25-Roads To Forever || One Shots

Unfinished

Evan POV-

The bar was my world. Every glass I poured, every drink I mixed, had a story, but I never asked. People came here to forget, and I was just the guy on the other side of the counter. My name's Evan, and I've been a bartender for five years.

Most nights were routine-cleaning the counter, serving drinks, and keeping an ear open for trouble. But there were moments, rare ones, when someone walked in and changed the air in the room. That's what kept me here. Not the tips, not the hours-just the people and their secrets.

Nina POV-

The bar wasn't my usual thing, but tonight, I needed it. A quiet corner, dim lights, and a strong drink. My name's Nina Blake, and I've had better days-better weeks, actually.

I wasn't looking for conversation, just a break. A moment to breathe, away from everything waiting for me back home. As I stepped inside, I scanned the room. Typical crowd-laughing friends, lone drinkers, and the bartender with the easy smile. I walked straight to the counter.

"Whiskey. Neat," I said, my voice steady, even if my heart wasn't.

Evan POV-

She walked in like she owned the room, even though I could see she was just looking for a place to disappear. There was something about her-messy yet graceful, like a storm that had calmed just enough to be beautiful.

When she sat at the counter, I froze for a second. Her dark hair fell over her face, but when she looked up, her eyes caught me off guard. They held a kind of quiet strength that made everything else in the bar fade.

I'd seen hundreds of faces over the years, but hers felt different. Like I wanted to know what story brought her here tonight. Like I couldn't look away.

Nina POV-

The first night, I told myself it was just a one-time thing-a place to hide for a while. But something about the bar made me come back. Maybe it was the way it felt... safe. Quiet. Like I could breathe for once.

The second night, it wasn't just about the whiskey. It was about the way the place felt familiar already, even though no one knew my name. By the third night, it became routine. I'd walk in, find my spot at the counter, and let the noise of the world blur around me.

It wasn't just a bar anymore. It was the one place I didn't feel so alone.

Evan POV-

She started coming in every night, always sitting at the same spot at the counter. At first, I thought it was just coincidence, but soon, I found myself waiting for her.

She had this quiet way about her, like she carried a weight no one else could see. I noticed how she'd run her fingers around the rim of her glass when she was lost in thought, or how her lips curved into the smallest smile when she liked the song playing.

The more I watched her, the harder it was to look away. Every night, I learned something new about her without asking a single question. And every night, I fell a little harder, wondering if she'd ever notice me the way I noticed her.

Nina POV-

It took me a while to notice him.

He was always there, pouring drinks, wiping down the counter, and talking to customers. I'd seen him before, of course, but I never paid much attention. One night, as I waited for my drink, I realized he was watching me.

Our eyes met briefly. He nodded, gave a small smile, and went back to work. That was it. Nothing special. Just another face in the crowd.

Evan POV-

When our eyes met, something unexpected flickered inside me. For a second, everything around me seemed to pause. I didn't expect her to look at me like that-like she actually saw me.

It was just a quick glance, but it felt different. She didn't look away like most people did. Instead, she held it for a moment, and my heart gave a small leap. I couldn't help but smile, even though I tried not to.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to make the night feel a little better. Maybe, just maybe, she noticed me too.

Evan POV-

She came in again, but tonight was different. She was louder, more carefree, and clearly had more to drink than usual. I could tell something was off. She kept laughing, but it didn't seem like the kind of laugh that matched her eyes.

I was busy behind the counter, but I noticed her struggling to keep herself steady. A couple of guys tried to talk to her, but she brushed them off, too drunk to even realize they weren't backing off.

I should've let someone else handle it, but I couldn't just watch her like that. I walked over, helped her get up, and led her to a quieter spot. She didn't argue.

Things happened fast after that. Too fast. One moment, I was just trying to help, and the next, we were somewhere else-tangled up in a way I never thought would happen. It was messy, but it felt real.

I didn't plan for it. She didn't either, I think. But there we were. And when it was over, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

It started with a kiss-slow at first, like neither of us was sure. But then she kissed me back, and everything changed. I could feel the weight of her, the tension in her body, but she was here, with me, and it felt like the world faded away.

Things moved fast after that. One moment, I was holding her close, the next, we were in a different room. It wasn't planned, but it felt raw, real. She wasn't herself-too drunk to fully understand what was happening. I tried to be gentle, to slow things down, but everything happened in a blur.

When it was over, I could tell she was already starting to regret it, but I couldn't shake the feeling. I didn't know what to think, what to do. All I knew was that, for a few minutes, she was just there with me, and I was the one she turned to.

Nina POV-

I walked into the bar the next night, hoping no one would notice. I didn't want to remember, didn't want him to remember either. But as soon as I saw him, my stomach tightened.

I had to say something, make it clear that it was a mistake. Something to erase it all.

I walked up to the counter, my heart pounding, trying to act normal. "Listen," I started, keeping my voice steady, "just forget everything that happened. Last night... it was nothing. It didn't mean anything."

I could barely look him in the eye, afraid he'd say something I wasn't ready to hear. But I needed this-needed to push it away before it became anything more than a drunken mistake.

Evan POV-

When she walked in, my heart skipped. I thought maybe things might be different, that maybe she'd come back to the bar like she usually did. But when she spoke, her words hit harder than I expected.

"Just forget everything that happened. It didn't mean anything."

I tried to mask it, but I felt a weight settle in my chest. I forced a smile, nodding, but it didn't reach my eyes. It was like she was closing the door on something that I hadn't even fully opened yet.

The next few days, she didn't come back. I kept watching the door, waiting for her to walk in like she always did, but she never did. I couldn't stop thinking about it, about how quickly she had shut me out, how easily she'd erased everything.

And there I was, stuck in the same routine, hoping she'd walk through that door again, but knowing deep down she probably wouldn't.

Nobody's POV-

"He waited, but she never came back, and in her absence, everything felt unfinished..."