Episode 70

"What the hell happened, Robin?" I demanded.
"I will tell you everything when we get there I promise"
"No, I still have like an hour before my flight leaves so we've got plenty of time"
"Okay, I fucked up. Again, I. . . . " He started pacing the living room " I. . . . Don't know how it happened, Ashley. All I know is that if I don't go to her I'll lose her forever this time. That's why I need your help"
"I cannot help you if you don't tell me what exactly happened this time, Rob"
He gulped hard and I saw the uneasiness in his eyes as he tried to speak. " I forced her. . . "
"You did what?!"
"I. . . . I finally got her to go out with me two weeks back and . . . She said she couldn't get back together with me anymore and we could still be friends. Of course I wasn't okay with that but I was gonna keep pushing until she opened her heart to me again. Then we went out that night. . . . And then I. . . . . Walked her in here and tried to. . . And tried to have my way with her"
"You forced her to sleep with you?!"
"No, that's not what happened. I honestly miss Katie, Ashley and. . . . "
"That's not a reason to try and force her. . . . "
"It was just a kiss. I only tried to kiss her but she freaked out. I'm so stupid, I was so so drugged on her that I didn't realize I was pushing her against the wall and by doing that pushing her away. I feel really ashamed, she shouldn't forgive me but I just want her to know that I'm completely sorry. Please, Ashley. Don't turn your back on me too"
"That was a dick move, Robin but if I'm gonna do this for you I need to be sure you're not gonna be an ass to her anymore"
" I promise, Ashley. I just badly need to see her"
"Okay. My flight leaves soon but I think I know who to call so I can add one more person"
"Thank you! So much. . . . . . "
I made a call and luckily, there was room for one more person and Robin got on board. We took the flight and arrived California in no time. It was still early in the afternoon there so we took a cab directly to Katie's home.
It felt really nice to be here, it brought so many memories back as I stepped onto the driveway and walked up to the porch.
Katie and I and Robin too had all grown up here and if it were on other circumstance, I would've loved the feeling I was feeling now of being here right this moment.
"You ready?" I asked Robin as we stopped before the door.
He nodded, his eyes saying otherwise. He was in for some serious trouble.
Back when they used to date in highschool, Katie's parents knew and loved him like he were their own biological son. They always loved it when he drove by to pick Katie on one of their dates. After they broke up, I didn't know how their feelings towards him was before now and I could feel exactly what Robin felt right this moment. The situation he was in. Nobody probably wanted to see his face around here, given how he'd ended his relationship with Katie.
I pressed the door button and heard the intercom ring from the inside. Then the door pulled open and a woman I didn't recognize opened the door. She had an apron tied to her chest and down her skirt, her skin wrinkled and pale due to the old age. She's unmistakably the cook now. They never had a cook back in the days.
"Good day ma'am" I greeted her.
"Good day. How may I help you dear?" She responded.
"I'm Ashley, a friend of Katie's. We're best friends. "
"Oh you're the Ashley she's been talking about all weekend"
"Yes" I beamed a smile "is she in?"
"Of course! Come in"
We stepped inside. The room was empty.
"Come this way," she pointed towards the back door "they're at the back"
"I'll be right behind you" Robin whispered to me as I followed the woman out towards the back door. I stepped out into the backyard and was quick to spot Katie among the green grasses and the garden plants all over the place.
She has her back to me, her arms folded towards her front as she stood beside the swimming pool. Her hair looks different now, now cut and trimmed into a straight bun just above her shoulders. She's wearing a thigh length jeans skirt and a pink top, gazing down into the pool.
Her mother was at the far front side from her, squatting before a couple of plant beds, tending to them. Mrs Millie always loved gardening. Katie and I used to ruin tons and tons of her plants back in junior year.
"Miss Katie?" The woman called her. Katie slowly turns around to see me, her eyes growing wide by the minute.
"Ashley!!" She exclaimed joyously, running over to me with her hands wide open. I embraced her tightly, my mouth's elasticity threatening to break due to the big smile.
"You came!" Her voice comes out muffled against my neck.
"I haven't forgiven you for leaving without telling me, Kay"
"I missed you" she said instead, melting my heart.
"Ah, you girls are so old now" her mother said from the background and we let go of each other.
"Hello Millie" I greeted her.
"It's so good to see you after all these years, Ashley," she said "Katie never stopped talking about you since she got here and I told her to just call you if she missed you"
"Katie" someone called from behind us and we looked back to see Robin walking in through the back door too.
Katie's grip around my arm tightened and she looks back at me "what is he doing here?" She whisper-asks angrily.
Placing a hand over her arm too, I replied "you've got to face this, Kay. He's sorry and I think you should listen to him"
I stepped away and stood with Millie, both watching Robin stop before Katie. Katie stood with her back to us, her hands holding the other as she watched Robin. Robin's face is full of regret from.the sight of it, you could almost read every emotion in them.
"What are you doing here, Robin?" Katie demanded.
"I came to apologise,Kitty." He replied "I know that I've been the worst kind of man to you and I completely regret everything that happened that day. I don't mean what happened at the apartment but on prom night. I fucked up. I loved you and nobody else so I should've stood up for you when Cindy said all she said to you, I should've run to your side and tell her to bit it cause my heart belonged to you. I shouldn't have been such a coward but I did and it's already happened. All I can do now is ask you to forgive me"
"Why didn't you tell me before leaving california, Rob?"
"I didn't know how to talk to you after letting you down. I wanted to come even though I knew you'd chase me away again but I knew you wouldn't wanna see me again. We'd planned so much for prom and I let one person ruin it for us"
He walks closer to take her hand into his " I never stopped thinking about you since that day, Kitty. I still loved you and it was a big shame we had to end like that. I never for once stopped blaming myself and severally, I've stared at your number till my phone's screen went blank because I so badly wanted to call and talk to you. . . . . Until I couldn't do it to myself anymore. "
"Why didn't you just. . . . Go, Robin? Why did you have to come back?"
"Because six years later I realized I still loved you, Katie. I never even for once stopped loving you. I hadn't intended to leave the country, I was driven to and I swear I'd give anything to go back and change this"
"You hurt me so much, Robin"
Kiss him already! I wanted to yell.
"I'm sorry, Katie, for everything. I should've been more matured and come back to you after you broke up that night. I should never have left without sorting things out with you and saying goodbye. I never stopped regretting that horrible day and it has lived with me ever since. I told Ashley I was coming here to apologise for trying to kiss you at your apartment but I actually came here to apologise for everything and to ask you to give this another chance. I'm not saying I won't be an ass in the future but I'll only be an ass for other women. I love you, Katie and you more than anyone else knows that. I want to spent the rest of my life with you, Katie, knowing that I'd always wake up to your face sleeping next to me. I hate myself for begging for another chance cause I don't think I deserve someone like you, I had my chance six years ago and I blew it. But if you say yes now, I will be a better person, I promise."
Katie sighs slowly before speaking. "I never stopped Loving you too, Robin. I never stopping hoping that you'd come back even though it seemed pointless as the months drew to years and the years drew to more years. I spent many nights after you left california beating on myself for being so rational that night. I should've listened but I was so upset"
"It was all my fault"
"No. I knew exactly what Cindy wanted and I let her toy with me. And now she's probably living her life while I'm here beating myself over what she did. I'm sorry, Robin"
"You do not have to be sorry for anything. I just. . . Want you to know that I love you. A lot"
"I love you too, Robin and yes, I do wanna give us another chance"
"Do I get to keep you forever this time?" A smile slowly appeared on his lips as he asked, leaning closer to Katie and sliding a hand around her waist to pull her into him.
"Time will tell" Katie replied, leaning up to kiss his lips. I wasn't seeing Katie's face but I knew exactly how she looked right now. She was happy. Very Happy.
They stood entangled to each other for what felt like minutes, kissing and obvious making out before pulling apart and Katie turning to us.
I opened my arms and hurried over to her to hug her.
"You did good, Kay" I told her.
"Thank you, Ash," She whispered back "for everything"
I patted down her back as Robin went over to Millie to exchange a few words. I felt happy and satisfied about something for the first time in years. As I stood there hugging Katie, the thought of Ric flooded my mind. I couldn't help it. We'd had a serious fight before I left. We've never had such a fight before where we used strong words for each other.
Suddenly, I felt terrible. Because I just witnessed a couple reconcile, I suddenly felt terrible. What have I done? Does Ric regret all he said, did he regret picking that phone call without my consent? Did he regret that fight? Of course he does, he's been calling non-stop.
Did i regret the fight too? If I did, why wasn't I picking his calls?
'because you need to leave him for good and this fight will only make it easier' my inner voice told me. Yes, it's never wrong and definitely not wrong about this one.
This is what's best for the two of us.