A/N: Thanks for reading. Enjoy!
C POV
"I can now say I've tried pretzel crusted chicken and liked it.", I smile after taking the last bite of my dinner. My plate is completely empty while Ana's barely touched her food. "You need to eat."
"I've ate some, but I'm still kind of full from the big lunch I had.", she mutters. I suppose I should be glad she's not giving me the silent treatment, but the dinner conversation has been minimal which is almost as bad. I can't say I don't deserve it though. I was a foolish ass for assuming Ana had thrown out the paper ring.
"I noticed a pan of brownies on the counter. How about I get you one of those?"
"No thanks. I'm finished." She pushes her chair back and stands with her plate. I quickly get out of my chair and grab the plate from her hand.
"We need to talk.", I tell her.
"We can talk after I clean up in here." She tries to go to the sink, but I block her. "You're not going to move, are you?"
"Nope." I set her plate in the sink and grab hold of her hand before leading us into the living room. I keep my hand on hers as we sit down on the sofa. "I'm so sorry about jumping to conclusions about the ring, and I don't just mean tonight. I also mean this morning. You were right. I didn't give you enough credit. I let my insecurity get the best of me."
"You certainly did. It hurt thinking you thought I could easily throw away the ring and the significance of it. It hurt even worse hearing you blast me for supposedly throwing it away." She wipes away a tear from the corner of her eye.
"It pains me to see the hurt I've caused. I can't go back and change what I said, but I can change what happens from here on out."
"I hope so because if we want to move forward with this relationship we have to stop this cycle of not trusting and being honest with each other. I've been guilty as well."
"We'll work on it, both of us.", I say with a tiny smile. I brush my hand along the side of her face. "I love you and will move heaven and earth for you."
"Me too."
"I see you decided to get into the brownies.", I laugh while padding into the kitchen. Dressed in her fluffy pink robe is Ana who's sitting the table with the pan of brownies and a glass of milk.
"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep so I decided to have a snack." She holds a brownie up and grins. "Gail's a pro at making brownies. I observed as she made them from scratch. I usually just make them from a box."
"Don't cut yourself short. I've had some you've made, and they were delicious." I pour myself some milk and sit in the chair directly across from her. I take one of the brownies and study her. "You couldn't go back to sleep because you had something on your mind. Am I right?"
"I got to thinking about my day and all that happened.", she murmurs. "And not just with us. I mean with my visit to work. The more I got to thinking the more I realized I was hurt with seeing someone else at my desk. I've been working there a while and have busted my butt with every single ad campaign I've done. I've given my hundred and ten percent."
"You're a dedicated and talented worker." I swallow a piece of my brownie and take a drink of my milk. "Do you want my honest opinion on the matter?"
"We're working on our honesty so please go ahead. Tell me your opinion."
"Mr. Nelson placing the new girl at your desk was disrespectful. You might be off work, but that's no excuse for someone else to be at your spot."
"You're right. I told myself it was ok, but it's not. I was already feeling like an outsider when I first arrived at the office, and seeing Michelle at my desk heightened those feelings. I felt like I didn't belong." I told Ana I'd drop the opening her own business topic, but today's events could be a game changer.
"Maybe what happened is a sign." Ana cocks her head. "You can start your own business."
"We've already gone over that.", she mutters. "I don't want to start my own business right now. I'm happy with where I'm at."
"But you were disrepected at that place."
"Still..I'm not ready to take such a huge step like branching out on my own." She polishes off her milk. "I'm going to go back to bed and try to get some sleep."
A POV
"Your mom's birthday is in a few weeks, and I'm thinking about taking her on a little getaway with just the two of us. Do you think she'd like it?", my dad asks me. He and I are in his greenhouse while my mom's working on some of the landscaping business's books in the house.
"Dad, there's no doubt Mom will love it. It'll be romantic."
"That's what I'm wanting. You've always been great with keeping secrets so I know I don't have to ask you to keep this one."
"My lips are sealed."
"What about your getaway?", he asks. "Have you and Christian decided when you're going to London?"
"Not yet.", I shrug as I admire some of the ferns that are growing on the left wall. "Things have been so chaotic lately. I'm ready to get back to a normal routine."
"You'll have that soon enough. I bet you're looking forward to getting back to work."
"Um yeah." I surprise myself with the uncertainty in my voice. "I went to see everyone at the office yesterday, and I got a little shock. Mr. Nelson hired a new girl who was sitting at my desk. He said it was only until he could do some rearranging."
"That's bullshit.", my dad snarls. "I'm sorry for my language, but what he did was low. He knew he was hiring someone so he should've already done his rearranging. Did you tell him how it bothered you?"
"No. At the time it was upsetting, but the feeling got worse as I was rehashing it in my head. The other day Christian mentioned me starting up my own advertising agency. I dismissed the idea and suggested Christian not talk about it again. He brought it back up last night. He thinks having my desk occupied by someone else is a sign that I should go out on my own."
"Ana, I can't tell you what to do. Your life is your life although I will say I think opening your own business could be great. You've got the skills and experience." I walk over to a wooden bench that's placed at the front of the greenhouse. "You're scared." He smiles and sits down next to me. "You used to get the same look on your face when you were younger. Your nose would scrunch up slightly. I saw it when you thought there was a monster in your closet, and I saw it when you didn't think you'd be able to learn how to ride a bike. There's nothing wrong with being scared, but you can't let it prevent you from taking chances. I was scared when I first started the landscaping business. I worried that I'd fail and be nothing, yet I pushed myself into trying. It wasn't easy in the beginning and can still be tough, but I love every second of it."
"I'm afraid of taking the risk and disappointing people."
"You could never disappoint anyone. We're always going to love and support you."
"Ana, baby, hi." Christian closes his office door and walks over to where I'm sitting. I start to stand. "Stay.", he says, leaning down and placing a kiss on my lips. "I was on my way back from a meeting with Ros, and I saw Baker outside my door. I might've opened the door a little faster than normal."
"You missed me?", I giggle.
"I did." He leans against his desk and folds his arms. "Did you miss me?"
"Yes, and that's one reason why I'm here." He smirks at my answer.
"That's good enough for me although I'm curious about your other reason or reasons for being here."
"Nothing is wrong.", I assure him. "I had a nice talk with my dad. He helped me clear away some mental fog. I've decided to take the plunge and start my own advertising business. I was afraid of not succeeding, but I now know that I shoudn't let the fear stop me from embarking on a potentially amazing journey."
"I'm so happy you're going to do it, and don't be scared of not succeeding. You're going to do great. I can check and see the building I showed you before is still available."
"Don't do that. I can find a location on my own."
"I'm not saying you can't. I'm saying that I'd like to help in any way I can, including financing your business.", he says.
"No way. I'm not taking money from you. I've got some money saved and can also apply for a small business loan."
"So you possibly put yourself in debt?", he scoffs.
"Elena and Leila were already convinced I was a gold digger, and I'm sure others think the same thig. You giving me money will only add to their speculation."
"I don't give a fuck what other people think and neither should you. I'm in a position that allows me to help so let me." I lean back in my chair and mull over Christian's offer.
"I'll accept your help on one condition. I'll pay back every single cent, and I don't want any arguing about it." He nods as I extend my hand. "Let's shake on it." He stalks closer to my chair and gently helps me to my feet.
"Fuck shaking on it. I'd rather seal the deal with a kiss.", he says before covering his mouth over mine.