Fifty Shades: Submission and Strength

Chapter 25

For the next eight weeks, true to his word, Christian didn't deviate from his promises. He managed to tamp down speculation about Ana in the media by bribing a few choice gossip rags and enlisting the help of the Kavanaugh family since they controlled half the newspapers in the city. He told his parents in no uncertain terms that even though he was seeing Anastasia, he was not prepared to bring her around the family just yet because they were taking things slow. He coordinated with Ana on her protection, and she was now directly in touch with Sawyer regarding his schedule, which helped her feel more in charge of her own security. She continued to sleep in her room, but Christian slept with her every night, having essentially switched bedrooms. And while Christian had taken Ana on numerous private outings — on his boat, to a few discrete restaurants and two quiet bed-and-breakfast getaways — he hadn't taken her to a single business dinner or gala. They spent most nights at home, catching up on work and on each other.

Meanwhile, true to her word, Ana began seeing Flynn on a regular basis. He weaned her off of her outdated prescriptions and began a new regimen, gradually introducing new medicines depending on her tolerance level, while engaging in extensive talk therapy.

She appreciated Flynn's conservative, incremental approach to medicine. The side effects were minimal and he didn't rely on meds as a cure-all. They leveled out her moods, helping her feel stable but not sedated — and more prepared emotionally to discuss her issues. She had never had a psychiatrist who emphasized talking over pills. During her many sessions, she was slowly opening up about her past and learning to modify certain behaviors and thoughts. It was an arduous process — reminding herself that she was worthy of Christian's love went against every fiber in her being — but she was beginning to at least recognize her negative thought patterns.

Ana was accepted into the university's graduate program and was set to receive her bachelor's degree in the spring with full honors. After a long discussion, she agreed to let Christian pay off all of her student loans so that she didn't have any debt hanging over her. She also let him buy her a car — not the souped-up Audi he was gunning for, but a safe, reliable Subaru that was a fraction of the cost. She cut back on her hours at Clayton's to focus on school and a possible internship at a law firm, but was still able to work enough to pay her own rent. Even though she spent most nights at Christian's penthouse, she resolved to always maintain her own apartment as both a symbol of her independence and as a backup plan.

Ana was still uncomfortable making new friends on campus, however, especially now that she was automatically associated with the elusive Christian Grey. She wasn't sure who was genuinely interested in getting to know her, so she shied away from the attention all together. But she was re-introduced to Elliott, Kate and Mia and began to enjoy their company. She suspected that Christian had a little pep talk to warn them that she wasn't a naturally outgoing person, which suited her just fine because they seemed to take things slow with her.

Behind closed doors, Ana was becoming increasingly brave initiating physical intimacy with Christian, and when they were out together, they always held hands, but otherwise he refrained from groping her in public. After four weeks of hemming and hawing, Ana officially began referring to Christian as her boyfriend.

She agreed to have dinner with his parents next Sunday and was looking forward to getting to know the people who raised such a remarkable, resilient man.

At the moment, Sawyer was taking her to have lunch with that very man at Grey House. They were having their first joint session as a couple with Flynn later in the day. Prior to that, Christian asked Ana to join him at work so he could show her around his office. They were also following Flynn's suggestion to devise a new contract that reflected and redefined the parameters of their budding relationship.