Chapter Three: Memories

Six or so years ago.

Christian Grey stepped from the airport only to be immediately blinded. The humid Florida air fogged his sunglasses and left him squinting as he tried to make out his surroundings. Of course, he hadn't expected to immediately see palm trees and ocean, but he also hadn't expected to be surrounded by a sea of people the moment he stepped from Miami International Airport.

He tried to make his way through and at one point when he was almost knocked over, concluded that he didn't quite like Florida as much as she told him he would.

She. The enigma that was Anastasia Steele. The woman he finally spotted standing in the arrivals lane, leaning against an old blue VW bug. Her hair was up, just long enough for her to be able to pull it back but still with a few strands falling in front of her face. It was surprising to see that she wore a pair of shorts, with a black tank top. He hadn't remembered her in anything but her normal wear of t-shirts and jeans, but she still had her signature black converse on. Her sunglasses were hanging low on her nose as she stared intently at her cell phone. He watched her let out a huff before doing what he assumed was texting someone, furiously.

"Ana!" He yelled as he approached her.

She lifted her head, eyes meeting his and they immediately lit up. Anastasia ran toward him, embracing him the moment their bodies touched.

"Christian! Did you have a good flight?"

"It wasn't horrible. After being in this airport though, I look forward to the day when I can fly privately." He joked, and she rolled her eyes at him. "Still driving this thing?"

She feigned shock, her hand touching her chest. "Of course, I am! Wanda is as sturdy as ever."

As they drove away from the airport and began to get closer to actual downtown Miami, Christian could see the allure. The buildings were large and modern looking, with palm trees dotting the landscape randomly. They drove over different waterways where yachts were parked, and people admired them from jet skis.

The windows were down, mainly because her air conditioner barely worked, but the air was clear and salty, albeit very humid.

"I'm so glad you came! I know my spring break is a little different than yours, so I appreciate it." Ana said, her hands gripping the steering wheel as she drove through the crazy Miami traffic.

Christian cleared his throat, looking out the window. "Well, I don't have spring break anymore. I dropped out."

"What?!" she exclaimed in surprise just as someone cut her off and she had to press on the horn. "Asshole." She murmured before looking back at him quickly, "What? What do you mean you dropped out? Also, why are you just telling me this now? I talk to you literally every day."

He paused, wondering the amount of truth he'd tell her. His family was already disappointed in him enough, he couldn't take it from her. "I couldn't do it. The classes, the humdrum every day, the same thing. So, I dropped out. I met someone there, and we've started a business together."

"I swore you told me that your dad wouldn't release your trust fund until after college."

"He didn't. But I had a... family friend, who believed in me, and she loaned me the money. And it's going really well so far, it's... I think it's going to be really good." To her responding raised eyebrows, he rolled his own eyes looking out the window again. "Please just be on my side with this Ana."

"Of course, I'm on your side. I'm always on your side. Just... be smart about it, okay? Money from people you know normally comes with a lot of strings, so be careful. Protect yourself, okay?"

"I will." But her words were a stark reminder of the position he was in.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Wow, Christian... this looks... expensive." Anastasia said in awe, walking around the hotel room, trailing her fingers on pieces of furniture as she passed.

Christian grinned at her momentarily before looking at his view outside of the window. The Atlantic Ocean was a hue of blue that he'd only ever seen on television and until that very moment, seemed fake. But there it was, right in front of him; any concerns about his current predicament melted away, if even for a moment.

"No, but really. You could have just stayed with me, you know. Or is this fancy hotel room your way of trying to convince me your business is going to be successful?"

He sat in one of the chairs in the living area of the room, facing the window. "First, I'm not going to stay in your apartment with your boyfriend visiting while i'm there. Second, it is going to be successful. And I didn't even have to pay for this room, I have a meeting while I'm down here and they're putting me up."

Her mouth dropped and to ignore her questioning stares, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "You're here to visit me and you booked a meeting?!" He heard her ask, feigning indignation. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow evening, when you told me you were meeting your boyfriends' parents." He opened one eye, peaking at her and saw her lean against the window, sighing dramatically. He opened the other eye. "Aren't you excited to meet them?"

"One, why do you keep saying boyfriend like that? And two, I don't know. I have a weird feeling. And you know my weird feelings are always right!" Anastasia turned to face him with her hands on her hips.

"It'll be fine. And you're just upset because he's not as perfect as me," He mocked.

In all seriousness she mumbled, "Probably."

Present Day

Altura, as Anastasia understood it, was one Seattle's finest restaurants; it was the epitome of fancy, with a multi-course dinner and literally no choice of what you could have on the menu. Of course, upon discovering where they were eating, she hurriedly tried to review the menu, trying to figure out exactly what she would eat and exactly what she would need to spend.

But also, of course, since Christian had obviously picked out the restaurant, there were no options for her to choose from and the multi course dinner started at over one hundred and fifty dollars a person.

"What ever happened to eating at a normal place... like... Outback or something..." She had murmured as she stared at the menu on her phone, sitting in the back seat of that black Audi SUV once again. This time though, she wasn't alone.

"Did you say something?" Christian sat beside her in the backseat, dressed impeccably, of course.

"Nope."

Due to the establishment's upscale dress code, she wore one of the few dresses she had been instructed to pack and bring with her. This one was a black cocktail dress with lace sleeves. It had been quite the find at a local outlet mall, sitting untouched on a clearance rack. Though she normally didn't wear dresses, it was one of her favorites since it could be worn to dinners, weddings and more.

"Ma'am, we're here." The man driving named Luke Sawyer said.

The SUV slowed to a stop in front of a mundane brick building and Christian exited the vehicle quickly, moving to her side to open the door, she assumed. With a roll of her eyes, she opened the door herself, sliding out of the vehicle and smoothing her dress. He stood there, obviously unsure of what to do with his hands in his pockets and his hair disheveled, and of course he looked amazing. It was completely unfair.

"Where are Elliot and Kate?" She asked.

"They should be here shortly. They'll meet us inside, I just wanted to make sure you got in fine."

She narrowed her eyes, "I came with you. It's not like I was going to get lost walking from the car to the entrance."

"Touché. Shall we?"

Stop acting like a child, get it together, Christian thought to himself as they walked through the restaurant. Their table was secluded, per his request, but also accessible.

As Ana walked through the restaurant, he could see that she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, and it didn't surprise him; she had never enjoyed places that required her to dress up. In fact, he could bet money she had already researched the place before coming, trying to figure out exactly what was on the menu and the cost.

"This is really nice," she said as she looked around and sat down at the chair that had been pulled out for her.

"The chef is an old friend of mine and I owed him a favor. He wanted to try out some new menu items, and I'm looking to invest in something like this, so... give me your honest opinion."

She let out a short laugh, "You mean you didn't pick the fanciest restaurant in all of Seattle just to be pretentious? Plus, I thought it was Elliot and Kate taking us out. Why did you pick the place…?"

"First, how did you know it was the fanciest restaurant in Seattle?"

"I looked it up."

I knew it.

Christian glanced at his phone, a text from Elliot illuminating the screen. "Elliot knows I'm a foodie. He let me pick. Speaking of, they're running about ten minutes late. Wine? I know you're very particular about what you drink, but this was selected to pair perfectly with our dinner."

"You know wine better than I do, so I'll trust you on that."

He sipped the water that was already placed in front of him. "I'm sorry.. I know you're probably really tired, and here we are, making you come out to dinner."

"I have been flying since first thing this morning."

"I know. So, as I said, I am sorry. However, the last time you've been in Seattle was, when?"

Is he playing dumb? Anastasia thought, but she couldn't help but feel a small twinge of lingering heartbreak associated with the memories of her last trip.

"Are you serious? You know when the last time was." She said with resentment flooding her voice.

"You're right. I didn't mean to... what I only meant to say is that you've been communicating with Kate strictly through phone except for the one time she had visited. We don't need to get into the specifics of why. But Kate and Elliot had both expressed to me that they'd love to spend time with us and have dinner, and break the ice... You can sleep in as long as you'd like tomorrow."

"How generous of you." She picked at the napkin in front of her, suddenly feeling unsure of what to say again until he began to talk once more. "With Kate's mom in the apartment though, I doubt it."

"My offer stands."

"I may have to take you up on that," She murmured, barely loud enough for him to hear.

"You do look... beautiful."

Why was it anger that immediately flooded her, she wondered? Why when she looked at his copper hair, and coy smile, did she want nothing more than to scream at him, to tell him how she felt, to make him understand? Still, even after so many years. Determined to not let her emotions get the best of her, she said softly, "Thank you"

When they arrived, Kate of course looked radiant, as she had since they were kids. Her blonde hair was hanging in loose waves over her shoulders, and she wore a red dress that hugged her curves in all of the right places. Elliot Grey walked just in front of her, his blonde curls the envy of most women. He grinned the moment he saw Anastasia and hurried his pace ever so slightly, putting his weight on the cane that helped to steady him.

While Ana stood quickly to help him get to her, she was surprised to see that Christian had already stood, had already pulled out the chair designated for Elliot and was already putting an arm out to help him as he approached the table to sit. She furrowed her brow, if only for a moment, watching as Christian functioned as the protector for his big brother.

"Ana, you look stunning," Kate said as she sat down once Elliot was seated. "I love that dress! Where did you get it?"

"An outlet store," Anastasia replied and Kate laughed, mumbling a 'I knew it'.

"Ana, it's great to see you. Did you have a good flight? I bet you're exhausted?" Elliot asked.

"It was fine, I am tired, but I can sleep tomorrow. I'm just really happy to see you. How are you doing? Feeling good?"

He gave a shrug and a nod at the same time and from the corner of her eye, she could see Kate's pained expression. "I'm doing good. I'm feeling better. The pain in my leg was starting to get bad again, but Christian here found me a new doctor and so far, it's been going great. I'm hoping to be rid of this thing in three weeks!" He lifted the cane. "It'll clash horribly with my tuxedo."

"Elliot, I don't care if you have a cane at the altar. It makes you look... distinguished." Kate said and while they began whispering what she assumed were romantic nothings into one another's ears, Anastasia tried to ignore her jealousy and reminisced.

She had always liked Elliot, even from an early age. Though her and Christian's relationship was, at most times, strictly platonic, Elliot had always doted on her as if she were the future sister-in-law; he was, in most situations, always down for a fun time. His and Christians personalities were the complete opposite, or at least they always used to be. Now, Christian looked at Elliot with something she couldn't quite place, but she'd compare it most to reverence.

The brothers didn't always get along the way they did now; in fact, before the accident, there had been a span of time where they had even stopped speaking, for reasons unbeknownst to anyone but them. Time stood still though, when Christian had received that call, and like a domino effect, everything changed.

The dinner was smooth, and the food was delicious. The conversation was light, and fun, a sharp contrast to how Christian normally spent his evenings. He couldn't lie though, there were moments where he watched Ana, Elliot and Kate interact and he wondered how things would have been if he hadn't have messed up so many years prior. At times, watching them laugh together, he felt his breath hitch in his throat and had to clear it to distract everyone else from his sudden expression.

I'm such an idiot. I ruined everything.

"That dessert was... divine," Anastasia said. She dropped her head back and let out a groan that had Christian clearing his throat once again.

"So, Ana, when are you moving back to Seattle?" Elliot asked and Christian couldn't help but watch Anastasia's reaction, which was something between shock and amusement.

"How could I come back to this full time, when I live in sunshine all of the time?"

"Well, we're here. You know you miss me." Elliot waggled his eyebrows, his charm on full display.

Kate giggled alongside of him, and he watched as they both goaded Anastasia, eliciting giggles from her. It was all in fun though, of course, because Christian knew that she would never move back to Seattle for one very simple reason: him. It was a revelation he'd had the moment he'd said goodbye to her so many years ago.

Twenty or so minutes later they stood outside, the cool Seattle air causing the girls to shiver. In a moment of chivalry, Christian watched as Elliot carefully took off his jacket, steadying himself on his cane, before draping the fabric over Kate's shoulders. Ana was shivering as well, but he knew better than to try and play her knight in shining armor.

"Okay, so... while yes, you can sleep in tomorrow, I do have a dress fitting tomorrow at 4pm and then you also need to do a final fitting on your dress, which yes, I know you despise, but you love me, so." Kate rambled on to Anastasia. "But speaking of sleeping in, since you've been kicked out onto the couch, why don't you take Christian up on the offer of at least just spending the night in his guest room, just to catch up on sleep? My mom wakes up at some ungodly hour, and knowing her she'll be loud as hell when she gets up."

Christian watched as Ana bit her lip, thinking of Kates words. He interjected, "You won't even notice me there."

"I guess for tonight that would be fine... I'm exhausted. I don't have any of my clothes or my things though."

"I have some clothes, a spare toothbrush. I'll have Luke or Taylor bring you back to Kates once you're rested."

"Get a good nights sleep Ana, we'll see you tomorrow." Elliot kissed her cheek.

As they spoke and said their farewells for the evening, their voices turned to what felt like white noise in the background and he suddenly felt nervous at the prospect of riding in the vehicle alone with Ana. Though they had picked her up, she'd now be returning home with him.

"Christian?"

Her voice was so soft he barely heard her, but he suddenly realized that it was just them standing alone together and the SUV was already pulled up with the door open. Without another word, she slid into the car, and he followed suit.

The air was heavy with awkwardness immediately, but rather than drown in it, she cleared her throat and spoke first.

"Elliot looks really good. It seems like he's been doing really well."

"Back to normal, really, other than the issue with his leg. But his business is going great, he's thriving, Kate's thriving." He took a deep breath and then finished lamely, "It's all... great."

"All great, except for Kate's parents and their longstanding arguments."

Christian said nothing, but gazed out of the window, watching as the buildings passed them by.

"I'm sorry, that was my attempt at humor."

"You won't have to worry about me bothering you at the apartment, by the way. I have a lot of work I have to be doing." He finally said.

"Christian, it's your home. It's fine."

"You know," he began, chuckling to himself. "I know you didn't want to talk about this, but... remember how easy it used to be? Being with each other?"

Without looking at him, she scoffed and let out a soft, "Yeah, I do. Easier than breathing air."

He didn't have to read her mind to know what she was thinking next.

Now it feels like I'm choking on it.

Six or so years ago.

BANG BANG BANG.

Startled, Christian Grey quickly sat up in bed to the sound of banging. Though he had fallen asleep to the sound of thunder and rain, the banging was obviously coming from the other side of the door rather than outside. He stumbled out of bed, falling onto the floor momentarily wrapped in the blankets and sheets. Slipping on a pair of grey sweatpants, he headed to the door and ran a hand through his sleep disheveled hair.

He opened the door and there stood Anastasia Steele, wet from the Florida storm that was still ongoing. Though she was drenched, her eye makeup was smeared and streaked beneath her eyes, indicating that she'd also been crying.

"Ana," he said quickly and opened the door. He ran to the bathroom, coming back with a large towel that he draped over her shoulders. "What... what are you doing here? Why are you all wet? I mean, I know it's raining, but did you walk here?"

She let out a strangled sob, gasping for air as she cried. She sat on one of the couches, struggling to find the words to speak.

"Ana, you're scaring me. Did Paul do something to you? Do I need to go kill him?" He asked half joking and half serious.

"I broke up with Paul."

"You... broke up with... then why are you crying? Come on, talk to me."

"Why do I do this, Christian? Why can't I just let myself be happy? I did it, I met his parents," She sobbed, "And then I realized I just couldn't... I couldn't be with him. It's like, every time I start to feel happy, I just self-implode. What's wrong with me?"

His heart broke as he watched her sob once again and she fell into his chest, the one spot that only she could touch. He hugged her tightly, unsure of what to say because he had no advice. He did the same exact thing.

After minutes of her sobbing into his arms, she began to take deep breaths, steadying herself as she looked up at him, determination flooding her eyes. He gave her a sleepy smile, letting his thumb brush across her cheek before she almost leapt at him, her lips pressing hard against his.

Pulling back in surprise, he searched her face and fumbled with his words until he finally said, "I thought we agreed to stop this..." His words came out slowly, but she was already pulling her shirt over her head and crawling into his lap.

"Just one more time. Please," She whispered, her forehead leaning against his. He could feel her hair dripping on him. "I'll leave if you want me to, but… Christian, I need you. I just... I need you."

Before he could think further about what this would do to them, and what it had already done to them before, he mumbled, "Fuck it," and crashed his lips against hers.

Present Day

The elevator ride felt as it it had taken forever. The close proximity was stifling and the moment the doors opened, Anastasia quickly stepped out and into a stark white foyer.

Along with it being white, the walls were covered in black and white pieces of art; no photographs littered the walls, indicating that someone might live there.

"Oh, is this it?" She said forgetting herself, before letting out a soft laugh. "I'm sorry, that was rude."

"No. I know... it's..." Christian stepped off of the elevator, unbuttoning the top two bottoms of his dress shirt while he did so. "Sterile."

"It's fine. It's just very different from your last place." Anastasia quickly kicked off her heels, letting out a sigh of relief.

It almost looked like Christian stifled a laugh, before he said, "Well, I'll show you to your room. I'm sure you're ready for bed. We'll do the... grand tour... tomorrow."

"I'm here just for the night," she reminded him, taking one last glance into the white foyer before being led to the guest room.