Fifty Shades After

Chapter 32: They Wanted More

We move to one of the couches. It's firm, yet comfortable. I can lay here forever. My entire body takes up the whole thing, and Sophie is seated at the edge, right next to me. Like she's taking care of me. I had gotten a hideous headache, so she gave me an aspirin and some water.

Every time I glance at Sophie, she's gazing or lost in thought. She told me I should sleep, but I just can't seem to close my eyes. I feel them crusty, dry, and burning. I much rather lay here completely numb and completely empty minded for at least a moment.

"Penny for your thoughts." I mumble. She looks down at me and exhales. "You seem pretty stressed. Kinda upsetting to think that it was transitioning into a Grey that did this to you." I look away from her remembering my words to her that day on the bench,

"I'm not a Grey, stop calling me a Grey!"

I scoff. "Who am I kidding." I say to myself."What?" She asks. I look at her, concerned etched on her face. "Let's face it. I was always a Grey. Whether I liked it or not. I'm stressed at my own cost. It's all my fault." I throw an arm over my eyes and groan. "Don't blame yourself." I feel her hand sliding up my cheek. "Blaming yourself doesn't make it any better, Teddy Ray." I involuntarily laugh. "Have you always called me that?"

- "Called you what? Teddy Ray?"

- "Yeah."

- "For as long as I remember, yes. You were my little Teddy. Oh, how I adored you. You were so cute." I peek under my arm.

"Were? As in, I'm not anymore?" Sophie laughs. "No, you're not. You're handsome now." She pinches my cheek and I wince. She smiles, but it slowly disappears. She's completely grim.

"Jake cheated on me." She blurts out. I quickly sit up. "What?"
- "With my best friend, Melina. They say they didn't know what they were doing. They were drunk." Whoa. Douche bag really was a douche bag. "Sophie, Jesus, I'm so sorry." I place a hand on her shoulder. "She looks down and shakes her head. "You know, I really don't feel as bad as I should be." She looks surprised at herself. "Why?" My interest has been peaked. "Well, one, he's already done it before. Christian has been upset at me everytime I take him back."

- "How come you kept taking him back?" I rest my elbows on my knees. Sophie shrugs and laughs. "I'm just so obsessed with love, Ted. Your parents had the perfect love, and I wanted it too. I thought I could get it with Jake, but," she shrugs again. He's a leech." I laugh at my own reference.

"And um, speaking of your parents." She adds and I roll my eyes, throwing myself back on the couch. "Their love was strong, Ted. So incredibly, amazingly strong. And hey. Couples gotta find that spark in their marriage, am I right?" She elbows me and I scrunch my face.

"Oh, come on, Ted. Everyone has a kink. Try to understand them. They trust and love each other. No matter the nature. And their love, in the end, was personified, actual flesh and bones. Isn't that just amazing? That's the only thing you should ever think about."
- "Personified?
- "You and Phoebe, silly." She ruffles my hair. I eye her suspiciously. "So... you want their love... and their love is personified... does that mean you want me?" Her eyes widen and she laughs nervously. "That's not what I... okay, wait, let me rephrase that. What I meant to say... damn it, Ted, did you not understand anything I just said!?"
- "I know what you mean." I laugh at her. "Kink, ew. Understand them, no thanks. Love was strong, disagree." She exhales in exasperation.

"Look," I sit up and scoot next to her. "If their love was strong, Dad would've never cheated. I heard why he cheated. Mom didn't want to try.... something out, so he went to Elena for it or something. At least that's what I heard."
- "You probably heard wrong because that's not what happened."