Set Free // HS ✓

Twenty.

"What does he want?" Micah mouths at me, and I shrug in response.

"Look... this is something that needs to be talked about face to face, do you think you can fly out to Toronto?"

Has he lost his mind?

"Absolutely not," I huff.

"Figured ya wouldn't. Uh... can we at least video chat?"

I take a good look at myself in the dresser mirror and want to gag at my matted down hair and splotchy face.

"Ew," I blurt without thinking. "No, I mean no. At least not today. I'm not sure how this all works, but I'm pretty sure a lawyer needs to be present, right?"

"I was wrong," he admits. "We were all wrong. It wasn't you who sold that story."

"Now call me crazy, but I could have sworn that I told you that as well."

"Fùck. I don't even have proper words to say to you right now, other than I am sorry. I just want the chance to explain our side to everything... why I reacted that way." His Irish accent rings in my ears.

"Oh, you mean the same way that you guys let me speak?" I sass.

Micah gives me an obnoxious grin and two thumbs up, proud that I'm not backing down.

"Good luck finding a new trustworthy PA. But in the meantime, please don't work Kendra to death."

He sighs, "Can you please give me the chance to explain?"

"Not today, Niall."

"I guess that's reasonable enough..."

"Oh, and please tell Harry to stop calling me."

"Yeah, of course. I guess... We'll talk tomorrow? Maybe?"

"Maybe. Bye, Niall."

Micah whistles as I put down the phone, "Damn, sis."

"Whatever," I cross my arms.

"So they solved it, hmm? Figured out that you're innocent?"

"Evidently so. But they should have believed me, to begin with. But the bright side is that I'm not getting sued."

"Who did it, then?"

"Didn't ask, because I don't care."

"I bet they are going to beg you to come back."

"Doesn't matter because I'm not interested. If I wanted to spend my time around two-faced people who always think the worst of me, I would just go back home."

She looks at the floor and hesitates before saying, "I was the one who told you to take that job. I'm sorry."

"Micah stop," I smile weakly, "Despite how it all ended, I probably had the best month of my life. Not to mention, with how fast paced it all was, I'm sure I can handle just about any job now."

"Well, you should take the rest of this week off, and we'll go job hunting on Monday."

"Yeah, that sounds alright."

"Look... I'm sorry about what I said about your husband earlier," Micah apologizes.

"I know that you were coming from a good spot. I just try my hardest only to think the best of him. It's not fair to dig up old bones when he isn't here to explain himself."

"My stepfather was a terrible person," Micah randomly confides. "He used to beat my sister and me mercilessly over petty things. Mom never did much about it, mostly because she was also terrified of him. I was in my third year of college when he suddenly had a heart attack and passed away. Do you know what I did when I heard the news?"