High Tide | Mature Ed Sheeran Fanfiction

High Tide | Chapter 6: Let Me Explain

Ed............

I put the last of the clean dishes away and dried my hands on a kitchen towel. Stuart said he was off to nip a quick shower so I walked back out to the lounge room to check on the girls. Libby was posted up on the big, cherry-toned leather couch, working on a knitting project. The tube was turned on, but neither of them seemed to be paying attention to it. Kendra's messy bun peeked over the back of the oversized chair she sat in, her legs extended out in front of her over the matching ottoman. Her head was thrown back against the head of the chair and I realized she was asleep.

"What did you do to my girl?" I asked, jabbing a fake punch into Lib's shoulder.

"She was knackered I guess, Arthur climbed up into her lap and she was giving him pets and then just... passed out."

"I'm surprised she made it this long, I suppose. She wasn't able to get any sleep on the plane, rocky flight I guess, so I think she'd been up for like, 28 hours or something."

Lib hit me with her clump of yarn and knitting needles. "And you made her come 'round here for dinner? You twit."

I had mentioned to Kendra that we had an open invitation, but that we could skip out if she was too exhausted. She genuinely insisted that we come.

"D'you mind if we stay a while?" I asked, looking up at the clock. It was already a little past ten p.m. "I don't want to wake her, and we hadn't really decided where we were going to stay yet, anyway."

I crossed around the couch and plunked down next to Libby, kicking my feet up on the coffee table.

"What's that all about? You've got a house, yeah?" She asked.

"Eh, yeah, but it's just... it's not home. I stayed there last night and I slept on the couch myself. I'm not even comfortable there, can't imagine how she would feel, you know, being there and knowing about everything."

"Shit, Ed, I hadn't really thought of that. You've booked a hotel or something, then?"

"Well, not yet. I brought her round the house earlier and we talked a bit about it. Told her I was thinking about selling it, and why."

"I really like her, Ed."

"Yeah, Lib, me too."

"You seem... good. You're acting like yourself around her, which is good. I'm surprised you asked her to come out here though, I thought you were only staying a few days?"

"Eh, just.. missed her," I said, waving my hands nonchalantly.

"Oh my God, Ed, really? Couldn't last a few days on your own? Is she that special or are you just... I don't know, paranoid?"

"Really laying into me, aren't you Lib?" I half-joked.

"Sorry, love, just being real with you."

"It's ok. No, it's not that. I just... 'S different, with her."

Libby reached out and ruffled my hair. "You're a softie, Ed. I'm gonna turn in. You know where the extra pillows and blankets are. Stay the night, if you'd like."

"'Night, Lib," I grinned at her.

I got up after her, heading to the linen closet to pull down a couple of pillows and an extra throw blanket. I stopped into the kitchen and fixed myself another whiskey and Coke, and grabbed my iPad from my rucksack. My sleeping schedule was definitely messed up, too, and I wasn't too tired yet.

I set my things down on the coffee table and leaned over Kendra, brushing a soft kiss onto the side of her face. Sweet girl...

Kendra........