47: Chris

Chris greets Larissa as she arrives home ecstatic with a new order: three graze tables for an engagement party, rehearsal dinner, and a 150-person wedding. Overjoyed, they hug, and Chris proposes a celebratory two-minute bookstore haul. Afterward, they eat tacos in a parking lot and joke about her hauling six hundred dollars of books.

In the car, Chris reflects on using his late mother’s inheritance to support Larissa and worries about the moral ripple effects of distancing from Mike. He and Larissa trade stories, imagining the night they first met going differently, admit mutual intimidation and attraction in cautious terms, and acknowledge scars from the cabin night when Chris hit Mike. Larissa says she’d “go through any door” with Chris, signaling trust and attachment without crossing their boundary.

Back home, while shelving books, Jesse arrives unannounced. After Larissa retreats to her room, Jesse presses Chris about disappearing from the group and avoiding Mike. He reports Mike is working for Tony, moved out, and started therapy, driven by hope of winning Larissa back.

Jesse then questions the appropriateness of Larissa living with Chris, citing Donna and others’ opinions. Chris refuses to prioritize Mike’s feelings over Larissa’s safety and stability, asserting she isn’t “Mike’s girl” and that he’ll help her as long as needed. The conversation turns tense; Jesse implies Chris’s feelings are different than with past relationships, and leaves after challenging whether Chris is “the asshole.” Chris stands firm in his choice.