Chapter Nineteen

Tristan POV

"What's your take?" I asked, looking at her with an hopeful gaze while she just looked away from my face.

"I don't know why y'all feel like she's a bad person but I can assure y'all that she's a good person and i love her, but you should know that I love you and I'll do anything to make you happy, even if it means cutting off the people you don't want in my life. I know that you're just tryna look out for me" she muttered as she held my hand.

"Tristan, I'm sorry for everything that happened the other day. Those words that I said to you, I can swear on everything in this world that I didn't mean them. They were just mere words said out of anger" she apologised looking so sincere and remorseful that I couldn't help the smile that curved up my lips.

"It's fine. Fuck! I'm late, we'll talk later in the day. Hope the picnic is still on, we can just make it a dinner date or what do you think?" I asked as I walked towards the door.

"Anything you want is fine, let's go for the date tomorrow. I want to go see my dad today" she said with a smile and I rushed out of the room after saying goodbye. I saw the disappointment on her face when I didn't kiss or peck her goodbye. I want to make sure that I'm not tryna force myself on her, so I want her to make the first move.

"Good morning, boss!" The guards in the compound greeted me with a cheerful smile as I walked towards my car, I smiled at them in response. One of them that was standing close to the car opened it for me and I sat down in the car before he shut the door for me.

"The office" I said with my eyes on my phone in my hands.

"Okay boss. I'm so glad to finally see you again after so long" he said while I just nodded my head with my entire focus on the phone I was operating till I got to the office.

"Good morning, boss!"

"Boss, you look so hot today!

"Gosh! Is that a woman's perfume I'm smelling from the boss's body?"

"It must be his wife's perfume"

"She's so lucky to have a hot man like him" the employees kept on gushing and whispering to each other as I walked to the elevator and went to my office. I was surprised when I saw Richard sitting on my chair while working diligently that he didn't even notice my present. I cleared my throat feeling nervous about how he'll vent his anger and frustration that I caused on me like usual but I was surprised at what happened.

"Ohh, boss. You finally decided to resume, welcome back boss" he said respectfully and calmly as he stood up on my chair and walked towards the chair in front of my desk and he sat down as if everything happening right now is normal.

"Sit on your chair, boss. I'll brief you about everything that happened while you were away and that reminds me, I submitted my resignation letter already but you were not around to stamp it so I had to wait till today. Please, do well to stamp it before the end of the day cause I won't be coming to work anymore as from tomorrow" he said as he stared at me with a blank gaze while tears suddenly filled my eyes and I blinked to stop it from falling.

"What do you mean by you submitted your resignation letter already? Is this some kind of joke to you?" I asked with hurt obvious in my voice as I walked towards him sitting down on the chair beside him.

"You don't want to believe that that's a joke but you can treat me like one" he scoffed, talking with so much calmness as if he can't notice the tension building up in the room we were in. I wanted to throw myself at him, crying and begging him not to leave me but I controlled myself, gnashing my teeth.

"What do you mean by that!" I suddenly snapped.

"You know exactly what I mean, and yes, I said what I meant and I meant what I said. You're so selfish that sometimes, I wonder if you had ever considered me as a friend, even if it's just for once. I've been with you since we were kids till now and you still can't trust me fully. I even refused to work in my father's company because I wanted to be close to my friend. I was always ready to risk everything to make you happy but what do you always do? You always shut me out every damn time you're mad or sad over something! Better change your ways so that you won't lose the remaining people that truly care about you" he said so calmly like he was not venting out his frustrations and his body language looked like that of someone who doesn't care about me anymore and that broke me, that look. That disappointed look lying calmly behind that blank gaze. That I don't give a fuck about whatever you do anymore gaze.

"I'm sorry" I cried as tears rolled out of my eyes and I grabbed his wrist as he tried to stand up, "please don't leave me. I've been a fool and bastard who doesn't even deserve you but I still want you. You're my only friend and family, we both know how much I love you even though I'm not good at showing my feelings but I promise that I'll work on it, I'll do anything you want. I'll allow you to sleep in my house, in my room and on my bed for as long as you want to. I'll change my ways and do everything that makes you happy, just list them. We'll fulfil that crazy bucket list you've always wanted to do with me since secondary school and more. I swear I've always wanted to try those things out with you but I was scared, I was scared that I'll end up like my father one day if I trust you or anyone like he did" I cried out as I grabbed his hand. If I had known I should just have let him go but some mistakes must happen for us to learn from them.

"I know that you've been through a lot but that doesn't justify your actions. I just hope that you'll really change being grumpy and withdrawn" he muttered with a smile as he pulled me closer and he hugged me so tight that I thought that my home might crush but I didn't complain like usual. I would have hit his hand away with a glare if he tried this on any other day.

"Thank you for forgiving me and I'm sorry for being a jerk" I muttered as I hugged him back calmly, patting his back gently.

"I think we should celebrate this! We need to cheer to this new behaviour of yours and for more years of our friendship" he said with a smile.

"Let's do that after work. There seems to be a lot of work waiting for me on my desk" I muttered as I pulled out of the hug and walked towards my chair, settling down calmly.

"Of course, Tristan. Let's start the briefing now, a lot of the CEO’s we what to sign a new contract with refused to sign a contract unless you're present in the meeting and I'll schedule a meeting with all of them today, it'll be super brief so that you'll be able to attend to all of them and you have tons of emails to reply. The new goods that were delivered last two weeks have not been opened because they were waiting for your order and..." He kept on going on and on about everything while I just rubbed my forehead knowing that today is gonna be tough for me.