Good Luck, Babe! - Leah Williamson

1. Pretty When I Cry

Ella's POV.

"Seriously, when will you realise you're an absolute catch, and that you're worth so much more?"

Leah's voice jolted me out of my thoughts. I looked up from my phone, where the screen displayed nothing but a string of unanswered texts. The bright display only highlighted the silence from Josh. He was out with his friends, probably at some noisy club, too busy to think about me.

I sighed, leaning back on Leah's sofa. "He probably has a valid reason for not replying," I said, my voice sounding weak even to my own ears.

Leah raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Ella, come on. It's almost midnight. How long are you going to keep making excuses for him?"

I wanted to defend Josh, to find some justification for his behavior, but deep down, I knew Leah was right. Josh had been neglecting me for weeks, and I was tired of pretending it didn't bother me. But admitting that felt like admitting I'd failed somehow.

Leah sighed and sat down next to me, her expression softening. "I just hate seeing you like this. You deserve someone who treats you well, not someone who makes you doubt yourself."

"I know, Leah," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "But it's not that simple."

"It is," she insisted gently. "You're amazing, Ella. Anyone would be lucky to have you. But you keep holding on to someone who doesn't see that."

I stared at my phone again, willing it to light up with a message from Josh. Nothing. Just the silent screen reflecting my own face back at me.

"Do you remember when we were kids," Leah continued, "and we'd spend hours planning our dream lives? You always said you wanted someone who made you feel special every single day. Does Josh do that?"

I bit my lip, memories of childhood dreams flooding back. We'd sit in Leah's room, talking about our futures as if they were fairy tales waiting to come true. But reality was far messier.

"No," I admitted, my voice cracking. "He doesn't."

Leah placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Then why are you settling for him?"

Her words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. Why was I settling? Fear of being alone? Hope that Josh would change? Maybe it was a bit of both, tangled up with the insecurity that I wasn't worth more.

"I guess... I don't know," I said, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes. "I just don't want to be alone."

"You're not alone," Leah said softly. "You have me, and I'll always be here for you."

I smiled weakly at her. Leah had been my rock for as long as I could remember, always there to pick me up when I fell. I glanced around her cosy living room, the familiar space filled with mementos of our friendship. Photos of us from school, from her football games, from countless adventures we'd shared.

"You're right," I said finally, feeling a weight lift from my shoulders. "I'm not alone."

Leah grinned, giving my shoulder a squeeze. "That's the spirit. Now, how about we order some pizza and watch a movie? Something to take your mind off things."

I nodded, a genuine smile spreading across my face. "That sounds perfect."

As Leah grabbed her phone to order the pizza, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Maybe tonight was the start of something new. Maybe it was time to let go of the things that were hurting me and embrace the ones that lifted me up.

And as I watched Leah laugh at something on her phone, I realised that I was already surrounded by the kind of love and support I'd been searching for. Maybe I didn't need a fairytale prince to make me feel special. Maybe I just needed to remember my own worth and let the right people in.