we could be | ronance

TEN

"i never got to change your mind"

-

(back to robin's pov)

I WAS TALKING with steve as i served customers. we had gradually moved onto the topic of a new crush steve had on some girl he'd met earlier that day. i served the customer i was on and when they stepped off to the side, i saw her.

nancy wheeler.

i hadn't expected her to show up, especially not after my outburst this afternoon. yet, there she was, in all of her beauty. her hair was wet, which made me assume that it was raining outside. her eyelashes had tiny drops in them, and they were darker than normal, making me assume that they were also wet. her face, though, appeared different. her eyes looked slightly watery, and she looked...off.

"you okay?" i asked, concern filing my voice. she didn't give me a reply, but the faint shake of her head said all i needed to know. i glanced at steve, who gave me a 'go!' look. i motioned for nancy to follow me as i walked into the back of the store, making sure the door closed behind her.

"what's wrong?" i asked her, searching her face for any hints. i saw the tears forming in her eyes, and i started panicking inside. i sucked at comforting people- like, truly, i'm awful. so, i did the only thing i could think of doing.

i pulled her into a hug.

i could feel her collapse into my embrace only a few seconds later, burying her head into my shoulder and letting her tears out. i sighed, wondering how the hell i got myself into this mess.

we sat there like that for a while- her face buried in my uniform, my hand rubbing her back for comfort. eventually, she pulled away and looked at me, her face stained with tears. without thinking, i reached up to her face and wiped a few tears away. she looked at me, making eye contact.

"what happened?" i whispered once her crying had stopped. i didn't expect a reply, so when nancy spoke, it made me jump slightly.

"barb and i broke up," she whispered back, trying her best not to cry again from saying it out loud. "i broke up with her"

i hated the part of me that was excited for their breakup. nancy was sitting here crying in front of me, while i'm celebrating in my mind about the same thing she's crying about.

"i'm sorry," was all i said back, despite how many more questions i wanted to ask. "anything i can do?"

"can you sleepover tonight?" she asked, and, looking down at her, i could see how much courage it took her to actually ask that. "it's okay if not, but i was just trying to not be alone tonight"

"i'd love to," i said without thinking. "i work until 8, though, but i can come over after"

"that's great, thank you"

-

nancy left shortly after that, getting an ice cream that i gave her for free.

i had started to regret telling nancy i'd have a sleepover with her after work. not because i didn't want to comfort her or be there for her. i did- i cared about her so much. but, on the other hand, i could barely control myself around her for five minutes. i knew i would definitely never be able to control myself for a whole night.

"so, what was that about?" steve asked only ten minutes after nancy's departure.

"her and barb broke up," i told him, running a hand through my hair.

"that's good for you!" he reminded, and i looked over at him. he looked so excited for me, i could only smile back at him in return.

"we don't even know she likes me still, dingus"

i served a customer their vanilla cone before turning back to him.

"i'm staying the night over there tonight. she doesn't want to be alone, i'm assuming"

"okay then we need to have a talk. i wouldn't suggest having s-"

"steve," i interrupted. "shut up"

"i'm serious! her parents will be in the house and-"

"steve," i interrupted, "i'm just there to comfort her. nothing more. i'm just being her friend tonight"

"okay, okay. just trying to help you out. but, if the timing seems right, you could kiss her, y'know"

"that won't happen"

-

as the time grew closer and closer to eight, i found myself growing more nervous by the second. steve was completely crazy to think nancy and i would kiss again. there was no way she still had feelings for me.

but regardless of that, it felt kind of good that nancy had come to me for support and comfort. it left me wondering; why me? why would nancy come to me for comfort? she knew i sucked at it- she had experienced it during our relationship, when something had happened with one of her exes, jonathan.

there had to be a reason that she came to me. steve thought it was because she still liked me, but i knew that was absurd.  i figured it was just because i was her friend, and i was her shoulder to cry on in the past.

"okay, i'm heading out," i announced to steve after everything was completely closed up.

"behave," he told me as if i'm one of his kid friends. "don't do anything i wouldn't do"

"i'm not a child," i reminded him, laughter from both of us filling the room. "see ya, stevie"

"bye rob," he called out after me. "go get your girl!"

as i jumped in my car, nerves took over my body. how the hell was i going to survive an entire night with nancy wheeler?