The car ride back to Coventry was as painless as it could possibly be, despite Kate's constant whining about being bored because she forgot to download her favourite show on her phone. She complained incessantly, calling Robin an awful brother for not hotspotting her so she could stream it.

     Robin had been through a whirlwind of emotions in the days leading up to their departure. One minute, he felt a sense of elation and pride for finally ending things with Yohan and standing up for himself. The next, he was curled up on his bed, tears streaming down his face as he stared at Yohan's contact on his phone, gripping Yohan's scarf tightly.

     He had expected Yohan to text, to maybe beg for them not to end things. He imagined Yohan breaking up with Jemma on the spot and running back to him. But it had been radio silence. No texts, no calls. Nothing.

     Robin told himself he wasn't going to contact Yohan. No, that would seem desperate. He was the one who ended things. But a small part of him wished he would hear something, anything, from Yohan.

     There was one person Robin had been texting, though. Lucy. As soon as he had calmed down from ending things with Yohan that night, he had immediately texted them to plead with them not to tell Jemma. But Lucy didn't reply. Their silence gnawed at him, a constant source of nausea that unfolded in his body and refused to dissipate.

     He had also texted Ashley to let her know he was coming to visit over the Christmas break. She seemed ecstatic; her messages dotted with multiple emojis and exclamation points to emphasise her excitement. Robin was still unsure whether or not he would even bring up the whole situation with Yohan. It was over now, so maybe he could spare himself a lecture from her.

     Robin leaned his head against the cool glass of the car window, watching the scenery blur by. It was becoming increasingly familiar, with the cool stark architecture of the place he used to call home coming into view. It had only been four months since he last laid eyes on it, when they were heading down to Bristol for the move. But the Robin that had left Coventry that day, was a totally different Robin that was now returning. He could barely even recognise himself from then, and how much had happened in such a short period of time to cause such a change.

     The car finally pulled up onto the familiar driveway of their grandparents. A fairly large home just on the outskirts of the city centre, luckily large enough to host the family over Christmas, but not quite large enough that it meant he and Kate would have to share a room.

     His grandparents that they were visiting were his father's parents. They were strict, traditional, and on the conservative side. Each time they went to visit, Robin had to listen to his mum complain about how she wasn't going to stand for their conservative views and that this time she would speak up when they said something she didn't agree with. But every time, she became quiet and just listened to the conversations without her own input.

     The family settled themselves, and Robin was smothered by kisses from his grandmother, who commented on how much he had grown—he had not, if anything, she had shrunk—and that he was growing into a handsome young boy.

     "The girls must be all over you!" She fussed, as she pinched his cheek as he forced a smile. She was a short woman, in her mid-seventies now, and frail. Wearing a long floral skirt and a rosy pink jumper. Her white hair wound in tight curls on her head, and a pair of glasses perched on the end of her nose.

     "Um, not quite grandma," Robin said, feeling a sense of embarrassment as Kate gave him a knowing look.

    "It's lovely having the family all together again, isn't it?" His grandfather strode into the room with a tray of hot drinks he placed on the coffee table. He was almost the spitting image of Robin's dad, just older, stockier, and with a larger belly. He wore camel-coloured chinos with a pair of braces that hoisted them into place over a dark blue button-up shirt.

    "Yes, dad, thanks for having us," Robin's dad said, seeping himself into one of the white and pink floral sofas.

     The family engaged in conversation. Robin's grandparents scattering questions about how they were finding Bristol, how Robin and Kate were getting on at school, and Robin's university plans.

     "I've almost finished my university application," Robin replied when asked about his plans after sixth form. "I just need to send it off, but the deadline is early January."

     "What universities have you applied for?" His grandma queried, her thin, crinkled lips sipping on her tea.

    "Durham is my top choice," said Robin, taking a gulp from his mug. "But I've also applied to Bristol and Bath. Bristol has a great psychology programme, and I feel like... yanno, we only just moved; it might be nice to stay."

    "Well, let's hope you get into Durham, my boy." His grandfather grumbled, "I hear Bristol University is a bit on the... what do they call it dear? I read about it in the newspaper,"

     "I believe they call it 'woke'," his grandma responded. Looking over to his mum he could see her tensing up in her chair.

   "Aren't you meeting Ashley later?" Robin's dad interjected, placing a hand on his mum's thigh, clearly trying to redirect the conversation and calm her nerves.

     Robin glanced at the clock on the wall.

     "Oh yeah, I said I'd meet her in half an hour, I better get going!" He said, rising from his seat and quickly swigging the rest of his cup of tea before placing it back on the tray.

     "Just make sure you're back in time for dinner, and then you're helping me with the Christmas dinner preparation tomorrow aren't you dear?" His grandma said.

     "Yes grandma, don't worry I'll be back on time."

♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡

    Robin strolled through the grand gates of Memorial Park, heading towards the familiar spot where he and Ashley used to meet. The sprawling park in the heart of Coventry was a treasure trove of memories. He recalled goofing around with friends, those countless summer days spent with Ashley, both of them sneaking glances at the shirtless guys lounging in the grass, and the deep, meaningful conversations they shared. It was here, under the shade of an old oak tree, that he had come out to Ashley—the first person he had ever told.

    Making his way up the winding path, Robin huddled in his warm duffle coat, his hands buried deep in his pockets, having forgotten his gloves at home. He turned a corner, and there she was, Ashley sat on a bench, engrossed in her phone. Her straight blonde hair partially covered her face, and a green woolly hat perched on top. She wore chunky brown boots, jeans, and an equally cosy faux-fur coat. As Robin edged closer, she must have caught sight of him from the corner of her eye. Her head whipped around, and a warm, huge smile spread across her face—the smile he had missed so much.

     "Robin!" she squealed, springing from her seat and running over to him. She wrapped him in a tight hug, squeezing him with all her might. "Oh my God, I've missed you! It's so, so, so nice to see you!" She mumbled into the crook of his neck, continuing to squeeze him tight.

     "It's so good to see you too," he said, slightly straining as she continued to squeeze him. "I'm losing air here, let go."

     "Nope," she replied, her defiance only making her squeeze him tighter. "I've got to make up for four months of no hugs."

     She held on for a few more seconds before finally releasing him and taking a step back to look him over.

     "Wow, something looks different about you. You haven't grown again, have you?" Ashley asked, cocking her head to one side.

     "No, I'm pretty sure I haven't grown since I was sixteen," Robin chuckled, feeling a warm sensation radiating through his body.

     I've missed her, so much.

     "So, come on, tell me all the hot goss. What's been happening? I've barely heard anything from you lately. Have you replaced me as your bestie?" Ashley joked as they made their way back to the bench and settled into their seats.

    "Oh, there's not much..." Robin wavered, looking down and picking at his thumb.

    "Now I know that's bullshit," Ashley said bluntly. "Last I heard that Yohan prick was messing you around, and then I got radio silence from you. Spill."

    "There's nothing to spill!"

    "Again, bullshit. I know you too well, Robin! You've been avoiding something with me."

     "I mean, I've made some friends, and school is fine, and—"

     "Robin."

     "Yes, Ashley."

     "Tell me now."

     Robin let out a deep sigh, feeling a warm liquid seeping from his thumb. When he looked down, he realised his picking had broken the skin. He quickly tried to hide it by sandwiching his hand between his thighs.

     "Well, please don't be mad," he began.

     "You know me, I just want the best for you, Robin. Now spit it out!" Ashley said, her voice filled with urgency.

     Robin took a few deep breaths, giving himself a moment before he began to tell Ashley what had happened with Yohan since they had last spoken. He recounted the Halloween party, the kiss, and how Yohan had pretended it hadn't happened, then seemed to insinuate he wanted more. He told her about their secret moments in the politics classroom, the sneaking around, and Yohan and Jemma becoming official. Finally, he spoke about being caught by Lucy and breaking things off with Yohan.

     Ashley listened patiently, not interrupting while Robin spoke. He dared not look at her, instead diverting his attention to the pigeons wandering around the park, pecking at anything resembling food. Despite his efforts to avoid her gaze, he could feel her eyes boring into the side of his head, holding onto every word he spoke.

     "So yeah..." he finally finished, shuffling awkwardly in his seat, "That's what's been happening, but it's fine now. I've ended it with him, so that's it."

     "Fucking hell, Robin," Ashley finally spoke, clearly trying to catch his eyes as he continued to stare straight forward. "What the fuck, why didn't you tell me?"

     "I thought you'd be mad... or, I don't know, maybe I knew you'd tell me to end it with him sooner. I know I should have, but I didn't want it to end."

     "I see."

     "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, Ashley, truly, but I think I've just been so in my head with it all recently."

     "Yeah, I can see that."

     They sat there, side by side, in silence for a moment. The day was grey, a typical English winter. The pavement was coated in a shiny wetness, the air filled with the small of rain from earlier that day.

     "I'm sorry you went through all of that, Robin," Ashley said, finally breaking the silence between them. "But why on earth didn't you tell me? Or talk to me about it."

     "I don't know..." Robin replied, feeling his stomach churn as he spoke. "I guess, like I said, I was worried that you would judge me. Or maybe tell me to end things sooner, which I definitely should have done. I think I was just ignoring any sort of warning signs and hoping in the end he would pick me."

     "I can understand that," Ashley said, resting her head in her hands for a moment. "Love makes you do crazy things."

     "Who said anything about love?" Robin almost choked on the words.

     Ashley let out a little giggle and turned to face him. Robin finally braved making eye contact with her too. "Sorry," she said, laughing a little again. "But it's pretty obvious you've fallen for the guy. That doesn't mean he's the right guy. But I'm glad you've ended things. It sounds like he was totally taking advantage of you. Have you managed to speak to Lucy yet?"

     "No..." Robin sighed, letting his shoulders, which he realised he was holding almost to his ears, drop. He felt a bit of the tension release. "I need to speak to them, though. I'm so worried they've told Jemma and fucked everything up even more."

     "Call them, ask to meet up when you get back, and set everything straight."

     "Yeah, I will. I just hope they pick up."

      They continued chatting, with Ashley updating Robin about her life and school. She filled him in on the teachers, the drama, and his old school friends. They laughed and giggled together in the park, and Robin felt at ease. He had missed his best friend and was so grateful for her company and comfort.

      "Thank you so much for today, and Merry Christmas, Ashley. I'm sorry I've been so bad at keeping in touch. I'll change that, I promise," Robin said, giving Ashley a big hug goodbye.

      "You better. I've missed my bestie."

     "I've missed you too."