Words & Whiskey

EDITED VERSION: Chapter Twenty-Nine

Sam backed off and gave him some room so he could sit on the chair closest to the couch. Darian gently grabbed my hand and led me to the couch, meanwhile Samara stood looking upset and even a little bit angry. "What happened?"

"Ki-" I began but an unexpected pang in my chest hit me and I needed to take a moment. "Kieran saw me while I was waiting outside my favourite restaurant in Trillium. Let's just say he was not too happy about seeing me."

Nathan had a clenched jaw as I spoke and I knew he was thinking it was still his fault. Darian looked angry and it was very rare to see him angry and Samara looked livid. After a moment of silence, Sam broke it. "I AM GOING TO BEAT THAT BOY TO DUST! HOW DARE HE LAY A HAND ON YOU?"

"Sam, I spoke to the police, they're taking care of it," I tried to reassure her but it was like talking to a brick wall.

"I JUST WANT TO KILL HIM! THE NERVE HE HAS TO HURT YOU!"

I went to speak up again but Darian touched my hand and gave me a look that said, let her rant. So I did for ten minutes until Nathan snapped, jumping from his seat. "I'M SORRY, OKAY? I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE BUT I WASN'T. I GOT LOST IN A STUPID PARKING LOT AND THIS HAPPENED!"

Sam abruptly stopped yelling and her gaze softened. "Nathan, I wasn't blaming you. It's Kieran's fault, he was the sadistic monster that did this--not you."

Nathan just shook his head and let out a depressing laugh. "Then tell me this, had I been there, would she have that?"

His hand flew in the direction of my face and my heart sunk. Samara didn't speak, probably because she didn't know what to say. Darian, however, took this opportunity. "Nathan, we all know if you were there Kieran would have still done something to hurt you or Audrey. But just because you weren't there doesn't mean it was your fault. No one could have anticipated Kieran showing up and hurting her. This is entirely on Kieran and doesn't think for one second that Audrey blames you, right Audrey?"

I nodded my head and leaned over, gently lifting Nathan's chin upwards so he could look me in the eyes and then I grasped his hands. "I could never blame you for what happened. If it hadn't been for you teaching me how to defend myself, I wouldn't have been able to get myself out of that situation. Your advice got me out of that unpredictable situation. I never did thank you for that."

Nathan gave me a grim smile. "You did get a pretty good hit in, not to mention, you also managed to get him to the ground."

I let out a small laugh as tears swelled into my eyes. Letting go of his hands I pulled him in for a hug, which led to Darian saying while biting back tears. "You guys are going to make me cry!"

He leaned over and joined mine and Nathan's hug and after a moment he waved Sam over too. She joined our mini-group hug and we stayed there for what felt like hours. I didn't mind, in fact, I smiled to myself and thought this is what home is.

***

"Alright," my professor said, clapping his hands together. "I want your final papers on my desk by next week. No exceptions and no extension."

Everyone began murmuring to themselves, probably feeling like I was--drowning in school work. I didn't mind writing paper after paper, but after a while, it becomes tedious and annoying. Shutting my laptop, I stuffed it in my bag and made my way out of the lecture hall. Nathan was sitting by the green wall--a wall that was covered entirely of plants and greenery. He held two coffee cups from Starbucks in his hands and his leg was jittering as he waited for me. When he saw me approach, a smile broke out on his face and he visibly relaxed. Standing from the green wall's bench, he approached me, handing me the coffee cup and kissing my forehead. "I was worried about you, didn't your lecture end like twenty minutes ago?"

"Yeah, but my professor wanted to review the criteria for the paper I have due next week," I sighed, taking a long and grateful sip of my coffee.

Nathan took my free hand, intertwining it with his. "Next week is your last week, right?"

I nodded my head and smiled at him. "Yes, thank God."

He chuckled but faltered when he noticed a group of people from my elective class, Greek Mythology, stared at him and then to me, to the bruise that still faintly lingered on my face. They squirmed uncomfortably and one of them even glared at Nathan, assuming the bruise was his doing. Nathan clenched his jaw but didn't say anything, instead, he just led me through the campus and to the parking lot.

We finished our coffee in silence. When I was done, I threw the cup out and made my way to Nathan, who leaned against his motorcycle. Breaking him from his thoughts, I gently took his chin with my hand, making him look up at me. His hazel eyes looked dull and guilty. "Hey, don't let them get to you, Nate. They don't know the story; they're just making assumptions at this point."

Nathan shrugged. "Still, everyone thinks I'm capable of hurting you."

"You forgot the only person that matters," I said, causing him to look puzzled. "Me. I know you wouldn't hurt me; I know you aren't capable of hurting me like that. At the end of the day, that's all that matters. That, and knowing that I would never hurt you either."

"But, princess," Nathan half smiled, but I could tell it was still eating at him. It had been for the past week. He pulled me close to him, hugging me tightly. His chin rested between my neck and shoulder. "The only person who is capable of hurting me is you."