Chapter 18 - Not a Negotiation #2
His jaw tightened.
"Angel."
"I'm okay."
"I didn't ask if you were okay."
I looked at him again.
He pulled the chair beside my desk closer and sat down.
"Are you sure?"
"About leaving?"
"Yeah."
"Yes."
He nodded slowly.
No argument.
No you should reconsider.
Just-
"Okay."
I blinked.
"Okay?"
"It's your decision."
Something in my chest loosened.
"Thank you."
He looked down for a second.
Then back at me.
"For what it's worth, I don't blame you."
I went still.
Ethan's expression changed.
Just slightly.
"I was in that room."
Right.
He had been.
"He shouldn't have spoken to you like that."
"Ethan-"
"I'm not trying to start anything."
His voice was calm.
"I'm just saying you didn't deserve that."
I swallowed.
"Thank you."
He nodded.
For a moment, neither of us said anything.
Then he leaned back slightly.
"This sucks."
I almost smiled.
"Ben already filed that complaint."
"Ben's complaint is probably about losing someone to annoy."
"Accurate."
"Mine's better."
"Oh?"
His smile appeared.
But it wasn't quite his usual one.
"I'm losing my lunch partner."
My smile softened.
"I'm resigning, Ethan. I'm not dying."
"You say that now. Then you get some fancy job across Miami and suddenly you're too important for lunch."
"Obviously."
"Knew it."
I laughed quietly.
He smiled.
And then, for just a second, the smile disappeared.
"I'm going to miss having you here, Angel."
That one landed differently.
I looked at him.
"I'll miss you too."
His eyes stayed on mine for a second longer than usual.
Then he nodded.
"Yeah."
He stood.
"Anyway. Before I accidentally become emotional at work, I'm leaving."
"Probably wise."
"Very."
He took two steps, then looked back.
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure."
Another nod.
"Then I'm on your side."
And he walked away.
Forty-seven minutes later, my phone rang.
I looked at the screen.
Of course.
I picked it up.
"Yes?"
His voice came through low and controlled.
"Come to my office."
I closed my eyes.
Here we go again.
I stood outside Adrian's office for three seconds.
Then four.
Apparently YOUR MAJESTY ?? could summon me.
He could not make me enthusiastic about it.
I knocked.
"Come in."
I opened the door.
Adrian was standing beside the windows.
My resignation letter was on his desk.
Not in the envelope anymore.
Flat.
Open.
He turned when I entered.
"Close the door."
I did.
Then I stayed where I was.
"You wanted to see me?"
His eyes stayed on me.
"Yes."
I waited.
Nothing.
Of course.
"You called me."
"I know."
"Then talk."
His jaw tightened.
He walked back toward his desk but didn't sit.
"I've read your letter."
"Congratulations."
"Angelica."
"What?"
"This isn't funny."
"I know."
His eyes searched my face.
"Have you thought this through?"
"Yes."
"For longer than one night?"
I stared at him.
"How long am I required to think about it before my resignation becomes valid?"
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
"I mean you're making a major career decision less than twenty-four hours after-"
"Don't."
He stopped.
"Don't call it emotional again."
His jaw flexed.
"I wasn't going to."
"Good."
Silence.
He looked down at the letter.
Then back at me.
"You're good at your job."
I almost laughed.
"Thank you."
"I mean it."
"So do I."
Something flickered across his face.
"You're working on one of the largest projects we've taken on this year."
"I know."
"You've built relationships here."
"I know."
"You're respected here."
That one almost got me.
Almost.
I folded my arms.
"Where are you going with this?"
"I don't understand why you're willing to walk away from all of that."
And there it was.
Something hot moved through my chest.
"You don't understand?"
"No."
I stared at him.
Actually stared at him.
Then I laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because apparently there was a limit to how much bullshit one person could hear before her body started improvising.
"You really don't understand."
"I'm asking you to explain it."
"You want me to explain it?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
I stepped farther into the room.
"You want to know why I'm leaving?"
"Yes."
"Because I'm tired."
His expression shifted.
"Of what?"
"You."
Silence.
His face went completely still.
I didn't care.
Not anymore.
"I'm tired of trying to figure out which Adrian Vale I'm going to get every fucking day."
"Angelica-"
"No. You wanted me to explain. So let me explain."
He stopped.
I could feel my heart pounding now.
My hands weren't steady anymore.
Good.
Maybe I'd finally stopped pretending they were.
"You come close to me."
He said nothing.
"You find reasons to stand at my desk. You buy my coffee. You notice when I haven't eaten. You stay when I stay. You let me bring you food. You remember things I don't even remember telling you."
His jaw tightened.
"You held my hand because I cut my finger."
Nothing.
"You followed me out of your office because you made me cry."
His eyes dropped for half a second.
"You held me."
His eyes came back to mine.
"You wiped my tears."
"Angelica."
"You told me not to cry."
His face tightened.
"You told me you weren't worth crying over."
Silence.
"And then you spent an entire week avoiding me."
"I was giving you space."
"I know."
That stopped him.
"I knew exactly what you were doing."
He stared at me.
"And I gave you space too."
I swallowed.
"Then Thursday night, I was still giving you space."
His eyes changed.
"I didn't ask you to cross that ballroom."
Nothing.