Fifty Shades Darker (book 5) novel Chapter 38

The clothes? She doesn’t like them?

“Can I come in?” I ask.

“It’s your closet.”

My closet. Your clothes, Ana.

Slowly I sink to the floor opposite her, trying to gauge her mood. “They’re just clothes. If you don’t like them, I’ll send them back.” I sound resigned rather than conciliatory.

“You’re a lot to take on, you know?”

She’s not wrong. Scratching my unshaved chin, I consider what to say.

Be real. Be truthful. Flynn’s words ring in my head.

“I know. I’m trying,” I reply.

“You’re very trying,” she quips.

“As are you, Miss Steele.”

“Why are you doing this?” She gestures between us.

Her and me.

She and I.

Ana and Christian.

“You know why.” I need you.

“No, I don’t,” she insists.

I scrape my hands through my hair, looking for inspiration. What does she want me to say? What does she want to hear? “You are one frustrating female.”

“You could have a nice brunette submissive. One who’d say, ‘How high?’ every time you said jump, provided of course she had permission to speak. So why me, Christian? I just don’t get it.”

What should I tell her? Because I’ve woken up since I met her? Because my whole world has changed. It’s rotating on a different axis. “You make me look at the world differently, Anastasia. You don’t want me for my money. You give me…” I search for the word. “Hope.”

“Hope for what?”

Everything.

“More,” I answer. It’s what Ana wanted. And now I want it, too.

Give her your whole pitch, Grey.

I tell her she’s right. “I’m used to women doing exactly what I say, when I say, doing exactly what I want. It gets old. There’s something about you, Anastasia, which calls to me on some deep level I don’t understand. It’s a siren’s call. I can’t resist you, and I don’t want to lose you.”

Whoa. Flowery, Grey.

I take her hand. “Don’t run, please. Have a little faith in me and a little patience. Please.”

And it’s there in her sweet smile. Her compassion. Her love. I could bask in that look all day. Every day. She places her hands on my knees, surprising me, and leans up to plant a kiss on my lips. “Okay. Faith and patience, I can live with that,” she says.

“Good. Because Franco’s here.”

She flips her hair over her shoulder. “About time!” Her girlish laugh is infectious, and together we stand.

Hand in hand, we make our way downstairs and I think we might be over whatever was making her mad.

FRANCO MAKES AN EMBARRASSING fuss over my girl. I leave them in my bathroom. I’m not sure Ana would appreciate me micromanaging a haircut.

Heading back to my study, I feel tension in my shoulders. I feel it everywhere. This morning has been out of my control, and though she says she’s going to try faith and patience, I’ll have to see if she’s as good as her word.

But Ana has never given me a reason to doubt her.

Except when she left.

And she hurt me…

I dismiss the dark thought and quickly check my e-mails. There’s one from Flynn.

* * *

From: Dr. John Flynn

Subject: Tonight

Date: June 11 2011 13:00

To: Christian Grey

Christian

Are you attending your parents’ benefit this evening?

JF

I respond immediately.

* * *

From: Christian Grey

Subject: Tonight

Date: June 11 2011 13:15

To: Dr. John Flynn

Good afternoon, John.

I am indeed, and I’ll be accompanied by Miss Anastasia Steele.

Christian Grey

CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.