A/N: Please excuse my grammar hoOring ways, this is a weak spot of mine. Between work and family, I have been trying to get this chapter to you all day *growl* I despise Mondays! Any errors I will fix later on.
Thank you so much for all the feedback (reviews), alerts and favourites. I was actually shocked by the huge response. I know I have yet to respond to a few more of you who have reviewed in the last couple of days and I will :) Enjoy now!
Chapter Two
There Are Limits:
My head is spinning and I feel disoriented. Shit! Grabbing my head on either side with my hands, I hold on tight and bow my head downwards, my long hair cascading around me. The feeling recedes and my body regains its sense of balance. Yeah, you probably shouldn't try to sit up so fast next time, silly girl! I yawn loudly and just as I am about to complete my yawn, a wave of nausea rises.
Clamping my hands tightly over my mouth, I make a feeble attempt at swallowing down the disgusting bile. Of course… I would be so lucky! My subconscious is peering over one of her many novels with raised eyebrows, giving me that cocky, don't-be-silly-now-Ana-you're-smarter-than-that look. Miss 'I'm all that and then some' stands in her dark corner and throws me a look of distaste mixed with pity. Just for that you can stay in your dark little corner and throw your bitchy, harlot self a pity party because I won't need you around for a while, I tell her, narrowing my gaze on her shocked face.
Getting tangled in the duvet, I nearly face plant with the ground but find my saving grace in a strong pair of arms, wrapping around my tangled body. Oh shit! I can't deal with my husband right now, I have needs. I'm going to… No, no, no! The chance to get to the bathroom on time slips through my fingers as his grip on me tightens.
"Christian." I growl out.
Oh crap! The retching begins and it simply won't stop. I can't breathe! The smell permeates my senses and it only serves as fuel for the morning sickness. Christian is holding my hair back and makes an attempt at rubbing soothing circles on my back. Under normal circumstances, these gestures would have been sweet. Right now, they do nothing to soothe my nausea.
My very sexy display stops but my queasiness lingers. Oh god! Reaching one hand behind my head, I untangle his hand from my hair and with my right I swat his hand away from my back. Standing up quickly, my dizziness returns but I ignore it and make a quick dash for the bathroom.
"Ana!" He gets up and makes a beeline for me. I slam the door in his face and quickly turn the lock. Slumping to the floor with my back against the door, I draw my legs up to my chest, wrap my arms around them and rest my head, trying to keep my morning sickness at bay.
"Anastasia, open the door!" he roars out in anger and proceeds to bang on the door. Poor door. My body rattles as the door shakes against his pounding fist, sending its vibrations through me.
"God damn it, Anastasia! Open this fucking door, right now!" He says in a softer but more deadly voice; more controlled. Yeah right, Mr Control Freak! After the stunt you pulled last night… or rather this morning? Seeing you and dealing with your mood swings is the last thing I want to do right now.
"No!" I shout back and instantly regret it. Scrambling to my feet, I throw up, what I hope to be, the last bit of my morning sickness for today. This is awful!
"Ana baby, please open the door." comes his calm plea, "I need to see if you're okay. I'm worried, please." Oh, no you don't, Mr Grey! Now I am fuming. Stomping back to the door, I turn the lock and swing the door open. A look of relief washes over his face.
"Ana, baby-" He starts his speech but my anger is border-lining fury.
"You need to see if I'm okay?" I grit out at him through clenched teeth and push him against his chest, hard. His eyes bulge and he goes to open his mouth again. No ways, it's my turn to speak!
"You're worried, Christian?" I shout at him and move to shove him again but he is faster this time and grabs my wrists, holding them in a firm lock. "You should have thought about that last night before you ran off with your… lover."
"Ana?" He speaks quietly in a gentle tone.
"Let. Go. Of me." I hiss out, twisting and pulling back, trying to free myself from his grip. Clenching my jaw, I breathe in roughly through my nose and turn my eyes up to meet his grey ones. He looks bewildered and frightened. My little, lost boy. Pulling me closer, he crushes me to his chest and wraps his arms around me. I punch my fists into his sides and I can hear him wince slightly but his hold on me only tightens. I struggle to break free and eventually stop my futile efforts. He is just too strong.
I let my exhausted body slump against his and a torrent of unwanted tears cascade down my face.
"I'm so sorry, Ana." He tells me, "I'm so, so sorry." He continues to placate me, "Ssh, baby, ssh. Please don't cry, my beautiful, sweet girl."
My sobbing gets harder, my chest heaves heavily and my body trembles violently as I allow everything to course through me, unhindered. I feel him lift me up and carry me to the bed, laying me gently onto the soft sheets. Lying down next to me, he tries to wrap me in his warm arms and I turn over, facing in the opposite direction. Holding on tightly to my pillow, I stare, blankly, out of the window as the continuous flow of warm liquid tracks down my cheeks, over my lips and onto the white material.
"Why?" falls from my lips in a barely audible whisper. I feel him try to reach for me again and I move closer to the edge of the bed; dangerously close. How could he do this to me? The memory wraps itself around me, consuming me; torturing me; plaguing my mind.
Christian is dancing. He is so beautiful when he dances and he moves with such grace. His hips sway seductively and my mouth waters, sending hot, sizzling currents racing through my body at the sexy deity's erotic display. He spins around and a loud gasp tumbles from my lips.
Swaying her hips and grinding against Christian is my worst nightmare, Elena. A carnal, hungry look passes between them; a look Christian has used so often on me, right before he thrusts into my tight body.
Licking her lips, Elena places her hand on his chest and leans towards him. I think I'm going to be sick. Christian leans down slowly and the minute their lips touch, they devour one another. Christian's sexual desire oozes from his body as he pins her body roughly against the dirty wall of the bar.
He is so quiet.
"She touched you…" I trail off, unable to finish that sentence. I couldn't touch him for such a long time and it broke my heart when he finally trusted me enough to confide in me. The reasons behind this specific hard limit were appalling.
It took me so long to teach him; guide him; show him that not every touch had to be painful. I had to work hard to achieve that; show Christian that he was worthy of being loved and that a loving touch could heal old wounds. Replace the bad memories with new ones; good memories.
Elena had done nothing to deserve that honour. The honour of touching Christian on his scars belonged to me and only me, yet he had handed that privilege over to that paedophile. One of the people, who had hurt him the most and had done nothing worthy of his time, let alone his trust, was now latching onto the place that had secretly only been mine.
Did this mean that he trusted her? God, he promised he would never see her again. I ask why again, needing an answer. He sighs heavily and keeps quiet.
The silence in our bedroom is deafening and it speaks louder than his words and actions. I love you so fucking much, Fifty, it hurts! I want to scream these words out to him, right into his ear. I want him to understand, to see what is right in front of him but my heart is disintegrating and my world feels like it is slipping between my fingers. His betrayal
Sitting up, I place one foot on the floor, my other leg across the bed and turn my body around to look at him. I have two questions for him; questions that need truthful answers and these answers, his response, will determine my next course of action.
His beautiful grey eyes penetrate my blue ones. He is anxious and nervous. As you should be, Mr Grey.
"You never answered any of my calls."
"I switched my phone off." I guess that explains why he was still fraternising with that ancient whore, more than ten minutes after I had escaped from Taylor, Escala and the rest of his security team. He was too caught up in that old hag. My news of Little Blip must have hit him really hard if he felt the need to turn his all-important Blackberry off and drink bourbon. That thought is like a hard slap to my face, making my goddess fall to her knees.
"If Taylor hadn't arrived when he had, would things with Elena have stopped at the first kiss?" I ask quietly and when he opens and closes his mouth several times, it provides me with all I need to know. I turn my head away from him and look out the window, watching the sun begin to rise. Don't cry, Ana! You are a strong woman!
"Do you even care for this baby, Christian?" I ask, almost too softly to be heard, "Do you even want this child?" Our child, I add in my head as a deep sadness washes over me.
"No… Yes, I mean… Fuck! I don't know, Anastasia!" I whip my head around as the tears form once again in my eyes and his hands are knotted in his hair. "Christ, we're both still so young, especially you. You're not even old enough. You've just gotten your degree, Ana."
The truth is like a punch to my gut. Instinctively, I wrap my arms around my stomach and bend over, trying to protect the little life growing inside me. Christian is at my side in a heartbeat, "Jesus Christ, Ana are you okay, baby?" Concern for me is dripping from his words and the second he tries to embrace me I slap his hands away and get up.
"I… I have to go." I stutter, "I'm s… sorry." I walk towards the closet and grab a small bag. I can feel Christian right behind me, his breath fanning the back of my neck.
"Anastasia, what are you doing?" I ignore him and pack all of my old clothes; the ones I bought with my own hard earned cash and place them in my bag. Turning around, I find him blocking my way with his tall frame and I duck around him, making my way to the bathroom. I throw my toiletries and other essentials haphazardly on top of my clothes.
"Please baby, stop." Not having so much fun anymore, Mr Grey? It sure as shit looked like you were having a ball earlier this morning.
Standing up, I catch my reflection in the mirror and cringe. Shit! He must have washed my face off last night and all I can see are dark circles under my eyes from all the emotional turmoil and, lack of sleep. Even my dress has been changed for one of his t-shirts. How dare he touch that Bitch Troll and then smear her filth all over me! Gah! I want to rip my hair out and throw up all over both of them.
I somehow feel violated and I am completely repulsed. Stripping right down to my birth suit, not caring that he is watching, I quickly change into something comfortable; nothing revealing. Grabbing a hairband, I tie my hair into a messy bun and storm out of the bathroom, barrelling into his side on my way out.
"Anastasia Grey, would you just stop this nonsense, right now! You are not going anywhere. You need to calm down and think about this. Come back to bed and get some rest, you look very tired."
"Fuck you, Christian Grey!" I scream out with as much venom as I can muster.
"Sir?" Would you look at that, Jason Taylor to the rescue; always ready to save you. Not this time, Mr Grey. This time you really fucked up.
Slipping my wedding ring off, I thrust it violently at his head and watch with satisfaction as he tries to dodge its blow. Standing up right again, he walks towards me and has the mordacity to open his mouth again.
"Ana…" I hold both hands up towards him, signalling for him to stop. Just stop! I let out a small laugh, one saturated with disbelief and sounding just a tad crazy.
"You know something, Christian. I gave you all of me, everything I had. I followed your orders the best I could. I dealt with and put up with you, all your fucked upness and even entertained your crazy, psychotic exes. I taught you how to love and not be so frightened by a loving touch. Showing you things you didn't even dare to dream of."
Taking a deep breath, I plough on, "I always used to believe that I would never be enough for you. Never be able to become the complete submissive you required. Well you know what? Fuck you and your controlling ways. You, Mr Grey…" I take another breath and shake my arm and finger at him, "… You, are not enough, for me. I deserve more than all the shit you have put me through from day one; more than you obviously have to offer."
He is stunned into silence. Good! Fuck him. I am worth more than this. My Little Blip is worth more than this. Taking off my bracelet, the charms shining with all our firsts just like my eyes from the tears swimming in them, I throw it on the floor at his feet.
"You can add another charm to that thing, another first Christian," I say, feeling slightly manic as I point to the offending piece of jewellery, "You can buy something that resembles a divorce." At my words, he blanches and for a minute I truly believe he is going to pass out but simply crumples to his knees.
"Good bye, Christian Grey." Grabbing my bag, I storm down the emergency staircase.
I exit the garage and start to run at full speed. I just continue to get away as quickly as possible until I am all out of breath. Slowing down, I bend over and rest my hands on my knees. Breathe, Ana breathe! Hot liquid drips onto the pavement and my body shakes from the onslaught of emotions, assaulting my frayed nerves. The magnitude of what has just happened hits me like a freight train and I wobble slightly, bend down and touch the ground, trying to regain my balance.
"Ana, darling." The sickly sweet, mocking voice reaches my ears, unwelcome.
You have gotto be shitting me! My goddess stops sulking in the corner and my subconscious springs up from her chair and, together they make their way towards me, forming a protective barrier around my too fragile state. You silly, old witch, our Ana has limits too and you are the very last one for today, they both sneer at her in unison. Drying my face swiftly, I stand up and turn my eyes up to face the psychotic, husband stealing bitch.
"Elena."
A/N: Pregnancy hormones! Poor Ana :( everything she experiences is intensified tenfold (I remember my temper rising and exploding faster than a volcanic eruption on more than one, silly little occasion).
And Christian is a douche bag, he messed up big time! Now, I don't know about you guys but I have serious issues with betrayal and infidelity, even in the smallest of portions. I have no idea what Christian could possibly do to make Anastasia forgive him and learn to trust him again. Any suggestions on what Christian can do to win his Ana back?
Right, I am going to make a cup of coffee and watch The Avengers… since I bought it just over a month ago and it's just been sitting there in the drawer. :)
Ooooh, ooooh, ooooh! Before I go, please can you PM me on how you would feel about a slash story? Main characters are Christian and Doctor Flynn (young, blonde and rather good looking, as Ana describes him remember?). The story line has been running through my head for nearly a week and I am just curious to see if it's too soon to post something like that or not.