Fifty Shades Freed (Christian & Ana)(39)



"Just be with you," I murmur. He rises from the table, comes around, and kisses me on the forehead.

"Well, can you do without me for about an hour? I need to check my e-mails, find out what's happening at home."

"Sure," I say brightly, trying to hide my disappointment that I'll be without him for an hour. Is it freaky that I want to be with him all the time? My subconscious presses her lips into a narrow, unattractive line and nods vigorously.

"Thank you for the camera," he murmurs and heads for the study.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Ana:Hey are you there?

Kate:YES,Ana! How are you? How's the honeymoon? Did you see my e-mail? Does Christian know about the fire?

Ana:I'm good. Honeymoon's great. Yes, I saw your e-mail. Yes, Christian knows.

Kate: I thought he would. News is sketchy on what happened. And Elliot won't tell me anything.

Ana: Are you fishing for a story?

Kate: You know me too well.

Ana: Christian hasn't told me much.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Back in our cabin I decide to catch up on my correspondence and open my laptop.

There are e-mails from my mom and from Kate, giving me the latest gossip from home and asking how the honeymoon is going. Well, great, until someone decided to burn down GEH Inc. . . . As I finish my response to my mom, an e-mail from Kate hits my inbox.

From: Katherine L. Kavanagh

Date: August 17, 2011 11:45 PST

To: Anastasia Grey

Subject: OMG!!!!

Ana, just heard about the fire at Christian's office.

Do you think it's arson?

K xox

Kate is online! I jump on to my newfound toy—Skype messaging—and see that she's available. I quickly type a message.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kate: Elliont heard from Grace!

Ana:How are Ellion and Ethan?

Kate:Ethan has been accepted into the psych course at Seattle for his master's degree. Elliot is adorable.

Ana: Way to go, Ethan.

Kate: How's our favorite ex-dom?

Ana: Kate!

Kate: What?

Ana: YOU KNOW WHAT!

Kate: K.Sorry

Ana: He's fine. More than fine.

Kate:Well, as long as you'ar happy, I'm happy.

Ana: I'm blissfully happy.

Kate: I have to run. Can we talk later?

Ana:Not sure. See if I am online. Time zones suck!

Kate:They do. Love you, Ana.

Ana:Love you, too. Laters.x

Kate: Laters.<3

----------------------------------------------------------------

Oh no—I'm sure Christian doesn't want this broadcast all over Seattle. I try my patented distract-tenacious-Kavanagh technique.


Trust Kate to be on the trail of this story. I roll my eyes and shut Skype down before Christian sees the chat. He wouldn't appreciate the ex-Dom comment, and I'm not sure he's entirely ex . . .

I sigh loudly. Kate knows everything, since our tipsy evening three weeks before the wedding when I finally succumbed to the Kavanagh inquisition. It was a relief to finally talk to someone.

I glance at my watch. It's been about an hour since dinner, and I am missing my husband. I head back on deck to see if he's finished his work.

I am in the Hall of Mirrors and Christian is standing beside me, smiling down at me with love and affection. You look like an angel. I beam back at him, but when I glance into the looking glass, I'm standing on my own and the room is gray and drab. No! My head whips back to his face, to find his smile is sad and wistful. He tucks my hair behind my ear. Then he turns wordlessly and walks away slowly, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the mirrors as he paces the enormous room to the ornate double doors at the end . . . a man on his own, a man with no reflection . . . and I wake, gasping for air, as panic seizes me.

E.L. James's Books