Even If It Hurts -H.S. AU

55

It's been a little over two weeks since we've been back, and I've done the best I can avoiding the relentless string of articles that have come out involving me. I've thrown myself back into my work, and while that's helped tremendously, I can't block out everything.

"How did you know he embezzled money from his firm?" Phoebe asks curiously as we sit in my office at the hotel.

"I saw the financial paperwork." I mumble, taking a bite of sushi.

"How did you see it?"

"I logged into his computer while everyone was outside playing the most pretentious, white person game on earth." I say casually, swatting her hand away from my California rolls.

"Golf?"

"Worse. Croquet." I wrinkle my nose and she laughs softly.

"How did you get the proof in order to send it to the State's office?" Her questions will not stop and I throw my head back, groaning.

"I sent them to myself as soon as I found them." I explain and set my take out box on my desk. "Phoebe, can you stop with the game of twenty questions?"

"Did you go to their house specifically to find dirt on him?" She ignores my plea and continues on anyway.

"Yes." I grumble.

"Why?"

"Because I didn't trust the son of a bitch as far as I could throw him."

"So-"

"Enough, Phoebe!" I raise my voice a little and an exasperated chuckle tumbles out of my throat.
"I just want to eat my overpriced sushi in peace, please."

"Can I tell you something?" She asks, with a mouthful of rice.

"Why not?" I exhale heavily and lean back in my chair.

"You seem lighter." She says softly and I furrow my eyebrows at her. "Since you got back from South Carolina, even with all the bullshit going on around you, you seem like a weight has been taken off your shoulders."

"Oh." I mumble and smile timidly at her. "I guess I feel lighter."

"Harry was scared taking you home would make things more painful for you." She confesses, making my heart swell at the fact that he clearly confided in her before we left. "I think it did the exact opposite. I think it freed you a little."

"All that just by looking at me?" I joke, trying to fight off the lump rising in my throat.

"It's hard to miss when someone you love is radiating happiness like a god damn ball of sunshine." She says lowly, making me laugh. "You're so in love with him, it's disgusting."

"Okay," I throw my hand up in the air at her, "you say that like you're not glowing from the constant affection, attention and dick you're getting from your Adonis-like boyfriend."

"Thank god you brought it up." She says excitedly and leans forward in her chair. "I am in love with him, Violet."
My chest swells watching her face light up as she practically bounces in her chair from excitement.
"He's incredible, and I really think this could be it for me. I can't even picture my life without him."

"Phoebe, that's-" I'm about to tell her how happy I am for them, but the door to my office bursts open. I expect to see Harry, prepared to scold him for eavesdropping on us. Instead, I leap to my feet when I find a blaze of perfectly pressed red hair barreling toward me.

"Ma'am, do you have an appointment?" Phoebe jumps right into assistant mode, but isn't even spared a glance.

"I didn't used to need one to see my future daughter-in-law."