On The Hill

Chapter 22: I was married once

"I'm going back for some drinks" Dylan called, stepping out of the sea. His chest dripped with glistening water as he slicked back his dark hair.

"Wait up I'm coming to!" Dom followed, jogging out to meet him. He was so much smaller than his older brother, his body was less defined with muscles and facial features, you could see the difference between teenage years and young adulthood.

Nico and Ethan had disappeared somewhere, probably back with Jen or walking along the beach. Before Arya knew it, the waves were rippling beneath her. She sat back in the dingy, relaxing in the sun. she held the sides of the boat, resting her head on the back of it.

Arya felt someone hold the boat, knowing who it was, she opened her eyes, sitting up over it.

"Are you not tired yet?" Arya's soft voice spoke, raising her sun glasses.

"No, I could do this all day" Robin gripped the side of the boat as he took a breath. She could see his body float underneath the water, only wearing his swimming trucks.

She bit her lip unconsciously, he noticed, returning smile, sweeping back his wet hair from his forehead.

He pulled himself up, almost so he was in the boat but instead grabbing Arya. She scrambled to stay on it but all her attempts failed. She splashed into the water and found herself to the side of the dingy now, facing Robin. She shivered from the shock of the water, shaking her body to adjust to the drop in temperature.

Arya held Robin close to, she felt comfortable in his arms, just barely touching the sandy floor. Although she would rather be sitting on the beach now, enjoining the sun and it's blazing heat, it was just as nice to be in that moment with him, no one else around.

—

"Did you bring the coke?" Dom spoke, taking a bite into a sausage roll shortly after.

"Yeh, it's here" Dylan chucked him a can over as they all sat on the beach having some food they had bought.

"This is so nice, thank you for inviting me, it really means a lot" Arya spoke, she really did appreciate how kind the family had been to her. She couldn't have asked for any better, especially how new everything was to her.

"Any time dear, it's our pleasure" Jen said, she drank a beverage she'd poured into a flask.

"Don't get used to it Arya, she doesn't normally come out" Nico stated, receiving a long glare from his mother.

"Oh? what do you mean?" Without even thinking, Arya knew she had hit a sensitive spot with the family, she was met with stares from the brothers as Jen adjusted herself to Arya comment. She quickly tried to defuse the painful tension, "I'm sorry, I didn't think, I-".

"No... I- I'm sure Robin hasn't told you..." Jen spoke, the brothers looked in all different directions, none looking at their mother or Arya. She shook her head, waiting for some explanation but was hesitant to know the truth.

"Well, our family wasn't always been this way..." she spoke, no quivers in her words nor deep breaths.

"I was married once... we were a happy family for a long time, until 3 years ago... It was a hot day like this and we were out in the sea" she paused, looking out into the sea and back to Arya, who sat still, listening to her intently.

"We were messing about and... his foot got stuck, under a patch of sand, he- couldn't resurface" the last word was quiet, sombre, there were only slight wavers in her tone of voice. Robin sat behind Arya, who listened with great care, his head dropped as his mother retold the story, he'd clearly heard many times before.

"The paramedics called him dead at the scene after they had pulled him out the water" she finished, staring at Arya's poor face. She was speechless, not knowing how to respond.

"It's ok, it's a long time ago and we have moved on, I don't want to ruin today but now you know" she said, trying to return to her normal mood.

Arya stayed polite as the conversation returned to something more light-hearted but she couldn't get the picture out her her mind. Things added up now, why Robin wouldn't tell her about his family when they first met, it couldn't have been long since the accident took place.

It also explained why Robin was always up on that hill. So close to the beach that it was in sight but never close enough for those memories to come flooding back. It was his way of coping, Arya knew that now.

"I wish I didn't have to go back home..." Arya sighed looking out onto the rippling sea. Her glasses shielded her from the sun.

"When do you have to go?" Dom spoke up, his body sprawled out on a towel, looking rather relaxed.

"Monday" she replied bluntly, she was too busy thinking about going home and how it would be when she got back. Especially without Robin.

It was then she reminded herself about him. Matt had been off her mind for a few days now and she hadn't even noticed. It was a breath of fresh air to not think about him, even for just a moment or two.

A growing thought over took her head, how was she going to tell Robin about Matt, she couldn't keep it from him any longer. The time she'd spent with him felt like he'd been her boyfriend all along. Was that bad? They had just clicked from the moment they first met when she saw him on the hill.

If Matt new any of the things she'd done with Robin and the time he'd spent with her, well... it wouldn't be a fun story to tell that's for sure.

She let her mind come back round to the beach, she sat with him, both with sun glasses on, bathing in the sun, even after knowing about Robins past and the growing thought of Matt, it still didn't keep Arya from enjoying her time away.

"I'm so glad you came today" he looked down on her, placing his hands around her waist.

She leaned back, putting her weight onto him. "I'm glad I came too", she smiled back, throwing her head back towards the sky. Every moment she knew it grew closer to the inevitable...

Well we are officially 10 chapters away from the end, I now realise the story may be a little short but I'm not too bothered, I suppose it's more in the short story category of Wattpad. I hope your still enjoying it and look out for the last few chapters that will be coming soon :)