Chapter 2
After a short and restless night, Chris rolls out of bed the next morning, still no closer to understanding what exactly happened last night. Out in the shared living space, Erika is already rummaging through the kitchen. Chris only realizes the coffee is ready when the cup hits her hands.
"How are you feeling today?" Erika leans against the counter and studies her.
"I don't know. Hollow," Chris begins her answer and tries to put it into words, "Sort of like he just broke up with me… which is," she stops and shakes her head before taking a sip of coffee. Maybe the hot liquid can clear her jumbled thoughts.
"Hey," Erika walks around the island and places her cup on the table, "Don't stress out. Try to give him some space. He might just regret this today too."
Chris shakes her head. "No, this feels final. Guess we never really were meant to be friends."
She squares her shoulders and stretches her neck. "You know what, I may as well go in today. Even if only to train and work out this weird energy. And maybe that can keep my mind occupied," Chris tells Erika who in turn frowns a bit. "What?" Chris asks.
"Ah," Erika glances about for a moment, "You do realize that Street will be in the gym at HQ too, and I actually did tell him I'd work with him a bit today, while we're on standby."
Chris hangs her head and groans quietly. She'd actually spaced on that.
"Hey," Erika steps closer, "I can tell him I can't do it…"
Chris shakes her head. "No, no. Come on. You told him you'd help, and it's okay. He only canceled our friendship, not yours."
Erika doesn't look convinced but goes about her morning routine without any arguments. But inwards she is already wording out how to broach the subject with Street without breaking her friend's confidence.
Chris had been so shaken last night and barely explained anything and that worried her. The past few months both had given off the impression their friendship was for all intents and purposes fixed.
When she walks into HQ, she can already see Street warming up in the ring.
"You started without me?" she raises an eyebrow and gets a confused stare in return. If she didn't know Street this well, she'd say he is even embarrassed.
"I didn't think you'd…" he trails off when Erika raises her brows some more.
"I said I would," she tells him in an even voice, "Give me a minute to change, and I'll be here."
With that Erika walks away to get ready. When she comes back Street has left the ring and is working with a bag. Hitting in rapid succession. She steps behind the bag to add some resistance and for Street to notice her. When he lifts his eyes, Erika takes a second to think but asks anyway.
"Are you okay?"
Instead of a straight answer, he replies with a question of his own. "You know, don't you? I mean, what happened…" Street glances down and then adds a mumbled "How is she?"
"She chose jogging at the beach instead of coming here," Erika shrugs before adding, "And that's all I am going to say. I am not here as some sort of weird go-between. If you want to know what's going on with Chris, talk to her."
Street nods his head and then turns away from the bag to take off the gloves. Erika takes that as a sign he is ready to work more on stretching and overall fitness rather than just hitting things in frustration.
Over the course of their training cycle Street is subdued and a bit distracted which in the end prompts Erika to offer her ear. "Listen, Street I know this is a bit complicated right now. But if you need someone to listen and talk to. I am not going to repeat anything but keeping it all in doesn't seem to work out all that well," she motions to his feet that have gotten tangled up in the skipping rope again.
With a sigh, Street lets go of the rope and plops onto the ground. He reaches for his water and then pushes up again. He nods his head for Erika to follow him outside.
They take a seat on a bench in the sunshine and Erika waits for him to start talking.
"I can't really talk to you about it, not if you don't know…" he finally mutters and Erika finishes the sentence with "everything," for him. Street's head shoots up and Erika could swear his pupils were dilated in shock and disbelief.
"How much do you know?" this time his voice is firm, and Street doesn't drop his eyes from hers. "Enough, and not because Chris told me, but do you remember that evening after I was home from the hospital, and you came over?" Erika starts slowly and when Street nods again she continues.
"Billie didn't knock over those books, which interrupted you. I did."
Again, all he can do is nod. "I shouldn't tell you, right?" he looks pained, and Erika smiles softly. Trying to be as encouraging as possible. "I just can't see another way. Maybe Chris was right back then, we should keep our professional distance and just do our jobs," he muses reminiscent of their history.
"If that's what you really want," Erika studies his demeanor, and to her, it is clear as day that Street is struggling.
"It doesn't really matter what I want now, does it?" he glances her way with a frown.
Erika freezes and before she can figure out what to say to that, her phone goes off with an active alert. "Street, listen, I gotta run, but of course what you want matters too. Just maybe try thinking about a compromise you could live with?" she tries for something helpful before hurrying to get ready.
Meanwhile, Chris had been running along the beach trying to block all thoughts out of her head but the second she slows down or just hears the revving of a bike, her thoughts are on Street and what the hell happened last night.
She pulls out her phone and contemplates texting him, but then his face comes back, and Chris locks the screen again. No, she would give him a few days, figure out a game plan and then see how things look. She is too proud to go begging for a friend.
