It's Never Just Goodbye // Ed Sheeran

Sexy Santa

Ed

Still a trace of innocence on the pillow case - One Direction

The flu lasts two days before I’m officially up and out of bed. On the 21st, the last leg of concerts in Nashville for Taylor’s RED tour, I perform. Pharrell emailed me soon after that week and sent me a promise that he’d make a plan to see me soon.

The end of September dwindles into October. The days pass without much effort. They get colder, too. Every day is a new interview or party. The only thing that seems regular is the thoughts of Nina that cloud my mind.

Endless phone calls ride up my bill, but I didn’t mind the payment. I call Nina every chance I get. They’re all the same, but they count.

I call her on Halloween right before she’s about to go out. She dresses up as Red Riding Hood and when we speak, she’s stoned. Ceaseless and careless giggles coming from her side as she gets ready, me on speaker.

I tell her I’m not dressing up and she declares that’s bullshit. “Everyone dresses up.” She states. Words slurred, voice more high pitched than before.

I couldn’t help the jealous feeling I felt that night with her.

December is even quicker than October. I didn’t make it home to visit her like I had promised, but I ask her to come home with me for Christmas to make up for it. She agrees.

“I’m just going to drop Taylor’s gift off to her, then I’ll be off to the airport.” I tell Nina. It’s three days before Christmas now and I can finally go home for the week.

“I can’t wait to see you. I feel suffocated.” She says. “It’ll be nice to take some time and relax.”

I agree accordingly. My mind set on the fact that I might not be able to fly today. The sky is cloudy and dim. Leaving a trail of suspicion from the newscasters that we’ll have more snow later on.

“Are we taking the train together to your flat?” she asks.

“Well considering we’re taking the night train down to my parents, we shouldn’t spend money on five tickets.”

“So, what’s the game plan?”

“You have a key to my flat right?” She says yes. “Yeah, good. Then you can take a train to mine and I’ll meet you there. We’ll spend two nights alone together, then take another train to Suffolk.”

“All right…”

The world outside in cloudy New York is nothing but dreadful. No matter if my hotel was twenty minutes away from her apartment, it took the cab driver an hour to travel through the snowy streets.

We pull up to Taylor’s and I tell the taxi guy to wait and that I’ll be back in five minutes. With a sigh, he turns his eyes back to the front.

 I knocked and she answered. She wore a sweater that was littered in Christmassy items – snowflakes, trees, and snowmen. And when she hugged me, sparkles coated my own shirt.

“That is one ugly sweater.” I say and she rolls her eyes. I follow her through her wildly lit house and into the foyer. Her Christmas tree huge with presents laying underneath. In one scoop, she holds a rectangle box between her red-painted fingertips.

“I just wanted to drop your gift off.” I say. “I can’t stay too long.”

She smiled and we exchanged the gifts. I watched her open hers first. Neatly wrapped in red wrapping paper. It was a mug shaped like a cat with a tiny charm bracelet inside. Taylor’s face lit up and she set the stuff down on the chair to give me a hug. “God, Ed. This is wonderful!”