Nina and Ethan walked the short distance back to the bar, hand in hand. Just before they went inside, Ethan turned to face Nina.
"Wanna go get something to eat?" He asked.
"Th-they have food here." Nina replied nervously.
"I know, but we don't have to go to a bar to hang out, do we? I wanna take you out for a real meal. Plus, you're the one that told me to sober up."
"Yeah, for Grayson. But-"
Ethan cut her off. "Please?"
Nina sighed loudly. "Fine." She replied. Ethan led her over to his motorcycle, and got his spare helmet out of the trunk. Nina put it on while Ethan put his own on, and they both climbed onto the bike.
Ethan started the engine, and yelled at Nina to hold on. Nina heard the loud clang of the kickstand coming up, and they started moving.
Nina was alot more comfortable on the back of the motorcycle. She trusted Ethan, and wasn't as scared.
A few minutes later, Ethan pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant. He parked his bike and shut the engine off. Nina climbed off and started undoing her helmet. Ethan did the same thing, and put them both in the trunk.
"You didn't hold on as tightly." Ethan pointed out as they started walking across the parking lot.
"I wasn't scared." Nina replied. Ethan pulled open the front door and let it shut behind him and nina. A hostess was standing behind a wide podium at the front of the restaurant.
"Just two?" She asked.
"Yeah." Ethan replied. The hostess grabbed two menus and started leading them to a table. It was a two seater in the corner of the restaurant, against one of the large windows. Ethan and Nina both sat down, and thanked the hostess as she set the menus down in front of them.
The hostess walked away as Nina and Ethan both flipped open their menus. Minutes later, a waiter came by. He asked what the couple would like to drink. they both ordered a water.
"So, I actually asked you to have dinner with me because I wanted to talk to you about something." Ethan started to say just as the waiter came back with the drinks.
"Okay, what?" Nina asked as she grabbed her glass and took a sip out of the skinny white straw bobbing in the liquid.
"Do you two need a couple more minutes?" The waiter asked.
"Yes, please." Ethan replied. The waiter nodded before walking away.
"What's up, Ethan?" Nina asked. A feeling of anxiety had just washed over the man.
"I talked to Grayson. He says he misses me alot, and wants me apart of his life." Ethan confessed. A smile lit up on Nina's face.
"That's amazing!" She said.
"Yeah, it's not all either. His wife is pregnant again, and his daughter's third birthday is next month. He invited me, and..." Ethan exhaled heavily. "I was wondering if you'd come with me?" He finally asked.
Nina was speechless for a moment, until she reached across the table to grab Ethan's hands. "I'd love to." She replied.
"R-really? I mean, what about your dad, and the fact that we aren't even an official couple. Do you really want to meet my family?" Ethan rambled.
"Don't worry about my dad, he already likes you." Nina said, making Ethan chuckle softly. "And yes, I want to meet your family. They seem important to you."
"Yeah, so important that I haven't seen them in ten years." Ethan mumbled.
"That's no one's fault, Ethan. Life happens, and people drift apart. Just be glad you're able to still go visit them. I haven't seen my mom since I was five years old."
"What, why? I didn't know that." Ethan asked, his face twisting up in a puzzled expression.
"Yeah, my parents got a divorce, and never had time for me to come visit her. I gave up asking when I was nine, because I caught on that she just didn't want me." Nina explained.
"That's horrible. I'm so sorry." Ethan replied, his voice going softer.
"It's never really bothered me. I just had to figure out how to do things differently without a mom. And let me tell you, talking about some things with your dad is super awkward." Nina chuckled.
"I can only imagine." Ethan grinned.
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Tysm for 2k reads <3
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