Chapter Twenty Four
R obyn took her coat from Teresa as she stepped outside the bakery front door onto the cobbled street.
‘Hold on.’ Following her out, Teresa pulled the door to behind her before drawing Robyn in for a hug. ‘You’ve got this. Think positively. It’s always best to try then not to, remember.’
‘Thank you.’ She hugged her back before drawing away and shrugging into her coat as she hurried down the street. Glancing behind her, she watched as Teresa stepped back inside, back into the excitement of Christmas, back to Elsie’s bakery family. Her found family.
Turning back around, she kept her eyes focused on the path in front of her. Why hadn’t she seen it before? Why hadn’t she realised that Gerald, Jasper, Elsie, Teresa, all of them, they were right? Not everyone was unhappy, not everyone put on a front, hid behind deception to pretend to the world that they were happy. Why had she let one bitter relationship – her parents – shape her own future? Her entire life so far? She’d always done what she could to avoid relationships, to avoid being burnt, being hurt, but Teresa had been right. She’d never know what was meant to be if she didn’t at least try.
And perhaps believing in true love, taking that risk, would pay off. And if it didn’t, well, she’d have some pretty decent memories, she was sure of that.
As she rounded the corner to head up the hill, the skies opened and the first flutter of winter snow began to fall. She looked up at the sky. The clouds were thick and white. Plenty more up there. This must be the white Christmas she’d witnessed in a very long time, in years. Was that a good sign?
At the top of the hill, she briefly turned, taking in the fall view of Penworth Bay below her. The street was quiet, white, blanketed with snow. Smoke curled from the chimneys of the cottages and the ocean was calm beyond.
Turning back to the street ahead, the large Victorian terraces looming by her side, she suddenly slowed, her heart pounding in her chest. She’d been so eager to run up here, to tell Jasper that she’d changed her mind, that she realised she wanted to give their relationship a chance that she hadn’t stopped to think about him. What did he want? What if he’d given up on her? On the very idea that he wanted a relationship?
What if he didn’t want her anymore?
Standing in the street, she gasped for air, filling her lungs with the chill enveloping her. What was she supposed to do? Should she turn back? Give up? He probably wouldn’t want her interrupting his Christmas Day anyway, would he?
She’d leave it. As much as she didn’t want to, as much as her whole body was screaming at her to continue, to speak to him, to explain. But she couldn’t. She shouldn’t. It wasn’t fair to him.
She gripped her mobile in her pocket. He hadn’t tried to call again today. After ringing and messaging, pleading with her to talk, he’d gone silent. He’d not tried to contact once today, to wish her a happy birthday or a merry Christmas. Nothing.
Holding her hand to her chest, she spun slowly in the street. It wouldn’t be fair on him to barge into his parents’ home. Not today. And that was if he was even there at all. They might have gone to his house, or to his brothers’. What had she been thinking? She forced herself to walk away.
‘Robyn?’ Jasper’s voice echoed in the quiet street, insulated from the snow still settling around them.
Spinning on her heels, she widened her eyes, watching as he ran up to her. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t...’
‘I was just coming to see you.’ Jasper came to a stop in front of her, snow settling on his woollen beanie hat.
‘You were?’
‘I don’t tend to wear a coat and hat indoors, not unless the heating is broken.’ He spoke quietly, his eyes fixed on hers. ‘Were you coming to see me?’
She nodded. He was so close she could feel the heat from his body.
‘Can I ask why?’
She cleared her throat. He’d been coming to see her, too. He had wanted to see her. Did that mean...? She wrung her hands in front of her as her words tumbled out. ‘I’m sorry, I got scared. I just thought that what was the point in trying if it wasn’t going to amount to anything between us and then I’ve just had Christmas dinner at Elsie’s...’ she waved her hand in the general direction of the bakery. ‘And they’re happy. Everyone is happy there. Smiling, laughing, chatting... in love.’
‘Please tell me you want to give us a chance?’ He tentatively took hold of her hands in his, relaxing when she squeezed him back.
‘Yes, yes. I want to see what happens. I want to see if what I feel, what I hope you feel is the real deal.’ She stuttered. Unsure of what to say next. ‘If you want to, of course?’
‘Do you need to ask?’ Jasper grinned as he wiped the pad of his index finger across her nose. ‘A snowflake.’
Sighing, Robyn smiled. He did want to. He wanted her. Stepping towards her, she threw her arms around him, drawing him close as the snow fell around them.
‘I have something for you, which was way I was on my way to the bakery. I didn’t think you’d want to see me, but I wanted to give it you, anyway.’ He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a slim rectangular box wrapped in pale green paper.
‘Oh, what is it?’ Taking the gift, she looked at him.
‘Open it and find out.’ Jasper ran his hand over the back of his neck as he watched her open it.
Scrunching up the wrapping paper, she pushed it into her coat pocket and slowly opened the red velvet box. It was a robin. A delicate, silver robin pendant hanging from a silver chain. ‘It’s beautiful.’
‘Happy birthday.’ Jasper grinned as he took it from her, gently unclasping it and waiting until she’d turned away, until he secured it around her neck.
There were so many questions about their future, but she didn’t care. Right now, all she cared about was him, was them. If they were together, they could overcome everything else. They could overcome the fact that she only had a couple of weeks in Penworth Bay left. They could overcome anything and everything.