~ Emma
Nick goes back to work the next night. He asks me to come with him and I agree, knowing that even though it will likely be slow because it’s mid-week, he’s still going to be nervous.
Nervous about facing his staff and answering questions about where he’s been these past few weeks and nervous about dealing with customers, especially the regulars who haven’t seen him in a while.
But as nerve-wracking as it all is, I can also see that it’s something he wants to do, maybe needs to do, and like I told him, I would do anything for him.
His confession had come as a shock yesterday. Despite knowing how I felt, I never expected him to feel the same, especially now, with everything he was going through. Feeling like that just seemed like an impossibility when he was in so much pain.
I hadn’t wanted to add to it by telling him how I felt, so I’d kept it to myself. Then when he’d brought up me staying, why I kept staying, I’d thought it was the beginnings of another fight. Thought that for the few tiny steps forward we’d managed to take with him talking to Tony and finally getting some decent sleep, we were now about to take a giant leap backwards.
But then he’d said it.
I’m in love with you.
I’d been so shocked at first that I hadn’t been able to say anything, practically pushing him away as I’d tried to process it all. I wasn’t even sure when it had occurred to me that this was how I felt about Nick too. Just like him feeling it for me seemed like an impossibility, I wasn’t sure how I’d managed to get there either.
Regardless of how good things were between us when we first started, all of that felt like a lifetime ago now. Deep down, a part of me thought that too many bad things had happened for us to ever get back there, let alone reach this point.
But then he’d proven me wrong and after we’d both confessed to each other how we really felt, I couldn’t help but think that maybe things were finally heading in the right direction after all.
“Thank you for doing this,” Nick says as we walk down to the bar.
“How are you feeling?” I ask as we step out into the late afternoon.
Nick shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says, taking my hand. “Nervous, I guess, which seems really stupid.”
“No, it doesn’t,” I tell him, stopping. He turns to face me and I smile up at him, press a quick kiss to his mouth. “A lot’s happened, Nick. Things have changed and it’s normal for you to feel nervous about it. But I’ll be here with you, okay? We can leave whenever you want to.”
Nick pulls me again him, pressing a hard kiss to my mouth as he murmurs, “Thank you.”
“Come on lovebirds,” Tony suddenly shouts. “Keep it clean, there are small children around.”
Nick and I pull apart, both of us glancing around at the almost deserted street. Tony laughs, slapping Nick on the back before he turns and opens the door to the bar and we all step inside.
I help the guys set up and then take a seat at the end of the bar, on the same stool I sat on that first night I walked in here. There’s a small crowd in tonight, enough that it keeps Nick occupied, but not too much that it’s overwhelming.
“Hey,” a familiar voice says and when I turn, I see Owen and Will standing beside me.
“Hey,” I say, jumping out of my chair and giving them both a hug.
They take a seat and Nick gets them both a drink before disappearing off to serve another customer.
“How’s he going?” Owen asks.
I shrug. “Okay,” I say, watching him as he works. To anyone else, he would look completely fine. He smiles at the customers, engages them with small talk and friendly banter, all the usual stuff he did before. But underneath it all, I can see the real Nick. See all of the pain and guilt and blame he still carries around with him. The way he’s struggling just to be here and to keep it together.
“You worked out you’re in love with him yet?” Owen asks, nudging me.
“What?” I ask, turning to face him.
“She totally has,” Will says, smiling.
“I don’t know,” Owen adds, as he gives me a strange look. I can feel myself blushing under his scrutiny.
“She has,” Will says draping his arm over Owen’s shoulder. “Look at her, it’s obvious.” I turn to Will, then back to Owen, wondering what’s going on here. I watch as Will continues smiling at me, nudging Owen who only rolls his eyes. “Guess that’s fifty bucks you owe me,” Will says now.
Owen squints at me, as though he’s trying to see if Will is right. “So are you officially not my roomie anymore?” he asks, pulling his wallet out and handing a fifty-dollar note to Will. I watch them, still not quite getting what’s going on.
“Told you I was right,” Will says, winking at me.
“Em,” Owen prompts.
“I’m,” I start. “I just…I’m…”
“Ah shit, you were right,” he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close as he presses a kiss to my hair and Will bursts out laughing.
“I will come back,” I tell him. “I just…I just don’t know when.”
“Take your time, Em,” he says, pulling back. “It’s good you’re doing this for him.” He stares down at me, his eyes still searching. “I like you like this,” he says, nodding a little.
“Like what?” I ask, searching his face.
“In love,” he says, smiling now. “I’m glad it’s finally happened.”
I glance over at Nick, see he’s watching us; a curious expression on his face as though he can’t work out what’s going on. I smile at him, watch as he returns that smile, staring at me for a second longer before moving off to serve a customer.
When I turn back, Owen and Will are both watching me, small smiles on their faces.
“What?”
Owen laughs, shaking his head a little as he hugs me and says, “Yeah, it’s good you hung on to this one.”