It's Never Just Goodbye // Ed Sheeran

Like A Nine Year Old

Ed

I wake up early in my room. I look at the clock I keep in my nightstand; 3:40 in the morning. I lay back again and try to sleep, but somehow the sheets are uncomfortable and stiff. I even try counting, but I just get sick of it. My mind wonders off and I find myself thinking about Nina. I've only known her for so little, but I feel so close to her. She's just what I need to start again. She feels like a gust of fresh air. There's not a bit of the drama I was so used to with Alice. On the past days I gave a lot of thought to how Alice made me feel. Good, obviously, but towards the end I just felt so drained and tired all the time. Maybe we're better off this way. Maybe I would be better off with the fluffy-haired Scottish girl. With her smile and her brown eyes. With her music. With her laugh. With her dimples. With her lips.

An idea pumps into my head and I jump right off the bed. I have to act on impulse. I want this to be spontaneous. I reach to my closet and I get dressed. I pick my only pair of shorts, a plain red tee and some sandals. I stuff another shirt and a swimsuit on a backpack.

When I'm done, I step outside my room into the living room. I can't see a thing. Back to when I moved here, Taylor made me buy this special curtains that don't let any light in. I didn’t care if the sun was barely up, at least the little crack of dawn would help me out. Despite that, it's my flat. I should know my way around. I walk to the couch where Nina was sprawled out.

“Nina … are you awake?” I whispered softly. I bounce back and forth from each foot, waiting for a response, before I shake the couch lightly.

“Look at this! Edward Sheeran is paying me a visit at … 4:05 in the morning. I am so flattered.” She says in a playful voice, although I can tell she’s still drowsy. Her voice raspy, cracking just in the middle of the sentence.

I can’t help but smile widely, even if she can’t see me. “Shut up, Nesbitt,” I say. “We’re going to the beach.”

Nina sits up, leaning back on her elbows, and says, “Really? Wow. That’s kind of odd. Especially that you decided to tell me at four in the morning.” She laughs. “Are you planning on killing me out there, Ed?”

I roll my eyes through the dark, “No, I’m not going to kill you. I thought it’d be fun…”

“Fun, maybe. Even more awesome if it wasn’t four in the morning.” She joked, kicking the blanket off of her legs, before saying, “I haven’t been to the beach in years.”

“Want some coffee before we leave?” I ask.

“Sure,” she says. “That and a shower.”

I stand and turn on the lights. I walk to the small kitchen and fetch the coffee filters from one of the drawers. As I pour some water in the machine, Nina comes into the kitchen. She just stands by the door wearing a pair of my boxers and my old favorite tee. A couple of nights ago, we were drinking tea and chilling. She teased me and I had this idea that a tickle war was appropriate. After all, she was my new girlfriend. It was cute. She spilled tea all over her pajamas.

Nina swore that was the only pair of pajamas she packed, which I didn’t believe, and gave her some of my clothes. They looked perfect on her, so I made her wear them again.

"Did you just lose something?" She laughs after a while of me staring at her.

I can feel myself blush, so I just turn around and ignore the question. Good god, I blush. I drummed my fingers on the counter, waiting a moment for my face to go from being so damn red.

"Anyway, why the sudden urge to go to the beach?" She asks, fiddling with the packet of poptarts I laid out for her. Blueberry, her favorite.

"I just thought it would be a good idea.” I replied, smiling over at her casually.