I wasn't going to bet on it, but I had to do something. Just sitting there, trying to focus on work when it seemed like my entire world was crashing down around me wasn't going to do anything other than driving me batshit crazy. So unless I wanted a trip to the loony bin, going home was my best option.
"Thank you," I told Christian, trying to smile at him. It probably looked forced and fake, but I didn't care. I was too busy grabbing my things and shuffling into the elevator before Christian changed his mind.
It wasn't until I was halfway through the parking garage that I realized at some point, I'd stopped thinking of him as Mr. Frost and instead started calling him Christian in my mind. I just hoped I had only called him that in my mind and not out loud. I could only imagine the headaches that would await me if I'd suddenly started calling him by his first name.
Almost no one in the company called him Christian. To everyone outside of his personal inner circle, he was Mr. Frost, and I needed to remember that.
Some time away from the office was definitely what I needed. As much as I'd tried to focus on my work and let that distract me from my rampant thoughts, it'd been a futile effort. How could I pretend everything was just fine when the biggest source of my anxiety was only a few feet away from me for the vast majority of the day?
No, work was not going to help me get my mind off things this time.
The problem was, if work wouldn't distract me from my problems, what would? Part of me knew running from my problems probably wasn't the best course of action, but the other part of me just didn't care. I wasn't yet ready to face the fact that I'd let my boss get me pregnant. I kept hoping if I buried my head in the sand long enough, the problem would just go away on its own.
Yeah, yeah, I know. It wasn't the best decision I'd ever made in my life. But then, I didn't get into this mess by making good decisions, now did I? If I was good at making life choices, none of this would have happened.
4
Christian
I frowned as I watched Jade step into the elevator. Something was definitely wrong, and I truly hoped a bit of extra rest would help her out. She worked harder than another other secretary I'd ever had, knew the ins and outs of the business better than some of the guys who'd been working here for a decade. If she ended up needing to miss more than a couple days of work, I couldn't imagine how I'd be able to handle it.
It was only because of Jade that I was able to do everything I did. I never had to worry about her, never had to babysit her. If I gave her a task, she did it and did it perfectly. That left me free to work on other things, not having to worry about her dropping the ball. Until recently, her work had always been impeccable.
I wanted to ask her what was truly bothering her. I knew it wasn't just being tired. But Jade and I weren't friends. We were coworkers. No, not even that. I was her boss and she was my employee. We didn't have the kind of relationship where I could inquire into her personal life. I just had to trust that she had everything under control and would be back to full strength soon.
Otherwise, I wasn't sure how everything would be done on time.
Back in my office, I'd barely begun with the newest stack of paperwork on my desk when my phone rang. I was torn between taking the call and handling it or letting it go to voicemail, because it would just put me further behind. I chose to answer it and take a break from my mountain of paperwork.
"Frost," I answered, closing my eyes and just focusing on my breathing. I wasn't nearly as worn down as Jade was, but after everything was said and done, I was going to need one hell of a vacation myself. I made a mental note to up Jade's bonus so she could enjoy a vacation of her own, too. I had a feeling she needed just as much as I did, if not more so.
"Such a loving greeting," Aspen teased, and I immediately sat up straight. Hearing my younger brother's voice immediately put me in a much better mood. "How are you, Chris?"
"Better," I said, honestly. All thoughts about the paperwork fled my mind. Growing up, my brothers and I had all been best of friends. We'd mostly gone our separate ways now that we were grown, but I still enjoyed hearing from any of them.
Aspen's voice took on a teasing tone, one that I knew all too well. "Well, then I can only imagine how shitty your day must have been. Do you need to talk about it?"
"Bite me," I growled out. "What do you want, Ass?"
I didn't even need to see Aspen to know he was glaring at me. He'd always hated the nickname we'd given him. Which just made us all use it more often.
"God, I hate you all," he mumbled under his breath, just loud enough to be sure I heard it. It was all the typical botherly banter though, the kind of interaction I'd sorely missed over the last couple weeks. "Did you get the invite to Nick and Gabbie's wedding?"
Blinking, I stared down at the mess of paperwork on my desk. If I
