Because You're Mine (A Tom Hiddleston Fanfic) #Wattys2016 #pfcc2k16

Chapter Twenty-Five: All Bets Are Off.

"Good morning. I am looking for Clementine Spader"

His voice travels to my ears through the open door of my office, and I quickly lift my gaze from the file I have been burying my face in for the last hour. Since my office is fairly close to the reception desk, I can see him from where I'm sitting and my heart skips a beat before it starts hammering against my ribs. He has his back turned to me as he talks to Lauren but I can see her face perfectly; her eyes are as wide as they can get and she is blushing visibly. I would find that really amusing if it wasn't because I am too busy freaking out.

After I saw those messages in his phone I tried to go back to sleep and get my mind to stop spinning, but it was utterly impossible. I kept thinking to myself that it didn't mean anything and that even if she was writing to him or calling him, he never gave me any real reason to distrust him. But as soon as I was starting to believe that and fall back asleep, her words would appear behind my closed eyes, haunting me.

"...Think about what we talked" She said.

What did they talk about? Why does she believe he'd even consider thinking about whatever the hell it was she had to say to him? That could only mean he didn't close any doors for her. Not entirely, anyway.

All kinds of thoughts ran through my mind as I laid next to him, and by the time the light of morning began to sneak in the room, I had already given up on sleeping hours ago.

I didn't have a clue of what to do with the information I was sitting on, so I knew I could not be there when he woke up. I needed a room to breathe and something to distract my head with, and the office sounded like a very good idea.

I left his house at the crack of dawn and since the firm wouldn't open its doors for another hour, I took a long walk to my apartment. I thought that the fresh air would help me clear my thoughts and maybe show me the right path to take, but by the time I opened my front door, my head was an even more of a mess.

I fixed myself a cup of coffee, changed my clothes into something clean and by the time I got to the office the doors were already open even though nobody was there yet except for the people from security. When everyone started to show up, one by one, I was already going through my third article about spilled oil in the Mediterranean Sea and probably the fifth cup of espresso.

"Sure... She's over there"

Lauren's finger is pointing at me as Tom begins to turn around, following her directions. My eyes meet his through the glass wall and I try to respond to his bright smile with another one. I can't see myself right now but I know that the grin I just came up with is, at the very least, awkward.

"Hello, there!" he beams with a smile full of white, perfect teeth. He steps inside, and when he walks around my desk to greet me with a kiss I notice he has his phone clutched in his hand. I gather that he already read his late night missives -because as much as I wanted to I just couldn't bring myself to delete them- and from this moment on, every second that goes by without him saying anything about it, I can't help but consider it a lie by omission.

Maybe you should cut him some slack. If the roles were reversed I bet you'd keep it to yourself too.

"What are you doing here?" I ask with a feign tone of surprise. Just when he leans forward to lay his lips on mine I push my chair back, standing up and walking over to the door to close it. Before I shut it completely I catch sight of Lauren who is shamelessly watching him as if I'm not even there, so I also make sure to close the blinds as well. To be fair, I don't think she's staring at him out of enticement rather than just plain curiosity. But be that as it may, I don't want her meddling in my private matters which I've always tried my best to keep out of my work place. "You shouldn't be here"