Afire Love// ed sheeran

The Call

||I just love this story so much so i decided to update it again. Thank you all so much for reading. If you like this story, feel free to share it with friends! If you enjoy this story, remember to vote and/or comment. Thank you again! -Alyssa||

It was two days later and I still had not called him. I wanted to more than anything, I was just afraid of the unknown. His tshirt was unwashed, hanging in my closet on a hanger neatly. His songs had been on repeat for days, his voice and guitar tunes flowing through my small one bedroom apartment and filling the house with sweet sweet music. His phone numer was on my refrigerator, held with a magnet waiting for me to use. I wanted to call Ed so bad but fear stopped me. I was afraid that he didn't want me to call, that he was only being polite when giving me his number. So I spent those two days avoiding the phone number like it was dangerous to look at.

It was a Saturday afternoon when I walked into the kitchen searching for something to eat. I opened the pantry and pulled out a box of some colorful cereal. I opened the fridge door and pulled out the milk. As I shut the door, the alphabet magnet slipped from its spot on the door and clattered to the ground. The receipt floated to the ground. As I bent to pick the paper up, I realized that I had nothing to lose. If Ed didn't want to talk to me, I would hang up and never call back. It was simple.

I gently picked the paper up from the ground and looked at the numbers written on the back in Ed's messy, slanted writing. I placed the paper on the table, his phone number right side up. As I served myself breakfast, my attention kept drifting to those seven digits.

***

I didn't gain the courage to call him, not right away at least. The number sat there for a good four hours before I picked up the phone. I dialed the numbers but freaked out and hung up. I dialed again, pressed call, and hung up, too afraid to go through with it. My hands would not stop shaking. The courage I had built up was quickly dwindling and soon I would completely give up. With my last traces of courage, I dialed the digits and pressed the phone to my ear.

Ring, ring, ring. It felt like hours had passed since I dialed the numbers. I was ready to hang up when someone picked up. A smooth, clear british accent spoke into the phone. "Hello, this is Ed." I could imagine him sitting in his living room alone, his guitar rested on the coffee table as he writes a new song.

"Um..." I stuttered, trying to think of something to say, nervousness settling itself into my stomach. "Hi Ed... it's Alyssa." I could hear a short pause of the phone and I wondered if he was thinking about hanging up, annoyed by the girl who wouldn't leave him alone.

"Hi Alyssa. I've been waiting for you to call," he replied and I smiled to myself at the thought.

***

We talked for what felt like hours and it felt like I had known Ed for years. The anxiety that filled me before was long gone, not a trace left when Ed cracked a joke and made me laugh like a hyena.

"I want to see you," he said after an especially long fit of laughter. He paused, "Can you facetime?"

I looked at my reflection in the mirror across from me. I was wearing a white shirt and jeans. My hair was messy and barely brushed. I looked like a mess and I knew it. "Yeah," I replied any ways. Appearances didn't seem to matter to Ed with his messy hair and his closet of hoodies and tees. He didn't care how messy his hair was or whether or not he was wearing the latest brand. That was one of the things I most appreciated about Ed and how truly kind-hearted he was. We hung up the phone and I checked myself over once more in the mirror.

As I pushed a piece of my blonde hair behind my ear, my phone began to ring and I knew it was him. I smiled at my reflection, trying to reassure myself that I looked somewhat decent. I accepted his facetime and a video of Ed popped onto my screen.

He was wearing a black long sleeved shirt, his hair less messy than the night of the concert. This time, he wore a pair of black glasses on his eyes. He looked quite adorable and I regretted not running a brush through the rat's nest that had become of my hair.

"Why, hello there singing partner," he said, referring to the nickname he called me the first time we met. A smile was on his face and I truly believed that it was impossible for him to frown.

"Hi Ed," I replied, a smile creeping onto my lips. Ed had that effect on me. He could make me smile and blush without even trying. He could probably do that to hundred of girls without even breaking a sweat.

"You look beautiful today." The blush rose into my cheeks and I was very thankful that my phone's camera didn't pick up the red tint on my face. I probably looked like an apple. As I said, Ed just had that effect on me.

The conversation went on much like the one from the bar. We talked about music and life, my interests and hobbies. He talked about singing and life as a superstar. I told him that I wasn't interested in anything fancy or in anyway extravagant. I was a simple girl in a city that was much too large and loud. Ed told me I needed to live more, explore the world and make a name for myself. I asked if he meant become famous and he said no. He just said I needed to find my identity because although I was smart and brilliant, I didn't voice my opinion or thoughts much. He said he could tell from the minute he saw me that I was a closed book, waiting to be opened and read. He said that I had no story, no adventures and I argued that talking to him was an adventure, a story no one in their right mind would believe. He just laughed.

Things got serious when he pulled his glasses off and looked at me. He said, "Alyssa, you don't know what living is. You know what exsisting is. You know how to board a subway and stay quiet, hidden in a crowd of people. But you can't hide forever because people will notice you- I've noticed you. Now it's time for you to get over your fear of talking and being noticed because it's an irrational fear."

I tried to explain it wasn't irrational. "People just scare me sometimes," I protested, trying to prove that it wasn't my fault I was the way I was.

"That's the thing. You're going to meet people who are going to hate you and others that will adore you. I know a lot of people will want to know how funny and bright you can be when you want to shine. Eventually, you're going to have to open up to someone," he stated, running his hand through his messy locks of hair.

"How do you know I'm so bright?" I asked, truly curious. I knew I was a completely different person around Ed but I couldn't be thar different.

"You don't see how your eyes light up when you smile or how you get so intrigued with music. You are completely fascinating because you have no clue how wonderful you are," he stated simply.

I let the conversation drop. How was I supposed to reply to that statement? I just laughed nervously and nodded my head, acting like I understood.

This call was the first call of many.