A/N: GAHH guys I hated the last chapter too! I hope you still keep reading though :/

DSICLAIMER: I DON'T OWN THE BEATLES AHHHHH

Chapter Eleven: Rain

Paul's POV

"I'm Paul fucking McCartney." With that, I sock the bastard in the face again as hard as I can. His nose breaks and blood begins to gush out.

"You messed with the wrong girl, you fucker. Now get out." The image that that man has burned into my brain- the image of Aria being violated- makes me sick to my stomach. I can't believe that was me.

And he does. The door clicks shut behind him and I look over to the girl sitting on the floor a few feet away from me. She isn't crying, she isn't screaming, she isn't even acknowledging me. She just sits there on the ground, staring off into space. I walk over and squat down in front of her. "Aria." She doesn't look at me. She just keeps staring off into space, and I don't know what in the world I'm supposed to do. I stand up and hold out my hand. "C'mon, let's get you home." She slips her tiny, soft hand into mine and I pull her up. Her small form is shaking just slightly, showing the softest signs of breaking at the seams. She let's go of my hand and I my heart goes out to the girl. She's safe now, and I hope she knows that.

We walk silently out of the building as I hail a taxi. The crisp air calms my shuddering nerves, and I can only imagine how Aria is feeling. She still has not said anything. She still hasn't looked at me. I just stand next to her, letting her know that someone is here for her. Someone cares.

A taxi pulls up and I open the door for her. She climbs in and sits all the way towards the left window. I sit inside and close the door.

"So, kids, where am I talkin' yeh?"

Aria fluidly tells her address and the driver nods. He gives me a questioning look and I shake my head. I'm not explaining to the fucking taxi driver what just went down in there.

The only sound in the taxi is Elvis drifting out of the radio.

Wise men say only fools rush in

But I can't help falling in love with you

"Paul?" says a small voice. I immediately look over to Aria and lean my head towards her.

"Yes, Aria?"

"What was our grade? On the paper?"

Our paper? From ninth grade? Why this right now? But I answer her question. I'll do anything she needs me to right now. "Ninety-eight. An A+. We got the highest grade in the entire class, and Mrs. Cunningham asked if she could it to show to later years."

She nods, still looking out the window. I see her reflection and her face is just emotionless. I wonder what she is thinking, and why she isn't doing anything. But I let her be. This is not the time.

Like a river flows

Slowly to the sea

Darling, so it goes

Some things are meant to be

What if I hadn't been there when I had been? I shudder, thinking what that might have escalated to. I need to get this man fired- there's no way that Aria's going back to work for him. And if she let her guard down with him again? Like she has know let her guard down with me…

This is the worst I've ever felt about what I've done to her. When I can clearly see the effect it has on her- the effect it would have on anyone- I wish that I could do anything to turn back time to ninth grade and not make those mistakes again. But I can't; those mistakes will always be there, in both of our memories.

Take my hand

Take my whole life too

For I can't help falling in love with you

I can't help

Falling in love…

With…

You

The piano fades as the songs closes, and the taxi stops in front of an apartment building. "This is it, folks." Aria makes to pay the driver, but I shake my head and tell her I will. She opens the car door and steps outside. I pull out some change from my pocket and pay the driver.

"What's wrong with the girl, mate? You do anything to hurt her?"

I look at the driver, just a little appalled at the question. But I answer honestly. "Yes." I follow Aria up to her apartment and after she fumbles with the keys for a little while, we walk into her apartment.

It is Aria. The tiny apartment is just everything her. The tiny kitchen with the sign reading 'Home is where the food is delivered', an exotic looking, multi-colored rug spread out underneath a telly and a loveseat couch, and a tiny, two person table that looks like the ones from outside an café with flowers sitting on top of it. Papers are littered all over the little table, and I look around to see replica's of Picasso paintings hanging on the wall.

Out of nowhere, a blur of yellow comes bounding out from the door leading to what I am assuming is the bedroom, and leaps right onto me! "Whoa, there!" I tell the dog, laughing as I bend down and pet him. He's a feisty one, this dog. He's huge!

"Hiya, bud, I'm Paul." I feel Aria watching from behind me.

"His name's Jet."

"Jet? Well, you got a fantastic name for your running abilities!" He licks my hand and I laugh as he rolls over to his stomach. His eyes scream, "Scratch me!" Oh, alright, this spoiled dog'll get some love from me. Aria goes into the bedroom and shuts the door. What was I even doing here? I don't know, but I do know that I'm not leaving. Tonight, at least, I'll sleep on the couch or something. But I have to be here. Even if she is acting strong…there's only so much that a person can take after a while.

I hear the shower turn on and I realize that I have some time to kill before she gets out. I walk towards the kitchen and in the first cabinet I find exactly what I am looking for. Smiling, I pull out a big mug, pour some milk into it, heat the milk up and pour some of the cocoa mix that I gave her in. Finding it hard to resist, I take the tiniest of sips. OUCH! It was hot. I put the cup down and let it cool off.

Aria emerges out of the shower in an old t-shirt and comfy pants with her hair wrapped out in a white towel. She still has a blank expression on her face. I pick up the mug, considerably cooler, and walk over to her. Without a word, I place the mug in her hands. She takes a few sips.

"Goodnight, Paul."

"Goodnight, Aria."

With that, she retreats into her bedroom and softly closes the door.

Aria's POV

I lay in bed, wide awake and unable to find sleep. What am I supposed to be feeling right now? All I know is that I feel nothing. I stare up at the blank ceiling, hoping that it will just open me up and take me in. But it doesn't. I am stuck here. I am stuck in this world, this stupid, messed up world, and I can't get out.

What did I do to deserve this again? Once isn't bad enough, is it? I just have to get repeatedly tortured over and over again, don't I?

I close my eyes and lay still for a long time. So long that time seems to lift up around me and move around, as I remember so many things. My whole life.

My eyes snap open. It was all a lie. I never deserved that article, he just gave it to me because…because of that. He never actually thought I was a good writer. He never actually cared about my first article. It is all a lie. Everything I've worked for. It's all a lie. I'll never amount to anything. It's just going to be things like this for the rest of my life. No one actually cares about what I want to do, what I want to be.

Tears start to leak out of my eyes and I cannot hold back the sobs. It's all lie. All of it. I was never a good writer. It's all I lie.

The door to my bedroom opens and I already know who it is. He cannot see me like this, he cannot know how this affects me. What this means. I take my pillow and cover my face, sobbing into it. All these years, I haven't cried because it's pointless. But tonight I can't stop. It's all a lie.

Arms pull me closer to the edge of the bed until I am crying into his chest. I try to speak, to tell him to leave me alone, but I can't. I can't find the words, I can't find my voice. Did it even ever exist? I'm sure it didn't. People just fake helping me along the way my entire life…they all knew I am not meant to be something. I moved here to get a life of my own. I got this article because I was told I was an exceptional journalist and writer. But I'm not. He just wanted that.

My crying begins to subside until it is only a few hiccups once in a while. I feel the arms around me move as a hand runs through my hair. "Shhh…" a voice is saying. "Shhh…go to sleep now, Aria. Go to sleep." I close my eyes as sleep finally takes me.

Morning. The sun isn't shining in through the window like it always does. Rain clouds hover in the distance. Yesterday, I was so excited to get the article done. Yesterday, I was still living my life based on false pretenses. Today, I am not. I look at the clock. Four-thirty in the morning. I need to go. I need to think. I need to get out of here.

As I climb out of my twin bed, I notice that I am about to step on a figure on the ground. Paul. His face was relaxed as he lay his head on a stuffed teddy bear. I wish I could sleep. I wish I could get away from this world like he is right now. But I need to go. I need to think. I stare at his face for a little longer, thinking about what he did all those years ago. All men are they same. They're all going to hurt you in the end.

I change into a pair of jeans and slip out of the front door quietly. I walk quickly through the empty Liverpool streets as the rain begins to pour. Droplets of rain soak through my clothes and splash onto my skin as I begin to relax. Rain. It always calms me down, always clears my mind. I continue to walk to nowhere, but I know in the back of my mind where I am going.

A long time later, I reach the pier on the lake and walk all the way out till the edge. The lake is choppy and stormy, sending waves lapping up to meet my feet. The sky is a dark, dark gray and it stretches on for miles and miles. I can see the whole world from here. I lay down, feeling every raindrop pierce me like a knife.

Paul's POV

I awoke suddenly for at least the fourth time that night. Each time, I would check on Aria, see her sleeping, and I would fall back into a light sleep. But when I awake this time, she is gone. It's only five-thirty! I sit up immediately. Where is she? Where could she have gone? I look outside and see the storm.

(Flashback)

We were inside of Melrose's again, working on the paper. The snow was growing so heavy outside, I didn't know how we were going to get home. I voiced my concerns to Aria, and she laughed. "We'll walk home, duh! Come with me!"

Reluctantly, I followed her outside into the freezing bitterness of Liverpool winters. I smiled as I watched her run through the snow and fall right on her back. She stood up, white covering her hair, and she looked more beautiful than I could ever remember. Aria opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue towards the sky. "Try it, Paul!" she shouted. "You have to catch the snowflakes on your tongue, they taste fantastic!" She trudged over to me and showed me how to. Laughing, her and I stood there in the thick snow, our tongue pointed up towards the sky. She was right, of course. It was amazing.

"You know what tastes even better than snowflakes?"

I looked over at her questioningly. "What?"

"Raindrops. Snowstorms are amazing, but the rain. The rain is just something else."

I knew where she was.

15 Minutes Later

I pay the driver and hop out into the pouring rain. Walking a few short steps, the pier is brought into view. And a figure is all the way at the edge, laying down in the midst of the pouring rain. Aria.

My waterlogged shoes squish with every step I take. My hair falls straight into my eyes, and the rain chills me straight to the bone. But I don't care. I walk until I am standing right above her.

"Aria."

She opens her eyes and doesn't look surprised to see me.

"What are you doing? Come back before you get sick."

"No."

I felt the slightest amount of anger building up inside of me. "Goddammit, Aria! Are you even going to do anything? Scream! Yell! Hit me! Do something. You can't just walk out and lay in the rain until someone comes to stop you because it's not going to happen every time, alright? Someone isn't always going to be there for you! So get up, and please just do something!"

Aria stands up and clenches her fists. "Did I ask you to come and save me out here? Did I ask you to come here in the rain and try and stop me? Did I ask you to come last night and take me home? Did I ask you to do anything, Paul, anything? No! So why don't you just get the fuck out of my life! You think you come in here all angel-like and save the day? Well, I got news for you! You're the same as him. The same. Don't act all high and mighty because you did the same exact thing and you know it. Now that you've done all the save the day shit, let me grovel at your knees and thank you endlessly that you were there for me last night! How could I ever live without you, Paul McCartney?" She jabbed me in the chest and kept her finger placed there. "I hope your having fun," she spits out.

And for the first time since before last night, her deep brown eyes look into mine and something just clicks. I don't know how to describe it…it just does.

The sun appears out of nowhere. The rain doesn't cease. It continues to pour harder and harder, soaking the two of us to our souls. She takes a step closer, still looking into my eyes.

"Are you sure?" I whisper over the roar of the sunny storm.

"Yes."

I lean in and her soft lips meet mine.

A/N: Yay! FINALLY, right? LOL, hoped you like it! R&R guys, and thanks for reading!