Chris knows she sounded angry, and she is. Even if he is pissed at her for not telling him sooner where exactly she lives. This is ridiculous in her mind. She can see him shuffle around a little nervous, and his eyes are fixed to a point on the wall behind her. "I have other plans."
It didn't sound remotely confident, and his voice cracked there for a second. So, Chris decides to challenge him, get to the bottom of what is really going on.
"What plans? A date?" she takes a small pause before adding with a shrug, "Bring her, I don't mind."
In the back of her head, she can think of one person that probably would mind, but that is not what she wants to contemplate right now. She doesn't believe for a second, he has a date. Chris would swear it is just a gut feeling, and it has nothing to do with how well she can still read him after all these years.
Ever since she'd let herself get fooled by his undercover stint when he had tried to help his foster brother Chris had tried to pay close attention to the smallest details. In hindsight, she'd understood he had acted intentionally at moments when she'd be most inclined to believe he had strayed from the path.
Chris shakes her head a little when she notices he hasn't said a word in reply to her quick-fire prompting. She raises an eyebrow to challenge him again.
"No, it's not that." he finally gives in. "It's more like I shouldn't come."
He looks so defeated that Chris actually feels sorry for him.
"Why, though? I, look Friday night, you know when Bonnie was out with friends?" she tells him and waits for him to acknowledge the story Tan told this morning about their adventure taking care of Tan's son together. "She was with Molly and me. And they both convinced me to have this party."
Chris can practically see Jim stop breathing when she tells him Molly suggested having that party.
Chris watches him shuffle nervously with his feet while trying to regain his composure. She doesn't want to embarrass him, but she can't watch this without saying something.
"Street, look, I can't force you to come, and it would be weird for you not to. You've been the most vocal about that stupid party." she tries to grin at him, but he just hangs his head. "If you feel you can't come because of Molly, you should maybe try talking to her about that fact."
He already shakes his head at the last part.
"Chris, you weren't here. I can't do that. Not again."
At that moment, Chris would swear he had tears in his eyes, but the moment their phones go off, and they have to be active, they disappear. She can see him actively taking deep breaths and remembers the time when she first learned of his breathing technique. This has to be something that strongly affects him.
Why did the thought of having to talk with Molly upset him this much? In the back of her mind, a voice also reminds her that he doesn't even know about the scare a few weeks back yet.
Something isn't sitting right with her. This whole situation smells like it wasn't at all a mutual breakup. What had they said to each other before parting ways?
Even Molly refused to talk about that in detail, although she had indicated that at least the first time around Chris had been a factor. And that alone was a fact she hated.
But this last break up must've been hard on both of them and so Chris made the decision to try forcing down both their walls and barriers and just help them, to at least talk to each other again.
She couldn't imagine needing to split her time between two friends. As crazy as it sounds but Molly had become a friend. A very good friend.
During the ride to the scene Chris tries to read Street's expression, but he must've gotten better at hiding his emotions from her. She only saw a stony facade. The only thing still giving away that he wasn't as calm and collected as he wanted to look was the slight tick in his jaw every now and then.
In the back of her mind, Chris notes that she wants to talk to him again after this operation is finished. Offer him an option to talk to her and explain.
Maybe she can help?
The day comes to an end and Street has effectively managed to avoid Chris much to her annoyance.
After changing and finishing up the last of the paperwork she walks to her truck mulling over what to do now.
When her eyes fall to her center console a thought pops into her mind and she starts driving out to Luca's place. She is a little nervous walking up to the front door, but Luca had extended an open invitation to drop by anytime and that's just what she is doing, right?
Her luck runs out at that moment though when Street pulls open the door. Chris can see it on his face immediately, he is not pleased to have her here.
"Luca invited me, so can I come in?" she tries to keep her voice innocent and even but in the back of her mind she is annoyed already. How come the man, who four, five years ago could talk anything to death was now so reluctant?
"Luca is still out with Duke but go ahead." he finally steps to the side to let Chris inside.
The silence between them turns almost awkward but luckily Luca comes back quickly, and Chris would swear she heard a sigh of relief from Street.
After a little while of small talk, mostly between Chris and Luca, her phone goes off with exactly the message she expected to get when she saw the keys in her center console.
She quickly types back where she is and leaves it at that. Maybe getting them in the same place can get them to talk and if it turns into an argument, she and Luca are there to mediate the situation.
"What's got you grinning like a cat there?" Luca pulls Chris back to the conversation.
"Nothing, just a funny text." she tries to shrug it off, but Luca is not having it.
"That did not look like a funny text. Come on Street, help me get her to tell us." Luca tries again and Chris starts laughing.
"Seriously it was nothing. Just something I expected, and it is still amusing." Chris deflects and tries to turn the conversation somewhere else. "So, Luca. Still living the bachelor life of your dreams here?" she gestures to the ever-present flipper and the multitude of surfboards on the walls.
She could listen to Luca tell stories all night, and somehow even Street joins in on clearing up the myth that Luca is an eternal bachelor by now.
Their evening is fun, but Chris feels herself getting a little anxious as time ticks by. From time to time, she glances at her phone. And after the third time, she can feel the curious glances from Luca and Street. "Something bothering you?" Luca asks and nods to her phone.
"No, I am just waiting for a message that doesn't seem to want to arrive." she gives back when there is a knock on the front door.
Chris subconsciously stiffens slightly and tries to keep her face straight, especially when Street gets up to get it.
Luca must've seen something in her reaction, and he asks, "Who is at the door, Chris?"
Chris doesn't have to answer as Street just wordless walks past them, shooting her an icy glare.
Her stomach drops and she get up to apologize to Molly, who still seems to be standing outside the front door.
"Hey, I am sorry. I didn't think he would react this way." Chris pulls her friend into a hug and hears Luca shuffle along the corridor, probably to check on his roommate.
"It's okay, I should've just called you and we could've avoided this. And now you know why me being out of town next week is a good thing." Molly replies and holds out her hand for her keys. "They are outside in my truck, where you left them." Chris smiles and uses the remote to open the doors.
On one hand, she really doesn't want Molly to be alone right now but on the other hand, she really has some questions for Street now. This avoidance tactic is not working out for any of them.
"I'll see you soon at home, okay?" Molly calls over while climbing into her car. Chris nods in response and walks back inside.