Words & Whiskey

EDITED VERSION: Chapter Thirty-Five

I was starting to cook myself dinner when my phone began to vibrate on the counter. I frowned when I noticed it was Nathan. He was working a closing shift tonight and he usually never called while he worked because it was always so packed at the bar on Friday nights. "Hey, is everything all right Nate?"

"Princess," Nathan's voice cracked, as if he were about to cry. The sound of it caused my heart to stutter. "Can you meet me at Ed's, please?"

Although he couldn't see me, I nodded my head. "Of course, I'll be there in five."

The line went dead and I dropped everything I was working on, slipping on my shoes and dashing out of the apartment. Whatever Nathan was upset about must be big because I had never heard his voice sound the way it did on the phone. The whole walk to Ed's, I felt tense, worried about what I was walking into.

When I arrived, I was surprised to see no one was there, instead, Nathan leaned against the counter, the lights barely more than a faint dim. I swung open the door, the bells chiming behind me. Nathan looked up at me and the sight of him broke my heart. His eyes were red rimmed and swollen. "He's gone."

I furrowed my eyebrows, not understanding what he was saying. I reached for his hand, taking it gently in mine and the other cupped his cheek, wiping the stray tear that slid down his cheek. "Who's gone, my love?"

"Ed," Nathan's voice cracked similar to how it did on the phone. "He had a heart attack. His lawyer just called to inform me. He's gone."

He broke out into a silent sob and I pulled him tightly against me, burying his face in my chest as he clutched onto me, his grip firm, as if he were scared I'd leave too. I whispered words of comfort, clinging onto him just as hard as he was to me. "I'm so sorry, I know how much he meant to you."

Nate pulled back, looking utterly drained. "His lawyer is still going through the paperwork but he-" Nathan paused, taking a deep breath. "He left me the bar. His lawyer told me he had no next of kin and Ed saw me as the closest thing-" he shook his head in disbelief. "He left me the bar."

My eyes went wide. I had known Ed was fond of Nathan, taking him under his wing when he was struggling after he graduated high school, but it wasn't until this moment I realized just how much Ed cared for him. I wiped another tear that trailed his cheeks, giving him a sad smile. "We'll get through this, Nate. You're not alone in this."

Nate held onto my wrist, resting his forehead against mine, his hazel eyes glistening with tears. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said softly, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I'll be here for you every step of the way, I promise."

***

The next few days were an absolute blur. Nathan and I dived into forming funeral arrangements, with tonight being the wake. We had arranged for it to be at the bar, Nathan had insisted it was something Ed would have enjoyed and I couldn't argue with that, Ed always found his bar to be the place of many occasions.

Nathan rallied up the rest of Ed's employees, which consisted of three of the cooks, two waitresses, and one more bartender who worked the early shifts. They all seemed to be hit hard by Ed's death, each of them smiling sadly while they reminisced over their favourite tales of their former boss. In addition to them, a few regulars, plus Darian, Justin, Samara, and Hayden joined. The place was packed, just as Ed would have liked.

Over the loudness of the talking, I could hear the bells of the door chime, and Nathan's eyes widened before he broke out into a smile when they landed on the girl approaching us. I tried to hide my pang of jealousy as they embraced each other.

When they pulled apart, Nathan wrapped his arm around my shoulder, looking down at me with a small smile. "Audrey, this is Lydia. Lydia, meet the love of my life, Audrey."

Lydia outstretched her hand and I was half tempted to crush it as I shook it but I knew now was not the time or place to indulge in my jealous streak. She smiled at me, not noticing my discomfort whatsoever. "It's nice to meet the girl who won my cousin's heart."

I immediately felt like an idiot. I smiled back at her. Before I could say anything, she looked to Nathan, her expression serious. "I'm really sorry I haven't been around much, Nathan. I've been having a really hard time since Dad died but I when I heard about Ed, I knew I needed to see how you were doing."

Nathan's throat bobbed, trying to stay composed. Ed's death was really hurting him. He nodded his head, feigning a smile. "It's okay, I understand. Thank you for coming."

Lydia smiled once again before she went off to see Darian, who, despite being at a wake, yelled enthusiastically when he saw her, throwing his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug.

Nathan nudged me with his elbow. His signature lopsided smirk making an appearance for the first time since the news of Ed's death. "You were jealous of my cousin."

I rolled my eyes, leaning into him. "I didn't know she was your cousin."

"But you were jealous," he teased, his smirk turning into a grin. He kissed my forehead. "Don't worry, Princess. You have my heart and I don't plan on surrendering it to anyone but you."

I blushed at his words and then got up on the tips of my toes to kiss him. "And you have my heart, my love, and I didn't intend on surrendering it to anyone but you either."

Nathan looked as though he wanted to cry, my words touching him more than I expected. He took my hands in his. "Forever?"

I thought back to Ed's stories about his wife, Vera. How fiercely he loved her and how he never loved anyone after she died, staying dedicated to her even when she had gotten sick and insisted on him moving on. Ed once said Nathan and me reminded him of them. I liked to think that now, they were together once again. I looked up at Nathan, my green eyes piercing into his hazel ones. "Forever."