tone.
"Sir tomorrow is my day with my daughter." he says as his eyes make contact with me in the rear view mirror.
Fuck but this way it will be better this way.
"Fine, drop me off at the hotel. You take the next flight out. And DO NOT TELL ANYONE ABOUT TODAY. NOT EVEN GAIL." I look at him straight in the eye. I do not need him digging into my past.
"Yes sir." Are all he says and he then leaves me at the hotel.
I make it up to my room with minimal problems and then all I can do now if rethink everything I have done and said in my life up until this point. She was so angry and rightly so. This should have been a private conversation and not out in the open.
Wow she actually hit me! She was always the one to defend me and she hit me. I also can see that she was sort of defending herself after what I said to her. Yeah my apology in the auditorium really didn't go over too well. I probably should have waited and just gave her a bland answer.
Time seemed to go so fast before. Now I just feel our separation and each second is agonizing. While working when feelings would creep up and her face would come to mind I would try to just refocus. Morton made me make these decisions…but in honesty I am the one who did this. Ana asked if anyone else had a choice and I know I took away her choice. Wow I AM a bastard.
…
Her graduation was great. She walked across the stage and received her diploma. Her father, Kate, Ethan and even Elliot was there. I hid in the back to not be seen and quickly exited when the ceremony was over. I should have been the one to hug her on this day but I am a stubborn ass hole.
*ring ring*
"Grey" ugh Elliot
"Hey bro, why did you leave so fast?" damn he saw me.
"What do you want?" God why did he have to see me.
"Just letting you know that Ana will be in Seattle tomorrow. She and Kate are moving in together. If you decide not to be a dick I will try to help you out." He said with a huff.
"fine" damn him
…. Three days later…..
Elliot's plan to wait means little to me now. Yeah his advice was to wait but I will be damned if I wait one more day.
I had Welch get me her number. Fuck it, I press call
I wait.
"Hello?"
"Hi." Really Grey that is the best you can do?
"Christian?" she sounds shocked. Crap I have to make this fast
"Please don't hang up! I just wanted to talk. Can we speak in private and in person?" I hold on to my desk.
It has been a whole minute and she says nothing. I just hear her breathing.
"Where and when?" she said yes! Crap when
"Now at my office?" I want to see her as soon as possible.
"Really?! Bad stuff happened the last time I was at your office Christian."
Crap. "Yeah that was a stupid move. There is a park across the street from the building, how about there?"
More silence.
"Fine." She hangs up.
I smile and look at myself in the screen of my computer. Crap what do I say?
Ooooo what should he say?
Please review.
What should Ana wear to see him by the way? And for the questions everyone else sent…..oh she is so going to ask those next.
And should someone cry in the next chapter?
My word doc. is blank soo let me know something.