Bleeding Hearts

nine

to aurora for always making me laugh ❤️❤️ also please make sure to check out the authors note at the end—it clarifies what's been going on (with me)

NINE

Awakening groggily, and taking maximum effort to open my crusty eyelids, I sit up slowly and run a hand over my face. My eyes are slightly puffy from last nights cry with Ford and my heart feels heavier than it has in a solid week, which initially shocks me. I've been working my butt off to change myself and now I feel just like that pathetic girl who would've given anything up just for a boy. No, that's not okay with me.

I turn to my left to slide off of my bed, and it's then that I realize that I'm not on the far right of my bed. I'm on the far left now and blocking my way to my door is a body—a lean one—curled delicately into a ball. Ford snores as light as a feather before clutching my pillow tighter to his handsome face. This is the first time in a while that he's spent the night, which is such a surprise to me that I don't really know how to react. Old me would be ecstatic, but new me has mixed feelings—I'm glad that he stayed because at least now he'll be safe but I'm nervous to see how the morning/day will turn out if he decides to stay any longer.

Taking one last glance at Ford I decide to grow up and slide off of my bed the other way, the right side of it. I make my way over to my dresser, looking lazily at my reflection. My hair is tangled, my eyelids puffy and my lips chapped. Sighing, I run a brush through my hair so that it looks half decent for the morning, and then apply some Vaseline to my lips since lip gloss is completely unnecessary for a morning that'll probably be filled with awkward chatter and my fathers good cooking.

"Hey,"

Ford's morning voice was always able to make my heart flutter, and now is no different. I smile politely in the mirror, trying not to be fazed by his messy hair or the way his body flexes gently when he stretches. Ford smiles back and adds a long yawn to prove how tired he still must be.

"Hey," I breath, giving up on my stupid hair and throwing it into the sloppiest ponytail ever. I turn around and face Ford while leaning onto my dresser to seem slightly more confident than I feel. "You sleep okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." He smiles.

"No problem." I exhale. Moving to a pile of clothes in my room, I dig through them and find the same pair of pajamas that Ford wore the last time he was over, "You're gonna wanna put on some clothes if you want some breakfast."

I toss the clothes to Ford and he catches them with ease but doesn't move to put them on. "I should be heading home, actually." He mutters softly. "Sam and Macy are probably worried and dad's ..." He doesn't finish his lasts sentence.

"You don't want to miss out on pancakes though." I sit on the edge of my bed before connecting my eyes with Ford's. "And doesn't your dad have to work today? You can bring Macy and Sam over and we can all hang out."

"Leah—"

Jumping off of the bed, I make my way to my bedroom door. "I'll take that as a yes." I beam, holding the door open for Ford as he complies, all while chuckling and pulling on my dads pajamas.

"Bringing the food over there would work better." He comments, all the while walking out of my bedroom.

I take Fords comment to use and decide to take the breakfast that my father prepared for me over to Fords. Omelets for Ford, oatmeal with Craisins and berries for me, and pancakes for the twins are stacked high on our arms as we race to Ford's house in my car. Somehow Ford was able to walk all the way to my house completely drunk and in the middle of the night which is a complete and utter mystery to me. He's lucky that's for sure, and I guess God decided to look out for him that night to make sure that nothing else horrible happened to him. Still, though, I'm a little upset that I wasn't able to go through with my original Friday night plans,l—which were to chill by myself at home.