And So I Ran - Complete

Chapter 20

"Christian, darling. It's been forever since we spoke."

"Just over a week, Elena," I responded dryly, glad she'd at least had the sense to ring during the morning when I'd be at work so Ana would not be around to witness the call.

If I'd hoped Ana's feelings towards Elena might soften, then I was disappointed. At first, her snide comments about my former Domme had annoyed me. I'd tried to point out Elena had given me the focus and direction I'd desperately needed during my teenage years. Ana, however, saw it differently. She saw the fifteen-year-old me as a vulnerable, confused young man and Elena as a predator, and after mulling it over in my mind, I was starting to understand her point of view.

My fifteen-year-old self had needed love and understanding. Instead, Elena had beaten me and fucked my brains out. I'd always felt so indebted to her – grateful that she could love me in a way I could endure. But now I'd found Ana, I knew that what Elena had given me wasn't love, and I couldn't help but wonder how things might have been had I found an Ana at fifteen and not Elena.

"Well it feels like longer," she gushed. "I was just ringing to see if you're free for lunch this week? Or we could do dinner? We should go over the figures for the salon."

I sighed. The figures for the salons I jointly owned with Elena were chickenfeed, in the scheme of things, and hardly worthy of my attention. While I used to dine with Elena once every week or so, I hadn't seen her since Ana came on the scene – and now I wasn't sure I wanted to.

"This week is not good. Things have gotten completely out of control with Leila. On Friday she tried to contact Ana at work, and yesterday she vandalized her car in the garage at Escala," I growled.

"Oh, the poor thing," Elena purred with patent insincerity. "She must be terrified! Be careful, Christian, she doesn't have the fortitude of your other subs. She might decide it's all too much and run away!"

My heart clenched as Elena voiced my darkest fear; that Ana would decide our relationship wasn't worth the drama that went with being mine; that she wouldn't think I was worth it.

"I have no fears there," I said coldly. "Firstly, Ana is not my sub she's my girlfriend. And things are going better than ever. In fact, she's moving in with me."

"That didn't take her long," Elena retorted snidely.

"Well, I guess I can thank Leila for that," I snapped back. "Ana is the most precious person in the world to me, and I won't take any chances with her safety."

"Of course you won't," Elena cooed. "How about the three of us have dinner this week? I'm very curious to meet her. She sounds charming..."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Elena. Email the figures across, and I'll take a look at them."

She tittered. "Oh Christian, you know I'm no good at technology."

"Then courier them. I have to go, Elena, I have a meeting."

I disconnected the call. How had I never noticed the coldness in her voice before? She'd laughed, but it wasn't warm. And what was with her interest in meeting Ana? I'd become successful in business by trusting my instincts, and right now my instincts were telling me I wanted Elena as far as possible from Ana and what we were building together.

I looked at my reply to Ana's last email and picked up my phone.

"Brilliant Bayside Blooms, Neil speaking."

"Neil, it's Christian Grey. I need an urgent delivery. Red roses - your very best. Four dozen please."

"To the same young lady?"