Yes, Sir.

Chapter 34: Breathe

CHAPTER 34

"It was exactly a week after I found Ryan and Kenna together," I begin, taking in a deep breath.

Harry sits patiently across from me with his hands crossed together. I sort of feel like I'm in a therapy session, but that calms me more than anything. I realize that if I'm going to tell anyone about this I want it to be Harry. I take in another breath and continue the story.

"It was a Tuesday, I remember. I was running late because I still hadn't gotten used to the trip from my new apartment, and I had spilled my coffee all over myself and...it was just a really bad morning. But it got worse.

"When I walked in to the office, everyone fell silent. I just knew that they had all been talking about me moments before. I assumed it was about my breakup with Ryan, since we had been pretty well known throughout the office and my co-workers loved a good gossip session. Little did I know that my breakup with Ryan was the last thing on their minds.

"I went to my office. I sat down in my chair. I was in the process of turning on my computer when my boss, Mr. Holt, walked into my office. He had always been a serious man, but this time was different. This time he was grave. 'I need to talk with you, Miss Evans,' he told me, so I followed him into his office while everyone whispered and stared.

"I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous as he sat me down in front of him," I laugh lightly but Harry's lips are pressed into a firm line. "He stared at me for a second, then cleared his throat and said, 'Well, Miss Evans, can you please explain this?' And then he turned around his laptop and I almost died right then and there."

My voice has dropped in volume, and I can barely force the next couple sentences out. "It...there was, um, a picture of me. Several pictures, actually." I bite down on my lip, hard, and try not to let my throat close up. I remember looking at that laptop in horror like it was yesterday.

"I was naked," I whisper. "They were all pictures of me completely naked. And not ones that I took myself, either."

"Ryan took the pictures." Harry's voice is low, almost deadly, and I can tell he's stating a fact rather than asking me. I nod anyways and my lower lip trembles. Suddenly, the tears are rushing down my face too fast for me to stop them.

"I didn't even know," I gasp. Harry grabs my trembling hands in his and brings them to his lips, kissing them lightly. "I didn't even know he took the pictures. And suddenly everyone knew, suddenly I was the office whore, suddenly I had been fired and was left all by myself..."

"Shhh, Leah," Harry soothes me. "Everything is okay now."

I'm crying too hard to acknowledge him. "Ryan hacked my email and sent the pictures to everyone. He sent them to everyone. Even my boss, who does that? Mr. Holt saw me naked and so did everyone else, and I didn't even know that Ryan took the fucking pictures!"

Harry still has my hands pressed to against his mouth and I can see my own pain reflected in his eyes. Though it's true that he can be a complete asshole sometimes, it's moments like this where I know that deep down he's a good man. I look down at my blouse, which is stained with my own tears, and I realize how pathetic I must look right now.

"Sorry, I don't know why I'm crying," I attempt to laugh as I wipe at my cheeks. "You know, I didn't even cry the day that I got fired."

"Leah, sometimes it's okay to cry," he smiles wryly.

"I cried when I heard you say those things about me," I tell him, still wiping at my face. "When you said I looked like a nun."

Harry lets out a groan and runs his hand through his hair. "Don't pay attention to anything I say. I'm a total dick."