A Thousand Tiny Wishes // Ed Sheeran

Chapter Fourteen - Fall

Ed

Thursday night was a good one. I hadn't had many good nights, and to mark one off the calendar was a great accomplishment. After chatting with the blonde I couldn't stop thinking about her. I knew it was soon to be developing such a strong crush on someone else, but I just couldn't help it, and the phone conversation with Madison's father didn't exactly make me feel bad about it.

Alex is a fresh face, maybe even a fresh start. She understands music and my passion and we seemed to hit it off the first night we met. She promised she'd play tonight and I even opted to help Stuart open the pub early, not even skipping a beat when he asked me to mop the floors and wipe down all the tables. I wanted the place to look nice, and he wouldn't stop taking the piss.

"That girl's got you working harder than I've seen you work since you got here," he teased, watching me nearly break a sweat pushing the mop about.

"You're just jealous you can't land the pretty girls," I smirked, looking up over my shoulder.

His mouth dropped and he grabbed the nearest towel to chuck it at me.

"I've a gorgeous girlfriend you twat," he nearly laughed.

I dodged the towel and threw it back at him.

The rest of the day couldn't have gone by any slower. I delivered hungry customers their greasy foods and pints, keeping my eye on the door even though I knew Alex wouldn't be coming by until seven that night. And when she finally walked in, I felt my toes tingle, and I smiled and looked toward Stuart, who was too busy to notice.

With her guitar case by her side she walked in alone, wearing skin tight black jeans and an oversized hoodie. I wondered for a minute what she'd look like in one of mine.

"Hey," she said when she spotted me wiping down a table.

"Hi, where's your friend?"

"Something came up and she couldn't make it." Alex said, flashing me a sort of confused look across her face, but mainly her eyebrows when they angled slightly together. "Why? You into her?"

I almost choked on my words and shook my head quickly, rubbing the back of my hair while I denied her accusation. With a slight laugh she asked for a drink and I mentally kicked myself when I slipped away.

For a while she sat at the bar, skimming through a small notepad as she nursed her apple and Bacardi cocktail, and I watched the bubbles fizz inside the glass. I'd offered for her to perform first, but she declined, so I went ahead and started, feeling my palms sweat as I bounced nervously on my heels.

It wasn't often I was that nervous singing, especially since there weren't many people paying attention, but she was. She watched me tune my guitar and I felt the warmth in my cheeks, trying to hide my smile behind the microphone.

She smiled and bobbed her head along to the beat of some of the happier tunes I'd penned, but once I'd gone off and started to sing the newest one I'd written, she sat against the stool with her chin resting in her hand, just taking in the lyrics. It was the one I'd written about Madison and how in love I was or how the love I had for her still lingered like a constant rain cloud over my head. Shortly after I wrapped it up I regretted singing it, worried it would ruin my chance, if I had one, with Alex.

I'd actually earned a bit of applause from the small crowd, and with a smile and a nod I thanked them, turning my eyes toward Alex who was clapping right along.