red hair and a blue hoodie // ed sheeran

Chapter 4 - Headaches and Introductions

ED'S POV:

The pill was left forgotten on the table while I studied the body mass under my blanket. Why had I touched her like that? It was so intimate… She was probably too scared to come out from under the blanket now. Scared that I would force her to do something she didn’t want to do.

She led me into believing that she was asleep when, on the contrary, she was awake the whole time clearly… Not that that makes what I did anymore okay. It was wrong. But I swear that when I moved my hand, her body started moving, like she wanted me to touch her again. Or just rest my hand on her arm.

Don’t get ahead of yourself Ed. Any fan would pay a good load of money for you to touch them like that.

But I didn’t want her to be just ‘a fan’. I mean, we lived in the same apartment complex so we were bound to have a conversation sooner or later. I just never planned for it to be like this. Maybe I should explain to her how she wound up in my flat. Win her trust back. “Did you want to know how you came to my flat?” I asked calmly, pretending like I hadn’t just stroked her arm and side like it was a dog.

From under the blanket, I saw movement and at the end of the woollen fabric, a small finger peeked out and pulled the sheet down just enough so that her hair and eyes were revealed to me. She stared at me. I couldn’t tell what emotions were in her eyes. To anyone else I guess they would seem blank but I knew better. It wasn’t a blank stare but instead a stare filled with too many emotions for just one to be the dominant feeling.

I took her look as a sign to proceed with my story. I told her how I was walking downstairs to collect the mail and how she had come through the door with her headphones in her ears. She obviously wasn’t paying attention where she was walking and I was looking down at my letters. We collided and she was sent tumbling down to the ground and her head crashed into the glass door, sending her into unconsciousness. I then informed her that I had picked her up out of guilt and since I didn’t want to rummage through her bag for the keys to her apartment, I let her stay in mine. The whole time I was talking, her eyes remained on me. I didn’t know how to react.

“…Then you woke up this morning and found yourself hear listen to me ramble on about the events of last night.” And I finished the story. I looked away from her imploring eyes, unable to take the stare any longer. I glanced over to the coffee table in front of us and remembered about the medicated drink.

“Does your head still hurt?” She glanced over to the coffee table also and noticed the drink. With a tight and apologetic smile she heaved herself up into a sitting position and stuck out her hand without another word. I grabbed the drink, swished it around and passed it into her delicate looking hands. She held it to her mouth and swallowed the contents. Once she had downed it, she sat in her spot and started flicking the cup that now rested in her lap with her bitten fingernails – there was no clinking sound. The silence was just bearable.

“Well... Th-thanks for your hospitality b-but I should be he-heading back to my p-place.” She was stuttering. She was nervous. She was acting nervous around me. 

“Can I take you out for coffee?” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I had a chance to take them back. She glanced at me then. I couldn’t read her eyes. The emotions in her eyes were like different pages, flicking through too fast before I could read one properly.

“Uh…” She glanced down at her attire. “I’m still in my clothes from yesterday.” She whispered with a nervous giggle. I laughed at her comment. She was definitely cute.

“Well obviously you can go and wash up and everything. Meet in the lobby in about half an hour?” I asked her whilst I had started standing up. By the time I had reached my feet and looked back down at her, a slight blush has crept across her cheeks.

“Sounds good.” She responded with a confident smile – no teeth. But I still couldn’t figure out something about her. “You’re not from around London are you love?” She had placed the glass down on the table and was throwing the blanket off when she let out yet another giggle.

“Where do you think I’m from?” She asked with a touch of smug attitude. Cheeky girl. But I thought about.

“Would it be an Australian accent that I am picking up on?” I squinted my eyes, pretending that I was working really hard to figure it out. I heard another laugh bubble out of her. Her mood had definitely changed from the social awkward. I just hope it didn’t go back to that again. I liked her happy like this.

“Why yes it would be.” She said with a smile. She stood up and after brushing the invisible dust or dirt from her oversized sweater and leggings, she stuck her hand out to me. “It was nice to meet you  Mr Ed Sheeran.” When she spoke my full name – I don’t know what it was – but I felt whole. It was a strange sensation. I stuck my hand out in return and grasped her tiny hand in my equally growth-challenged hand.

“Same to you Miss…” I let my voice trail off. I didn’t even know her name. It scared me that she could know so much about me but I barely knew anything about her.

“Zo, Zo Erikson.” She said confidently and shook our hands. For a hand so small, it was a tight grasp. Her fingers were calloused though. They weren’t powdery smooth or flaky but instead they seemed… torn; damaged even. She dropped her hand first and headed out towards the door. “Lobby in 30?” She confirmed. I nodded and smiled and with that she waved and smiled and walked out my door, softly closing it behind her.

“I’ve always had a thing for Australian girls.” I said after she had left and I picked up the discarded up to place in the stain covered sink.

You should clean that Ed. 

“Clean it yourself asshole.” I told my conscious.