Street didn't even have a chance to answer. She had hung up and that was that. He felt a knot in his stomach as he thought about how upset she must be. Then there's Molly. Jeez, if she was this upset to have a go at Chris, what had she said to her father?
Street spent most of the afternoon in a daze, wandering around trying to work out what was going on and what he should do about it. What had Molly said? What would he say to Chris? He was so nervous. He thought about calling Molly and trying to talk to her and work it all out. But he knew that would only make it worse. And would Molly even answer if he called?
Soon shift was over and Chris was driving straight towards Luca's. She was still annoyed and needed answers. As she climbed out of her truck, she text Jared.
"Hey, I'll text you when I am home. Just have a few things to sort out."
"Hi," She looked up hearing his voice. He was standing at the door.
"Hey," she answered sliding her phone away and walking towards him. He stepped back to let her inside. She slid past and tried her best not to glare at him.
"So um, you okay?" He asked nervously.
"No," she answered kicking off her shoes. The angry tone clearly evident in her voice.
"Okay, tell me what happened." He started motioning for her to sit as he walked to the kitchen to get a drink. She leant on the counter and began,
"Well, to start the day, I ran into Molly in Hick's office. She was ah, not in the best mood and could clearly barely stand to look at me. Once I got out of there, Lynch came to see me to tell me that Molly was on the Market Siege case and before I had a chance to work out what to do, she was at my desk with her snappy little attitude."
Street grimaced a little. "What did she say?" He asked passing her a soda.
"Well, that's where this gets interesting." Chris answered taking the glass and pointing her finger in the air a little as she turned to follow his movements. "I was muttering to myself about whether to give Jared a heads up. I mumbled like 'No I'll call him later' out loud and before I could say anything, she straight up made a comment about me calling you." Chris narrowed her eyes on him. "It was like she assumed that something was going on there, I mean, why on earth would she think that?" Chris asked folding her arms.
She saw him swallow hard and exhale. "Come sit out the back," he said walking out the back door. She sighed and followed him. As she sat down, she kept a distance between them. Her brain suddenly reliving that night on this exact table.
"I guess you need the whole story huh?" He said glancing sideways at her.
"Yeah, that would be nice." Chris answered with a tone as she stared at the glass in her hands.
"Well, you know that night when I came to your flat at Sarzo's the first time and we fought?"
"Yeah."
"Well, look, I realised after I got home and had words with Molly, again. That I wasn't making her happy. I was just constantly upsetting her. Not intentionally, but my actions weren't the right actions for someone who was happy in a relationship." He glanced at her trying to gauge her reactions. "I tried to fix things and I tried to do things the right way, like the second time I came by. I told her where I was going and stuff. But again, after that, I knew I could not keep dragging Molly along when we were both not happy. So, I tried, I tried for a few weeks. But then after a while and a few more fights about stupid stuff, I knew. I knew it was time. We had a talk and we ended it."
"Okay back up. Two things." Chris said looking at him. "We ended it? You both agreed to that? Or was it you ending it? And when? When did you end it?"
Street inhaled and turned to face her slightly. "I, I don't know why this matters, but," Chris felt her blood boil a little. How the hell could he not see why this mattered. She swallowed her anger and blinked slowly as he continued. "We both kind of played a role in ending it. In the end though, I mean it was me that said, "it's over" but honestly we were both already there."
"Okay," Chris nodded, "and when. When did this happen?"
"The week you were away." He answered as he glanced at her. She looked so angry he was almost scared to say anything else. Chris shook her head frustrated.
"Molly loved you. She was in that relationship for the right reasons. I still don't get why? Why the hell you weren't happy? You said it before, that she was kind, beautiful, smart, so why? How could it all of a sudden just change?"
"Chris, I don't know." Street answered frustrated as he turned to face her. "I wanted it to work with Molly, I did. She is amazing, but in the end, once we got past that initial attraction stuff and started to try to build a lasting thing, it just wasn't working like it should." Chris again shook her head and looked away in silence.
"Talk to me please." He said after a while. The uncomfortable silence was killing him. Chris looked back at him slowly.
"Did it have anything to do with what I said to you?" She kept her gaze from him, and her face shielded.
"No, Chris, Come on. I didn't break up with her just because of what you told me about that night," he paused and glanced at the table and a smirk grew "right here," he tapped his finger on the table, "and how you had felt about it all. It was just like I said. I wasn't making her happy."
"What the hell did you say to her to stuff this up? Was it the coming to see me?" Street looked down and away. He knew Chris was angry with him for stuffing things up. But he needed her to understand that he did this for the right reasons. That he knew he and Molly weren't right and that he didn't want to just drag her along, because he could, or should, or whatever.
"I told her the truth Chris. That I wasn't happy." He tried
"Why?" Chris fired again, angry.
"Chris, exactly that reason," his voice beginning to rise. "I wasn't happy."
Chris shook her head and looked away. "Did you even try to be?" She muttered.
"Wow!" He answered. Staring at her. His anger filling him. "That is so not fair Chris. And you know it!" He stood up and looked away from her.
"Okay, well how do you expect me to feel, Huh?" She was beginning to feel her voice rise too. "Tell me Street, tell me. Cause when your ex-girlfriend all but accuses me, in my workplace, of being the reason your relationship ended…." She paused and glanced away.
He took a few steps away from the table and turned back to her. "Okay, one she never said that and two, how can I control what she does?"
Chris rolled her eyes at him. "I know you can't, but you can control what you do!"
"What does that even mean?" He flapped his arms.
"Did you ever mention me during all of that with her?"
He furrowed his brows and shook his head, with a seriously look. "Of course, I did. I told her about going to see you and explained I was trying to help my friend. I explained that the stuff you said about being happy had hit home and that I knew I needed to find my happy too."
"God Jim!" She shouted standing up too and flinging her arms in the air.
"What?" He shouted exasperated.
"She thinks I am the other woman." Chris closed her eyes and pushed her lips together.
"Oh, come on! Stop playing the victim here Chris. I never told Molly anything about what you said to me that night. I didn't dump her like an unwanted kitten just because you said you had those feelings too." He shouted. "You made it clear it was past tense, never gunna happen again and for me to keep my distance. So why on earth would I do that, huh?"
"Me? The victim?" She scoffed. "Well, that's rich." She slightly turned away before adding. "And why the hell shouldn't I be a victim?" She glared an icy glare at him. "Did my ex walk up to you in HQ where everyone could hear and say that to you?"
"Who Ty? Or Kira? Or both?" He shot back angrily. The fact that she had even dated them as a thrupple still annoyed him. He never understood it. "I mean I am sure they blame me, after you told them, But I'm not the one going around sulking about it." With that Chris stood up, her face contorted with anger and her hands making fists, as she began to walk back inside.
"What now your just gunna run away?" He all most growled.
Chris paused and looked at her feet. Her blood still boiling. She turned back to him. "What? What do you want me to say?"
"Something instead of storming off and ignoring me for a few weeks, would be nice." He widened his eyes at her.
"I can't believe you." She shook her head, "Can't believe you can't see. I clearly played a role in why you and her ended it and …."
"Oh for God's sake! Chris, stop," he repeated as he stepped towards her. "I broke up with Molly because it wasn't working out." He repeated.
"Then what the fuck was that other night about?"
"I just wanted to..."
"Don't you dare say "Fix us"," she held up her hand at him. "Just say it, the truth why you came over, just say it." She shouted
"Say what?" He yelled
Chris shook her head angry. "How can we fix anything if you can't even be honest with me."
"What are you talking about?" He shouted back as she stepped back to him.
"That night, you got angry with me for trying to help you 'fix' things with Molly, you said your visit wasn't about that. That you and her were done, in the past, over. So, tell me," she said stepping closer. "Have the dam guts to tell me." She demanded.
He looked down and swallowed hard. He knew she was right. He had gone to see her to tell her that she made him happy, that he wanted her in his life, but it had gone to shit once he realised that Jared was already in the picture.
"I can't." He whispered.
Chris shook her head and began to walk away. "Fine." She answered
"Don't you think you are being a tad hypocritical Chris?" He said.
"What?" she glared at him.
"You got angry that the things you said played a role in Molly and I breaking up, and now you want me to say the things you know I shouldn't and play a role in either screwing us up for good or ruining your shit with Jared."