That was usually how it went for him.
For him to show up unannounced at my apartment though, the same day he'd gone off on me. That didn't bode well. I'd hoped by tomorrow morning he would have calmed down enough to have a rational conversation. But him showing up at my apartment, didn’t look rational at all. Especially since he'd never been to my place before. I didn't even know he knew where I lived.
But I couldn't just ignore him out there. I had a feeling that would just make him even angrier. And if I wanted any chance of us parting on good terms, I had to acknowledge him before sending him off on his way.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, probably not in the politest greeting possible. But I still wasn't eager to have him shout at me some more. It'd been bad enough that everyone at the office probably already knew about our fight. I really didn't want my neighbors to become witnesses to it as well.
"I came to talk," he said. He was definitely calmer than he'd been at the office, but I doubted he fully forgave me for wanting to leave just yet. "About this morning."
"I'd rather not," I said honestly. I wanted to at least put this off until the next morning. If he was going to fire me, I'd rather him do it at the office, where I could at least pack up my things. I didn't want to get fired standing in my apartment. "You said we could wait until tomorrow morning to discuss everything again."
Not that there would be much to discuss. After all, it wasn't like I was suddenly going to change my mind. I was leaving Frost Industries. Either it would be in two weeks at the end of my notice or it was going to be tomorrow after he fired me. Either way, nothing he said was going to change that fact.
Christian let out a breath. He ran a hand through his messy hair, which was a slightly jarring sight. He was normally perfectly kept, without a single strand of hair out of place. Yet now, he looked positively disheveled. He almost looked like he'd been drinking, but I hadn't smelled even a hint of booze on his breath. His clothes were out of place though, his normally crisp shirt wrinkled and his suit not quite sitting as neatly as it normally would.
He still looked good, but he wasn't the immaculate man I was used to seeing. I wasn't sure if I should have felt bad for him or worried for myself. If his outward appearance was this out of the norm, how was his mental state?
"Please," he said, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it before. His eyes were pleading, and against my better judgement, I nodded and stepped aside, letting him come in. As long as he wasn't screaming at the top of his lungs, at least inside the apartment the neighbors probably wouldn't hear much. Our apartments were surprisingly well insulated, and I usually only heard the loudest of sounds coming from the other rooms. "Thank you," he said once the door was shut behind him.
Then, it was quiet for a moment. I walked over and picked up my tea, taking a tentative sip of his, letting the peppermint flavor wash over me. It helped calm me a bit, and at that point, I needed every aid I had to keep myself from getting all worked up again.
There was tension in the air, but I had no way to break it. There wasn't anything else I had to say to Christian right then. I hadn't changed my mind about leaving, and I hadn't changed my mind about telling him the truth. That meant the ball was in his court, and there was nothing to be said until he told me why he was there.
Finally, Christian took a deep breath. He seemed to stand up straighter, his shoulders squaring. When he looked at me, there was a renewed sense of confidence in his eyes, without a trace of the anger that had been there this morning. "First, I want to apologize," he said, and I nearly fainted right then and there. Christian Frost was not the kind of man who usually apologized for anything. And he certainly never went out of his way to do it. "I was out of line this morning. You dropped your news on me so suddenly, I reacted on instinct. I shouldn't have done that, and I hope you will forgive me for my outbursts."
I nodded slowly, still wondering if I was actually hearing him properly. Sure, he'd been a dick this morning, but I hadn't actually been holding that against him. I understood his anger, and while I hadn't liked it, I also hadn't blamed him for it. "Thank you," I said, at last, knowing he was waiting for some kind of response.
Once I accepted his apology, he continued. "I also want to reiterate my offer from earlier. If there's something I can give you to keep you, just name it. A raise, a promotion, your own office. Whatever you want, it's yours. You're a valuable member of the company, and I don't want to lose you."
His speech sounded rehearsed, and I wondered how long he'd spent practicing it. It was a tempting offer, but not one I could really take him up on. As nice as any of those things would have been, they weren't the reason I was leaving. "No, I'm sorry."
Christian stiffened, and I waited for another outburst. But one didn't come this time. He just stood, breathing deeply and closing his eyes. When he opened them again, there was a sadness there I'd never seen before. "And I assume you still won't tell me why you're leaving?" When I shook my head, he let out a breath. "Can you at least tell me one thing? Was
