She swallowed hard, her determination evident in the way she quickly composed herself. Crying in front of her best friend wasn't part of the plan.
"Y/N," Chris began softly, his voice an anchor of support. "Please don't cry." He sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side. She sniffled and wrapped her arm around his body, finding comfort closer to him.
"I know I have to tell him," she sighed, her voice tinged with a blend of resignation and fear. Her fingers clenched at the strap of her bag, her knuckles turning white. "I just don't want him to look at me differently."
A heavy sigh escaped Chris's lips, a mixture of understanding and concern.
"Being with Alex was the worst time of my life," she admitted, her voice almost a whisper. "I just don't want to revisit that pain by talking about it again."
Chris couldn't help but feel a little guilty; the girl's last ever incident with Alex happened to be his fault, and he couldn't help but recall every memory leading up to it.
"You don't have to explain every little detail," Chris reassured her gently, his eyes fixed on her. "You can tell him what you're comfortable with, Y/N. He cares about you, and he deserves to know why this affects you so deeply."
Tears welled in Y/N's eyes as her inner turmoil lay bare in front of Chris. She appreciated his understanding and his unwavering support, even in the face of the darkest corners of her past. With a shaky breath, she nodded, her gratitude evident.
"Thank you, Chris," she murmured, her voice soft but filled with sincerity. She wrapped her arm around his arm, resting her head gently on their shoulder as they continued to walk together.
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The following day after Chris's gathering, he was eager to return to work, ready to find Y/N at Cobham. All he wanted to do was see Y/N and make sure that she was alright. He worried the whole night about the girl, specifically her boyfriend.
That Alex guy seemed like a proper asshole.
When the American arrived at the training ground that day, he wasted no time in placing his belongings in his locker. After a swift change, he headed to the canteen, a glimmer of hope in his eyes that he might find Y/N there.
"Where is she?" he mumbled to himself, his gaze darting around the bustling room, searching for any sign of the familiar figure.
"Where's who?" A voice chimed in, pulling Chris's attention away from his search.
He turned to see Robyn, one of the kitchen assistants he was acquainted with. A small smile formed on Chris's lips as he greeted her, appreciative of the familiar face. "Hey."
Robyn raised an eyebrow, curious. "Looking for someone?"
Chris nodded a touch of worry in his expression. "Y/N. Have you seen her?"
Robyn seemed to think for a moment before recognition crossed her features. "Y/N? The new hire?"
Chris's hope deflated slightly, but he nodded again, this time more urgently. "Yes, that's her."
A sympathetic look crossed Robyn's face. "Sorry, Chris. She called out sick today."
Concern deepened the lines on Chris's forehead. "Did she say why?"
Robyn shook her head. "I didn't get all the details from her boyfriend, but he said she's not well, probably just caught something."
"Wait- Alex called?" Chris asked.