So Gone (Ed Sheeran)

The darkness creeps in.

   I looked around the café and smiled. It had been full the past five nights. People were laughing and having a good time, my mission was accomplished. I looked for Flora and found her grinning at what some guy told her. This was what she had waited for and what she deserved.

   It was also what set me free. I could finally leave, travel and make music. Live my dream and prove everybody I could do whatever I wanted to, and never look back anymore. I wouldn't have anything to look back to anyway.

   I still wrote a note for Flora, to let her know I was leaving, so she wouldn't be surprised if she noticed I wasn't coming anymore. I wasn't even sure she'd get it, but at least I wouldn't have any more regrets.

This is moving on, I thought as I made my way toward the exit.

   I might have felt relieved to leave her so soon. The way she could see right through me was intimidating. I couldn't stand it, even less since she had never known me at my lowest. She had never seen me drunk out of my mind, spitting words about how useless life was and how I shouldn't even be alive anymore. She hadn't seen me getting lost in the streets I knew so well because I'd had too many drinks. And by me leaving, she would never know about all of those things.

    Everything could be a secret if you really wanted it to be. Sometimes, I would doubt that. I'd think that if someone knew me inside out, they would be able to help me. So I'd think about letting out my darkest secrets. But then I remembered that the people who knew us better were the ones who ended up hurting us the most and therefore I kept everything for myself, hoping to forget it, eventually.

"Edward, wait!" Someone called from behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks, and slowly turned around.

   Flora was standing there, a piece of paper in her hands. Wasn't she the owner of the café she left to dozens of people she didn't know? "You're leaving..." She whispered.

"Well, yes." I simply answered, there was nothing else to say.

"Weren't you going to say goodbye?" Flora tried to smile, but it didn't work. However I would never say it to her. Her smile was amazing and it broke my heart to be the reason why it couldn't curve her lips.

"You were so happy back there, I didn't want to ruin it." I let out. That excuse didn't sound as stupid in my head as it did when I said it out loud.

"You thought that learning you left through a letter wasn't going to ruin it?" She sadly smirked.

"I don't mean that much to you, come on." I tried to joke but it seemed to be more self-pity than anything else.

   There was a silence. Not a comfortable one because Flora was staring at me in disbelief.

"Just because you've been let down once doesn't mean it will happen all the time." Her voice was shaking and she had moved closer. "I'm not stupid. I've seen your songs, I've seen you. You are one incredible human being, Ed. I'm sure you're going to become big out there." She added and hugged me. She smelled really good, it somehow reminded me of her own deep green eyes. Ones I'd seen every emotion in. "Know I'll always have a Macchiato ready for you." She whispered before letting go of me, smiling, this time entirely honestly. "And call me if you ever need anything, alright?"

"Thank you." I answered, returning her grin, then slowly walking away as she made her way to her café.

   That night, I hardly got any sleep. It was finally it: the beginning of a new chapter, one that would most likely be difficult but in the end, it could either give me what I wanted the most or make me lose all I've built so far.