“Okay.” Frustration seeps in. Robbie can’t quite grasp why – Vance agreed to let him have his way – but he feels let down. Just how Vance doesn’t want him to feel. He said nothing's the same, and Vance meekly accepts it. It’s neat and tidy… and it leaves Robbie feeling cold.

This is what he wanted, isn’t it? Vance isn’t questioning things, he’s backing off, and that voice in the back of Robbie’s head is free to say 'See, it was never true. No one could ever ignore enough of your shit to want you. I told you so.’

It doesn’t feel like winning. “Good. We’re good then. Everything’s back to normal.”

Except for the hand-holding, which never occurs to him to stop.