I swayed a little on my feet at the bar, and Chad laughed, slapping me on the back. "I haven't seen you drink this much in a long time," Tom said. I nodded. "Ella is leaving tomorrow." The two brothers paused and exchanged a look. Then Tom said, "I know, man. It's tough." “I think I love her," I said. The expression on both Chad and Tom's faces was comical. They looked absolutely terrified. We've known each other for years, but we weren't exactly over fond of talking about feelings. "Hey, you'll get over it," Chad said, giving me an uncomfortable smile as he slapped me on the back again. Tom scratched his bushy beard. "You're not going to do anything stupid, are you, Nick?" Chad frowned. "Ella, is a nice girl, but she's leaving tomorrow. You can't screw that up for her." Chad was irritating me. I pushed him away. Why would I listen to anything he said? What did he know about it? "Hey, take it easy," Tom said. "I think you've probably had enough tonight, Nick." I picked up what was left of my bourbon from the bar and drained it.
