HER

Chapter 40

Richard had Carly call Sebastian into his office before the day ended and Richard was currently pacing in front of Sebastian who was seated in the sofa that was placed in the middle.

"Mr. Reed is everything ok?" Sebastian asked having been waiting for quite a while.

Richard stopped pacing and looked at him.
"I don't know, you tell me."

Sebastian frowned.
"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you?"

Sebastian looked away while Richard sighed and took the sofa on his left.
"I've had two people tell me about the Ground Up app you created and I want to hear it from you."

Sebastian sighed.
"What do you want to hear?"

"The truth."

Sebastian was quiet as Richard studied him.
"Is it really your app?"

Sebastian looked at Richard.
"No." He said inaudibly but Richard caught it. "It isn't."

Richard shut his eyes tight.
"Why did you do it?" He asked. "You could have created an app just as amazing maybe even better."

"It was payback."

Richard frowned.
"For what?"

Sebastian looked at Richard.
"Kaylie was getting personal with the client and I thought she was trying to get him to like her so he could pick her."

"And...?"

"I realized after I gave my presentation to Mr. Guzman that he wasn't playing favourites even if and Kaylie were...together."

"So, this was a personal vendetta."

"You could say that."

Richard watched Sebastian for a moment.
"Are you sure that's all?"

Richard ran his hand across his face.
"I might have been...jealous."

"Of Kaylie's app?"

"Of Mr. Guzman." He confessed.

Richard stared at Sebastian surprised.
"Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?"

Sebastian sighed and nodded.
"Yes. I realize now that it was the wrong way to go."

"Damn right it is!" Richard rose from his seat. "I took you in because you were smart and I believed you could grow and become something not just in my company but someday in yours."

Sebastian looked at Richard.

"You want to ruin your chances here?"

"No, Mr. Reed." Sebastian said. "I'm sorry for what I did and it won't happen again."

"Damn right it won't because you're done."

Sebastian was on his feet.
"Mr. Reed please, my dad would hate me. I promise it won't happen again."

Richard looked away from him.
"I almost fired Ms. Patterson because of you but you stopped me from losing one of my best developer." He looked at Sebastian. "I guess I should give you one more chance."

Sebastian released the breath he had been holding.
"Thank you sir."

"Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

Sebastian nodded.
"Yes sir."

"Good." Richard gave him a curt nod and walked towards his desk dismissing Sebastian. "Sebastian." He called before he reached the door.

Sebastian turned to Richard.
"Clear your desk at the HOD's office tonight, you resume work tomorrow at your usual desk."

Sebastian blinked and nodded after a moment.
"Yes sir."

Sebastian was out the door and Richard fell into his seat and turned around looking out the floor to ceiling glass window. Seattle was lit up at night like a Christmas tree and Richard got a good view from his window.

He sighed into the silence of his office.

What was happening? He asked himself. Everything seemed to be falling apart. From his first child calling him out on the kind of man he is to someone he had treated as a son betraying not only him but his company.
Harlene, his wife, wasn't pleased with him either when she got home right after Dana had left the house. Somehow, he had to get past all these by dealing with it or ignoring it just like he had ignored Dana growing up thinking he was teaching her to be a strong woman and thinking it was the right thing to do. Not knowing he had hurt her and made her think he didn't care about her at all.

"Sir?" Carly beeped the intercom.

"Yes Carly?"

"I'm taking my leave."

"Alright. Goodnight."

"Goodnight sir."

And just like that he was left alone in the building with just his thoughts and his past which was now haunting him.

Kaylie got home that evening to Lily and Dana watching a movie and eating pizza.

"Hey roomie." Lily said.

"Hey guys."

"How was work?" Dana asked.

Kaylie sighed.
"Same except Alex stopped by spoke to your dad and took me somewhere other than Marco's for lunch."

"Who's Alex?"

Dana and Kaylie looked at Lily and laughed.
"Her new man." Dana said.

"Well, not my man. We're just seeing where things go." Kaylie dropped her bag on the nearest seat and joined them on the floor in front of the television. She picked up a slice of pizza and bite into it. "Orange juice, really?"

"What's wrong with orange juice?" Dana asked. "It goes quite lovely with pizza."

"I'd have preferred a beer." Lily said.

"Not happening." Dana and Kaylie said and they looked at each other and laughed.

"What movie?" Kaylie who wasn't much of a movie person asked.

"The sound of music." Lily said.

"A classic." Dana added.

Silence filled the room for a moment except the sound coming from the speaker.

"So, I'm guessing Lily has told you what we've discovered."

"Yea." Dana sighed.

"And?"

"And I've decided to go see her, the only problem being she would be at work every single day, I wouldn't know when to get her when she's free."

"Oh, Catherine leaves early on Fridays, she performs at The Fin and has the rest of the night off. You could go see her then."

"And ruin her Friday?" Dana asked.

"Either that or visit her at Marco's when she's on duty." Lily said.

Dana sighed again.
"Alright. Friday it is then."

"Want us to come along?" Lily asked.

"Want me, you mean." Kaylie said. "You'll be in rehab the day after tomorrow."

Lily sighed.
"Damn, almost forgot about that."

Dana looked at Lily.
"Are you ready?"

Lily who had slid down onto the carpet looked up at Dana.
"I have to be."

Dana smiled.
"I'm proud of you, we're proud of you." She corrected.

Kaylie smiled at Dana and looked at Lily.
"We totally are."

"But I need to do this on my own." Dana said. "As for you, we'll be here whenever you need us."

Lily looked at both of them on either side of her smiling. She reached for each of their hand and squeezed.
"Thank you guys."

"No need to thank us." Kaylie said. "Family look out for each other."

Lily sighed and was silent for a moment
"Well then...I take back my thank you."

Dana and Kaylie laughed and Lily joined in.