The next fews days passed slowly. Not because everyone was fussing him. Not because he was imprisoned in his own home by his friends in name of his recovery; but because there was no message from her.
He found it hard to concentrate on the conversations going on around him. The team were trying their best to rally around him, but he couldn't join in. He couldn't even think to ease their worry and assure them he was ok. His focus was his phone. She just had to message. He hadn't let his phone leave his person for a second since she left. He would dart awake in the middle of the night just to check if he had missed anything while he had been asleep. It was taking its toll.
'Street,' Street missed his name being spoken for the third time that morning. He was sat at the table staring down into the phone in his hands. The screen was black and he was willing it to light up.
'He needs help. He can't go on like this,' Luca said openly in ear shot of Street knowing he couldn't hear them. Deacon looked worriedly over to Street looking for a reaction to Luca's statement, but there wasn't one. He hadn't even blinked. 'I don't know what happened while he was with Chris, but I'm really starting to worry.'
'I've booked him in with Wendy in the morning. He can't go on like this.' Hondo revealed. Silence fell over the worrying team as their eyes found him. His body was sat in front of them. His physical injuries were healing well. The bruises were going over green, the swelling was down and his walk was back to normal. Yet it was like his body was vacant.
It was quiet while they all took a moment to watch him hunched over his phone. Each of them consumed in their thoughts.
'Is he eating?' Tan asked, looking to Luca for an answer.
'Yeah. He's doing everything, getting up, showering, eating; but he's doing it all in a sort of trance. It's like nothing is registering. See,' Luca got up and made his way to Street. He walked close to him and got no reaction. He leant in towards him before saying, 'Street.'
Finally this drew a reaction out of Street. He looked up startled to find Luca so close to him.
'Sorry was in a world of my own,' he mumbled noting everyones eyes on him.
'What were you thinking about?' Deacon asked.
'Chris,' Street replied honestly. He didn't know why he hadn't mentioned her visit to them. Or that he had been able to give her a phone. He felt like he should have a good reason for keeping them in the dark, but he didn't have one. He simply didn't want them to know. When she contacted him, he wanted it to be just for him.
'Want to talk about it?' Deacon offered gently. Street glanced back down to his phone.
'I'm good,' his eyes now staring back at the black screen.
'Help me out then,' Hondo spoke and Street looked up to him realising he'd fallen into a trap and they were about to question him. So far they hadn't pushed him for information about Chris or what had happened to him while he'd been with her. Now it seemed his time was up. They wanted answers. 'We need to know what happened.' Hondo put simply. Street knew this was going to happen, yet he still wasn't ready to talk to his team about what he had been through. He was still trying to process the moments he had shared with Chris. They were private moments, but without sharing them how could he explain what had happened. He was sure Chris was going to come back to them. What if they didn't agree with him? The pause was longer than anyone expected. All eyes were on Street as they waited for him to speak. Street wasn't even trying to start. His eyes had dipped back to the table so he didn't have to see their expectant faces.
'Was it that bad?' Luca asked quietly.
'No,' he jumped in quickly, 'She's,' he stopped, 'I don't know how to explain. It's like she's not Chris at all, she's a completely different person. Yet some how she's in there, just below the surface waiting for us to find her. I just don't know how to reach her.' He looked up to find the team giving him a sympathetic look. He dipped his head again not wanting to read the empathy on their faces.
'We will find a way.' Luca told him he wasn't alone.
It happened. His screen was alight. An unknown number displayed across the screen. His heart jumped. This had to be her. The words 'I'm ok' short and simple stood alone in black. She'd reached out. It didn't matter what she had said. He had just needed her to make the first step. He just needed her to give him her number. Now he could message her, phone her, talk to her when he wanted. This was his way back to her. And he'd spent the last couple of days schooling himself through his next few texts to her. He had to convince her to meet him. It was the pinnacle point of his plan.
He snatched up the phone from the table, cradling it in his hands. The text sat open on his screen. His fingers hoovered over the keys, second guessing the message he'd been composing since she left his room.
'Street, what's wrong?' Tan asked him. He jumped looking up to find his team all watching him from the sofas, he'd been so focused on the text he'd forgotten they were in the room with him.
'Nothings wrong,' he blurted out at them, causing Deac to stand and advance on him. He stood quickly tucking his phone in his pocket.
'You know I think I'm going for a walk,' Street announced.
'I'll come with you,' Deacon the ever thoughtful friend offered.
'It's ok. I just need some time by myself. I won't be long. I'll have my phone on me if you want me,' he tapped his back pocket of his jeans where his phone was, before ducking out of the front door.
His phone was out of his pocket and in his hand before the front door slammed behind him. The noise assured him he was alone and he had successfully ditched his team. He loved them but he had to do this alone.
