Page 28 of Versions Of Us

Jules turns to me. “That’s James. He thinks he might be coming down with something. He didn’t look too great when he arrived if I’m being honest.”

“Oh,” I say. “Hope he’s alright.”

“I’m sure he’ll be okay. Hopefully it’s just one of those twenty-four-hour things. We had a few volunteers call in sick earlier. Luckily, the phones are a bit slower tonight.”

I guess that explains why there aren’t many people in the office tonight. Maybe next time there’ll be some more occupied seats.

The phone on Jules’s desk begins to ring and she pats the seat next to her, gesturing for me to join her. She picks up the receiver, then puts the caller on speaker so I can hear too.

“Cliff Haven helpline. You’re speaking with Jules.”

There’s nothing but silence from the other end of the line.

“Hi, this is Jules. Would you like to start by telling me your name?”

More silence followed by a shallow breath.

And then the line goes dead.

Jules sighs. “Another hang-up.”

“Another?” I ask.

“Yeah, that’s my third one tonight,” she sighs, tapping the laptop keyboard.

“Oh.” I feel my eyebrows dart upward in response.

“It’s way more common than you might think. There isn’t anything we can do. We can only hope that they find the courage to call us back. Unfortunately, though, in my experience, they’re generally the ones that are most troubled.”

I nod sadly as Jules stands up from her desk. “I’m just going to step outside for my break,” she continues. “Make a quick call to hubby and make sure he’s holding down the fort back home. There’s some useful information in this manual for you to read. I won’t be long.”

She reaches across the desk, retrieving a thick folder which she places in front of me.

“Okay.” I nod again.

I sit at Jules’s desk staring out the window at the dark ocean, the night outside a black expanse broken up only by the streetlight on the esplanade below. The room is relatively silent, apart from the mild chatter that comes from the far side of the room. I flip the folder open, then I pull my phone from my jacket pocket.

Still nothing from Henley.

I rest my elbows on the desk and put my head in my hands. Today has been one of the longest days I’ve ever lived through. At least, that’s how it feels right now.

I blow out a breath, allowing my eyes to rest for the briefest of seconds when I’m startled into the upright position by the shrill sound of an incoming phone call.

I react without thinking, picking up the receiver and clumsily planting it on the side of my head. I realise too late that I was supposed to wait for Jules. That I’m not trained to take calls yet.

“Hi… uh.” I fumble for the right words. “You’ve reached Cliff Haven helpline. You’re speaking with Kristen.”

The response to my lame attempt at a cheerful greeting is a breathy sigh. Then there’s a slight pause before the line goes dead and I’m left with the dial tone ringing through my ear.

If what Jules said about the number of hang-ups she receives is anything to go by, this is something I’m going to have to get used to.

I click the receiver back into place but it’s on the hook for no more than a few seconds before it rings again. I know I should be waiting for Jules to come back, but the thought of a call going unanswered invokes an anxiety within me I can’t explain. I collect the receiver and once again place it to my ear.

“Hello, Cliff Haven helpline. You’re speaking with…” My voice trails off when I hear a small sob come through the line. “Don’t… don’t hang up,” I whisper cautiously.

The caller blows out a shaky breath and then another sob escapes through the phone. I can tell now that the voice is female.

“Are you okay? Do you need police?” I ask her, my mind working overtime to recall the induction training from mere hours ago.

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