And I’d forever kick myself in the ass if I didn’t at least try to find him.
I raced down the highway and weaved in and out of traffic. I cursed at every red light and took every shortcut down every back road I knew to get to his house sooner. I dodged cars and swerved around people stumbling off the sidewalk, and eventually, I pulled into his neighborhood. My hands were white-knuckling the steering wheel, and my heart sank to my toes when I realized his car wasn’t parked in the driveway.
But still, I couldn't give up hope.
I brought my car to a screeching halt and kept it running while I threw my door open. I ran up to his front door, furiously banging on it with my fist, and I began to yell.
“Christian, please! Open up!”
I knocked, and I knocked, and I knocked some more. I hit the door so hard I shook it on its hinges. In the pit of my stomach, I knew he wasn’t here. But I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t know where else to find him.
All I knew was I had to talk with him.
“Christian, please. Just let me explain. I was an idiot. An angry, fucking idiot. I swear to you, I’m not taking this company from you. I don’t care what that paperwork says, my father was right. Christian, can you hear me? You were right!”
My hands ached as I turned around, and I slid my back down his front door until I was sitting on his porch. He had to come back home eventually. He’d have to come back here for clothes, or toiletries, or food. I could sit here on his porch and wait for him. I could sleep in my car until I saw him coming up the driveway.
I just needed to see him.
I just needed to talk to him.
I had no idea where he could be. I had no idea where he could’ve gone. If he didn’t come home, the only things he had were the clothes he took to New York, and that wouldn’t last him long anywhere.
Oh, holy shit. I’d fucked up big time.
And I sobbed on his porch as all of my mistakes came rushing back to the front of my mind.
Chapter Thirty-One
Christian
I woke up the next morning on Todd’s couch as he was coming down the stairs. I didn’t get much sleep the night before, but when I did finally get to sleep all I saw was Stella. I saw her beautiful smile and her radiant black hair. I saw her shining in the sun and glistening in the darkness. I felt her wet skin underneath my fingertips while her lips pressed against mine. I woke up with a start as Stella whispered my name in my ear, and for a moment, I thought it was Stella hovering over me.
“Dude, why the fuck are you in my house?” Todd asked.
“Key under the rock, remember?” I asked.
“I know, man. But what the hell are you doing here? How’d the business trip go?” he asked.
“It went fine. We did what we wanted to do, then we came home,” I said.
“Then, why aren’t you at your house?” he asked.
“Because Stella fucking took the company from me.”
Todd stared at me for a second before he took my hand, helping me sit up on the couch before he sat down beside me. His eyes were studying my face as I placed my head in my hands, groaning before I raked my fingers through my hair.
“I thought you had her on your radar,” he said.
“I fucking did. But these past couple weeks, she’s been a completely different person.”
“So, you dropped your guard,” he said.
“Yeah. And I shouldn’t have. I thought the best of her, and instead, she gave me the worst of her. Like she always fucking does,” I said.
“And you’re shocked?” he asked.
“No, I’m fucking pissed, and I’m hurt. I’ve been nailing that job. In the two weeks I’ve been there, we kept our schedule, nailed a huge new client with recurring orders in town, and I managed to keep us out of debt while raising our profit margins by opening a direct distribution and shipping program between our warehouses and other cities across the fucking nation. I set that company up to thrive for the next fucking decade before we would have to rebrand again, and she ripped it away from me,” I said.