Chapter 33 Almost

Chapter 33 Almost
Tom POV
I reached her desk, close enough that the edge brushed my thigh, and raised my hand toward her. Her eyes were still closed, head tilted back slightly, shirt open just enough to make my pulse jump. I wasn’t thinking straight anymore; I was just moving.
My phone rang.
The sound was so loud in the quiet room that it shot straight through me. I jerked back and fumbled for the phone.
When I checked the caller, I found out it was an unknown number. 
I turned the screen over to decline it and slid it into my pocket. By the time I lifted my head again, I’d already made up my mind to step closer.
Before I could move, she spoke.
“Close the door behind you when you leave.”
She didn’t open her eyes. She didn’t look at me. She said it like the moment already ended.
My hand, still half-raised, dropped. My chest tightened in a way I couldn’t explain without sounding stupid. I stood there longer than I should have, trying to figure out where exactly I went wrong.
I turned away and muttered a quiet “fuck” under my breath, the kind that slips out because you know you can’t take anything back.
I shut the door behind me. The click felt heavier than it should have.
I’d barely taken three steps down the hallway when the phone rang again.
Same unknown number.
At first, I thought about ignoring it. I was already annoyed, and my head was a mess after what happened in Jane’s office. But the phone kept ringing, and something about the persistence made me stop. 
Maybe the person actually needed something. Maybe answering it would keep me from doing something stupid, like walking back into that office.
So I answered.
The moment I lifted the phone to my ear, I yanked it away again. The line blasted with noise — crying or screaming — I couldn’t tell which. It was raw and sharp enough to make me wince. I waited a second, then placed it back against my ear.
“Trisha? Is that you?”
I pulled the phone away from my ear again, when she started crying and muttering incoherent words. But I was able to pick up a “Yes, It’s me Babe.”
“Why are you calling me with a strange number?” I asked when I placed the phone against my ear again.
Her voice cracked. “I lost my phone. I lost my goddamn phone. And I got home and nothing is working and I—” She broke off into another round of crying, the kind that scraped down my spine.
I glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. A few people walked past down the hall, but no one was paying attention. I moved closer to the wall anyway.
“What’s going on? Slow down. You need to breathe. Just breathe, okay?”
I waited while she did that. The shaky inhales settled a little.
“That ambassador deal I told you I was going to get signed today,” 
“Yeah?” I asked even though I didn't remember her talking about any ambassador deal.
“I didn't work out for me anymore. Because your ex made them revoke it. She came. She showed up. She told them things about me, and they believed her. Just like that. They took it away from me.”
My jaw clenched. “She did what? Are you serious? I literally saw her here at the company today. A couple hours ago.”
“She came to see you?” Her voice jumped. “You’re seeing her now? What did she tell you?”
I rolled my eyes and switched the phone to my other hand. “She didn’t come for me. She came to see my boss. Yeah, she was here, but we didn’t talk.”
Trisha inhaled sharply. “Tom, she’s making people hate me. They unfollowed me. The partnership is gone. They canceled the contract. I feel like shit. You have to do something. Please.”
I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Her crying had shifted into that high, shrill pitch I always tried to avoid. I never used to notice it… or maybe I did and ignored it. But right now, it grated hard.
“Okay, stop crying,” I said. “I don’t like hearing you like that.”
It wasn’t meant to be comforting. It was just the truth.
“When are you coming home?” she asked.
“When I’m done with work, Trisha.”
“Why are you talking to me like that? Are you forgetting I helped you get the job? Now you wanna treat me like shit for calling you at work?”
I sighed and steadied my voice. “I’m not making you feel like cheat, Babe. But you know how things get in corporate. I'll call you back soon, okay?Just relax.”
She snifled in response.
“Want me to order something to the house for you?” I asked after a minute.
“I would like that very much.”
“Conside it done then. But hey, whose phone is this?”
“The neighbor’s,” she said. “I had to use it.”
“Which neighbor? The one that grinds beans and makes the whole place smell?” 
“No, the other one. The one that works at the media office”
“Alright,” I cut in. “It’s fine.”
There was a brief pause.
“I got a video today,” I said. “Marilyn arguing with the secretary. Do you think that neighbor can upload it for you? Every time I try, my account gets blocked.”
“What video? Send it to me.”
“I’ll try. I just can’t post it myself.”
“Send it. I’ll handle the rest.”
“Okay.”
“Bye. Love you. Come home soon.”
“Yeah. You too,” I said, before ending the call.
I lowered the phone and let out a slow breath. The tension that had been climbing since the moment I stepped into Jane’s office settled into something dull and heavy. I wasn’t sure if I felt guilty, tired, or just irritated at everything happening at once.