Jared briefly closed his eyes and then spoke, "Okay? Why?"
Chris exhaled. "To be honest. I don't know. I mean, I guess I wanted him to admit that Molly blamed me, because of what he told her."
"Right and?"
"He just kept telling me that it wasn't my fault. He ended it because he wasn't happy."
"Okay, I get you, but why do you need him to say Molly probably blames you?"
"Because I blame me." She said as her voice raised, and she began to cry.
"Hey, shhh, babe. It's okay. Breathe." He comforted her. All the while his head was racing. This situation was messy and complicated, and he wondered if him being here was making this harder on her. Should he tell her that they should hit pause on a 'them', until this all settles down? The question swirled in his head as he tried to just ride out the conversation.
After she managed to calm down a bit, he tried again.
"Can you explain to me why it so important that he tells you exactly what he said to Molly and admits that that played a role?"
"Because I don't want to be the other woman Jared. I don't want this complication. This to mess up our friendship, but it has, and he needs to see that and stop being so pig headed and arrogant about it."
"So, if he doesn't acknowledge that you aren't gunna be friends anymore?" Jared asked trying to make some sense of this all.
"No, I didn't say that but I, I mean I don't know. God, I am all over the place. I'm sorry."
"So, you two didn't work anything out and now it's worse than after he visited you?"
"Yeah." She nodded sadly.
"Look, I think it will get better, but you guys all need to talk this out I think."
"God, Jared, imagine when she asks to talk to you and connects the dots."
"Why would that be a problem? I don't know her and had nothing to do with it."
"I know, but the mood she was in today. She was, well, I dunno out for blood, someone to blame. If she knows your connected to me… I just, I don't wanna make this hard on you."
"What are you saying? That you want to take a break?"
"No, Jared, No. I just. I can't see how I fix this when 'talking' like I tried to with Street ended like it did. He, he just pisses me off so easily. We always get angry with each other and say things we shouldn't, and you know."
"I know. But I, as much as I wanna help you fix it, all I can offer is a listening ear and advice."
Chris swallowed and nodded. Suddenly how hard this must be for Jared hit her. She closed her eyes. "I, Jared?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry. All of this is so unfair on you. You don't need to be dragged into this shit with my friend and his ex when you call me."
"It's okay. I am here and willing to listen. I just wish I could help more. I wish I was there." He offered.
"Me too," Chris sighed. "Okay enough with that. Let's talk about other things." So, they talked for a while longer before they both turned in for the night.
The next morning, she was nervous about going into HQ. Street was supposed to come in, to see Hicks about returning, and with both of them now on light duties she was really dreading the situation she would face. She decided to arrive early and make a start on the files she was organising. She had grabbed Street a coffee as a piece offering on her way in and sat it with hers on the desk as she typed.
"Alonso. You are in early." Hick's voice behind her made her jump a mile.
"Oh, good morning, Sir." She replied trying to hide her strange mood right now. "Always work to be done." She smiled.
"Well, you will have a hand today with all these boxes and files. Street should be here soon." She was buried deep in a pile of boxes when Street walked into the room. His footsteps made her pop her head up.
"Oh, there you are!" He laughed. "You look like a meerkat".
"Shut up, start helping!" She tried not to laugh as she threw an empty file folder at him and climbed up out of the boxes carefully.
"Let me help," Street said acknowledging her sore ankle. She was about to pull back and say I got it when she realised this was him trying to mend fences.
"Thanks." She let out slowly as she met his eyes.
"No problem. How does it feel?"
"My ankle?" She replied raising her eyebrows. "It's ah, better, I will see the doc for full clearance this afternoon."
"Oh, that's good." He replied stepping back.
"Yeah. You? How's the face feel?"
"Sore, but it's getting easier to breathe as the swelling subsides." She nodded at his words as she reached for the two coffees.
"Here, I figured you might need one." She said slowly finding his eyes.
He looked surprised and then smiled. "Thank you." He knew this was her trying repair things. "Look, I'm sorry about yesterday." He began. Chris held up her hand. "Yeah, me too. Can we just sit that aside today and work without the drama?"
"Sure." He smiled as he picked up a box and started sorting. A few hours later as Chris walked to get a coffee refill from the kitchen her phone buzzed. It was Jared.
"Hey babe, I just had a missed call from an LA law firm. I am guessing this is this Molly trying to get a hold of me?" Chris cursed reading it.
"Shit." She muttered pouring in the coffee.
"Probably, I'm sorry about this mess ." She text back. Walking back to the file room and continuing her task. She got lost in the files again for a bit before he replied.
"It's okay Chris. It was a Ms Hicks. She wants a statement too. I'll get it done and hopefully that's enough for now." Chris swallowed hard reading it.
"Did she say anything else?" Chris typed with a cringe.
"Nope, she was very professional and Lawyer like LOL." He wrote back.
"Oh, I know how you love them lawyer types 😉" She typed back with a wink, teasing him. Chris was smiling, as she glanced up, she locked eyes with Street. He had been watching her.
"What?" She asked shaking away her smile.
"Nothing, I ah, Jared I figure." He said nodding to her phone.
"Yeah. He just, um, got a call from Molly." Chris said matter of factly and continued to sort through the files.
"Oh," it came out of his mouth like a little gasp. "I hope she didn't..."
"Nope," Chris cut him off. "It's fine."
"Hey, sorry to interrupt this fun kids," Hondo's voice surprised them both. "I need to borrow you Street."
"Okay, sure." Street said following Hondo and frowning at Chris.
For the rest of the day, thankfully, she managed to avoid any further talk about relationships, Jared or Molly with Street. She enjoyed the quiet and alone time, before clocking off and heading to get her medical clearance signed. She was desperate to get back into the field and out of her own head.
Arriving at the medical practice she was annoyed to hear that the doctor was running late. She would need to wait. So, she settled into a chair and took out her phone to catch up with Jared. They traded texts for a few hours as she waited. Soon she was able to happily report that she had her clearance and would be back at it tomorrow.
"Congrats babe. So happy for you. We will talk later once I'm home. Stay safe xx"
"I will you too xx" She sent back with a smile as she drove home and settled in. She was watching the news when a text from Jared saying he was called out to an accident and would be tied up for a bit made her frown.
"Ok, Stay safe please. I'm gunna turn in for the night, I'm tired."
"Okay night babe. Xxx Wish I could give you a goodnight kiss 😉"
"Me too. Let me know when your home, so I know your safe."
"Night you." He sent back.
Soon she was laying in her bed. Staring at the ceiling blankly before she rolled over and closed her eyes. The trouble with Molly and Street were still taunting her and she had no real idea how to move forward, without all sitting down and talking about it, like Jared had suggested. But that idea seemed so absurd to her. She opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling again as her thoughts switched to Jared, she pictured him out on a highway somewhere dealing with that car accident scene, and she realised how much she was worrying about him too. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, eventually drifting off to sleep.
When she woke up the next morning. There were two messages from Jared on her phone.
"Hey, I'm home safe. Hope you're sleeping."
"Night beautiful. Xx"
Reading them made her whole face smile as she bit her lip. She was so glad she had him in her life. She had also though decided to take his advice and try to set up a time to talk to Molly and Street together.
As she dressed and packed her things, she text Molly.
"I know you probably don't want to hear from me. But can we set up a time to talk please."
She also text Street. "Don't freak out but I want to talk to you and Molly about all this stuff."