Falling For My Boss

Chapter 29

~~~Y/N POV~~~
"Alright, it's going to be hell, but get your things. We're catching the next flight to LA." Flo stands up and goes back toward her bedroom before turning to look at me. It's been a few hours, and I haven't stopped crying.
"Flo, she never wants to see me again." I can't think. I don't know what to do. I can barely breathe. I know Taylor has texted me, but I can't answer him.
"And did that make you magically stop loving her? No? Then let's go fix this." She gestures at me loosely. "We'll swing by your hotel on the way to the airport to get your things." She disappears, and I must dissociate after that, because the next thing I know, I'm on a plane, and Flo is reprimanding a flight attendant. What? That can't be right. Flo wouldn't do that.
"Flo?" I ask, dazed, but she doesn't respond. I blink a few times. She really is berating someone on this plane right now. Her voice isn't raised, but she is really going for it.
"The woman is in shock. People like you have just completely shattered the trust in her relationship, and now you have the unmitigated gall to call her a slut and a cheater? And don't deny it, I heard you." When I realize she's talking about me, I feel my face flush with embarrassment. "Not that you give a fuck that the photo you're talking about was completely out of context and that nothing FUCKING happened!" There's a bit of a yell. Oh my god, this is mortifying. She takes a breath and continues, quietly again. "I have never met someone so irrevocably in love as she is with Hailee, and if you so much as glance at her the wrong way for the rest of this flight I swear-"
"Florence!" I stop her from threatening the flight attendant. "I don't care what they think. I just wanna see Hailee." My eyes well up again and Flo grinds her teeth.
"See what you did?" She looks at the flight attendant again. "She just stopped crying." I put a hand on Flo's shoulder, silently thanking her for defending me, and keeping her from going at the poor person again. I let my exhaustion pull me into a fitful sleep as we make our way across the world. I wake up again about an hour before we're supposed to land. Flo is watching a documentary, but she takes her headphones out when she sees me.
"What if she doesn't believe me?" I ask softly.
"If she doesn't believe you, she's even dumber than I already think she is for breaking up with you over a pap photo," Flo's face hardens. "The audacity of her, thinking either of us would ever! I have half a mind to give her an earful myself if you don't."
"I'm probably gonna burst into tears. I'm too heartbroken to be mad," I admit.
"Well I'll be angry enough for both of us then," she assures me.
"Thanks, Flo. That means a lot." I lean my head on her shoulder and fall back asleep. When we land, she shakes me awake and tells me Taylor texted her.
"He's really upset. He said Hailee won't answer him either. Want me to tell him what's going on?" She offers, and I nod.
"Yeah. Tell him I'll call him after." I feel guilty for not keeping him in the loop, but I know he'll forgive me when Flo explains. The last time a guy broke up with him, he self isolated for days before telling me. He gets it. When we finally get through customs and everything, Flo forces me to eat something.
"You haven't eaten since we went for drinks. It's been way too long," she reprimands me, and watches while I choke down some chicken nuggets.
"I've felt sick since I woke up in your flat," I defend myself.
"Don't care. You need to eat," she leads me to an Uber after I finish eating and opens the door for me. "Let's do this."
~~~Hailee's POV~~~
"Hey kid, you ready?" My dad's voice comes through the door as I'm finishing braiding my hair. Damn, that was fast. I can always count on him.
"Yeah, be there in a sec!" I meet him in the gym and we get to work. He doesn't ask me anything, just pushes me to work harder. I've been doing tire flips for god knows how long when he finally stops me to take a break.
"I know you told Griff you're not ready, but when you are, I'm a great listener," he says gently, handing me a water bottle. I take a long drink before finally saying something.
"It's just- ever since I told the public about y/n and me, it hasn't been the same. And then this- picture! And she denied it, which, I don't know if I believe. I mean, they're visibly kissing."
"Has she ever lied to you before?"
"No! That's what's so weird. Why say nothing happened when there's proof something did?" I put my head in my hands.
"Maybe she doesn't mean it so literally. Did she try to explain, or did she just deny it?" Dad has always been the most perceptive of the bunch. Even more than Griffin.
"I didn't give her a chance to explain, to be honest."
"I'm gonna be straight with you, kid. I've always liked y/n. She's been great to you as your assistant and as your partner. I've been watching when I come over to train. I saw her making you a smoothie in the morning, or fixing your schedule, or whatever it is she did on that computer all the time. She's a hard worker. And I saw how happy she was to do those things for you. How she looked at you when you came into the room. I think you should let her explain."
"What if she really did kiss Flo? Like what if the explanation isn't anything but an excuse?" I'm so terrified that if I talk to her, it'll just hurt even more.
"But what if it really is a misunderstanding?" Dad points out. "Are you willing to lose her either way?" When I don't answer, he just nods. "Alright, come on. Let's work some endurance."