"Bet you thought I was going to answer the phone. Well, I'm not because I'm busy so-"

Chris hung up before Denise's voicemail could finish talking, sighing because it was the seventh time he'd gotten her voicemail in three days. He was starting to get worried because he hadn't spoken with her since Sunday, which was when he'd questioned if she was really okay and she'd lied to his face. They'd agreed to have a proper conversation after that one, but it was yet to happen. Every time Chris called, Denise would watch it ring and let it go to voicemail then text him back with an excuse as to why she couldn't answer. So far he'd received: "I'm in class.", "I'm on my way to work.", "I'm in the library.", "Dodger and I are going for a walk.", "Luca and I are on our way to a movie.", "I have to call my mom.", "I'm going grocery shopping." Out of the seven times, she'd only told the truth twice about why she had to miss his call.

Chris knew he wasn't hapless enough to only catch her while she was busy, Denise was avoiding him so she wouldn't have to deal with his confrontation. She was well-versed with Chris so she got what he meant when he said "I'll call you tomorrow and we'll have an actual conversation, okay?" She didn't want a worried boyfriend. If he'd confronted her and she'd broke down crying, that was what he would've become. She believed it would've been better if she avoided him for a while. In her mind, it was a good idea. He would've been worried, but he would've been less worried than if he knew how badly she was handling everything. He had enough on his plate with 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Red Sea Diving Resort', he didn't need her to be on it too. She thought she was being considerate, but her judgement was askew.

Luca could predict how things would end if Denise didn't reconsider her bad idea. She tried to convince Denise otherwise, but was repeatedly asked to stay out of it. After years of being friends with Denise, she had become abreast with her stubbornness. She knew it was a pointless debate because the only person who could change Denise's mind was Denise herself. It was a reluctant agreement, but Denise got Luca to respect her decision even if she did believe it was "a fucking stupid one." It was comment left unsaid because Denise didn't need a fight with her when a fight with Chris was obviously on its way. All of it- everything that was happening right now was the calm before the storm. Eventually Chris would get ahold of her and everything she thought she could avoid would come crashing down on her.

"Bet you thought I was going to-"

"God dammit, Denise," Chris cussed as he slammed his phone onto the table.

"Are you trying to break the phone or the table?" Sebastian looked up with a raised brow.

"Sorry," Chris muttered, rubbing his forehead. "I just-" he huffed, "I'm trying to get ahold of Denise. But she's avoiding my calls and-" He groaned, slamming his tightly clenched fist on the table. "Seb, she is clearly going through something but she won't talk to me about it. And I don't- what the fuck is going through her mind?" Sebastian pursed his lips at Chris' obvious frustration. "Does she think this is a good idea- to just avoid my calls like my worries are just going to disappear?"

"It's a good idea to breathe, maybe?" Sebastian suggested and Chris took a slow, deep breath. "Now that you have some oxygen in your lungs," Sebastian teased then chuckled when Chris shot him a weary look. "Just relax, man. I'm sure everything's fine and you're just overreacting."

"I am not overreacting, she-"

"That sounds like something someone who's overreacting would say," Sebastian cut him off with pursed lips and Chris rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, Chris," Sebastian chuckled. "She's a university student, what do you expect? Do you remember your university experience? 'Cause I do. Things get busy and chaotic and overwhelming, but it was nothing we couldn't handle. So stop worrying so much because your girlfriend is capable. If she's not telling you things, maybe it's because she can handle it." Chris huffed and Sebastian sighed, "I know you feel like you have to protect her 'cause she's younger than you, but maybe you're being a little overbearing?"

Chris didn't have a retort because Sebastian had made some solid point. Like Denise, he had a good friend to knock some sense into him, buff tense situations, and talk him out of some dumb decisions. Sebastian was right, perhaps he was being a little overbearing. He could've argued that Denise was important to him and it was a second nature for him to prioritize the ones he loved most, but he could see how he was being overbearing. It was hard for him not to be when she wasn't the kind of person who talked about her adversities unless he persisted.

That was one of the differences Chris had found between Denise and her second person protagonist: she was more concern with how he saw her which meant she'd lie to him if she had to. He realized they really needed to discuss that before it became a bigger problem than it already was, and he knew it would because honesty and communication were two of the most important factors in a successful relationship. It was evident those were the areas they lacked in considering everything that'd happened between them.

"I'm sure she'll talk to you when she's ready," Sebastian consoled. "I don't think you should push her. I don't know her well, but she seems like the-more-you-push-the-further-she'll-run type." Chris pressed his lips together, knowing that was an accurate categorization of his girlfriend. "And it's not a bad type, it's just tricky. The fact you're a new couple having to do long distance so early in the relationship- it does make it a little more complicated. But the two of you are good together, so just push through these tough times. After all, you don't know what her reasons are. Maybe she doesn't want you to worry and that's why she's not telling you anything."

"Trust me, pushing through is the only option. I want to spend the rest of my life with her." Chris wasn't sure about a lot, but he was sure about that. "She's a puzzle, that one, but she's one of those puzzles that when you figure it out and finish it-" he smiled when he thought about her, "it's going to be beautiful and incredibly satisfying." Sebastian unconsciously mirrored Chris' smile; he was ecstatic Chris had found the one after years of coming up empty. "And I know for a fact that she's not telling me anything because she doesn't want me to worry, that's exactly the kind of person she is. But," he sighed with a small smile, "that's one of the many reason I love her. What?" Chris chuckled when he heard Sebastian chuckle.

"Nothing," Sebastian shook his head. "I'm just- Denise is the first girlfriend you've spoken so openly about." Chris narrowed his eyes, but his smile remained on his lips because he realized his friend was right. "You've never talked about any of your other girlfriends before- well, not when the relationship was still so new. But with Denise? I mean- you keep photos of her in your trailer, you introduce us over FaceTime, you talk about her all the time and it is- This is a new side to you that we all love," Sebastian admitted and Chris' smile widened.

"Yeah, well-" Chris' smile reached his eyes when he thought about the future he was planning to have with Denise. "She's different." Sebastian nodded at the obvious. "I know I can spend the rest of my life with her, and I want to. I really, really want to," he admitted with a light laugh and Sebastian smiled. "I just- I want her to live her life first, before she settles down with me. I don't want her to miss out on anything, y'know?"

"Yeah, that's- it's a noble move," Sebastian nodded. "I like her with you, I think we all do. She's..." He trailed off, trying to find the right word then settled on what Chris used earlier, "different. But it's the kind of different you want to welcome into your life." He said and Chris nodded in agreement. "I don't know, I think you made a right decision with her. I haven't met her in person, but- I'm fairly confident about what I just said."

"Me too," Chris nodded with a smile.

"So I beseech you to try and remember what I said earlier, so you don't do anything dumb to lose her," Sebastian reminded him and they both laughed. "'Cause man, Chris, you'd be a world class idiot to lose the girl who's obviously perfect for you."

"Believe me, I know." Chris chuckled. He had heard enough of how stupid he'd been if he lost her, his family, her family, friends from both sides, everyone and anyone who'd seen them together, or heard him talk about her- they had all asserted it to him. He didn't need more people to tell him what he already knew: the girl was special and he wasn't going to let her go. "You're not the first person to tell me that."

"Yet I'm sure I won't be the last."

"Yeah, I'm sure of that too," Chris chuckled.