A/N: Told you so! :)

Oh, and I've changed my début song again. I know, it's quite disturbing, but I keep on tripping on beautiful songs every day... So here it comes, Blue Jeans by Lana Del Rey (I know, if you don't like her, just listen to her songs, don't watch the clips ^^ ).

13. I'm by your side.

"I told you that no matter what you did I'd be by your side Cause I'm a ride or die Whether you fail or fly Well shit at least you tried."

"Sure thing. If you may." George outstretched his arm and I took it, grinning.

He walked me through the streets of Meriton, until we reached what looked like a small river. There were women washing their laundry in the clear water, as well as children, spitting at each other. I turned to face George.

"Why do you lead me here, Captain?"

He smirked. "I thought you might like the view."

I looked upon the river and, effectively, the view was magnificent. One could see miles away in the country. No houses, no villages, no forests, nothing but an immensity of green grass, sometimes patched with the soft brown of some cows.

Without thinking, I pulled away from George and walked towards the grass, where I sat, completely mesmerized by the scenery.

I felt him sitting next to me, rather than seeing it.

"So? Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful, George, really. Thank you." I then turned to see his face, and he was still smirking. "What?"

"I was under the impression that I'm beginning to know you well, actually."

I giggled. "We both start to know the other well, that doesn't mean much." I removed my shoes and buried my feet in the ground. I loved doing that. I still do, actually. I'm such a weirdo.

He giggled too, and then we both remained silent for what looked like ages.

"George?"

"Mmh?"

"Am I dreaming or you just snaked your arm around me?"

He giggled and I sneered.

"I thought we had agreed you wouldn't do that in public ever again."

"I thought we agreed that I said no to that agreement."

I rolled away from him, with the awful risk to soil Lizzie's dress. Too late to think about that, Miss Johnson-of-the-fallen-for-Wickham.

"Well, now I think that's agreed once and for all."

He shrugged, and I could see I was far from winning this. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Well, one moment you're all-"

"George, I'm not schizophrenic, if that's what you think. I thought it was clear too that nothing could happen between the two of us."

His brown eyes darkened a tone. "I thought I made it clear that your fate thing didn't impress me. I will not marry Lydia Bennett, Angelina, not now not ever."

I sighed. "Why wouldn't you?"

"Because she's dull. She's a total idiot, and she knows it. She thinks it makes her look pretty, but the truth is I can't look at her without wanting to slap her for her nonsense."

"George! You can't slap women!" I put a hand to my mouth to hide the fact that I myself would have loved to slap Lydia. More than once.

"You're right, I can't. I hate to be told what I can and can't do. Don't you?"

I shrugged. "You get used to it. At least, with you, I don't need to pretend I'm an accomplished young woman with good manners." I giggled. "And apparently Mr Bennett wished his daughters were all like me. Lizzie only manages to be like that though, clever girl."

George sighed and then took my hand in his bigger ones. "Angelina, I really am glad I've met you. You know me and my story, and yet you don't act as if you wanted revenge for Georgiana at all. I'll never thank you enough for that."

I released my hand. That subject. I always tried to forget about it. Of course, when I was hanging around with that gorgeous clever man I was forgetting he had seduced a fifteen year-old girl to run away with him.

"Is there something wrong?"

I got up and put my shoes on before answering. "No. Nothing's wrong. Could we head back to the inn now, it's getting cooler." I put my hands on my arms as if I really was cold, thought it was an awful lie.

George wasn't a fool, but he said nothing. He pulled my arm to his, and drove me back towards the inn. He ordered a dinner for two, including a woman, to be sure it would be edible, and then we got back to his room.

When we passed the door-frame, I laughed.

"What is it? Is there something funny?" His eyebrows lifted, and I tried to calm myself between two chokes.

"George, are you blind? Haven't you seen those men's glares when we passed next to them? Some were looking jealous, other dreadful, and some of them, I swear, would have tried to kill you if I hadn't been in the same room." I choked once or twice more and then shut it.

He smiled. "I can't blame them to be jealous of me."

I got trapped. Bugger. That was all me, that, being trapped by my own doings.

He took two paces forward, and slowly wrapped his arms around my waist. My own arms, on their own accord, lifted themselves to his neck.

This time, I was awfully aware of the fact that this wasn't good. At all. I was in too deeply to say I couldn't fall for him, that was far too late for that, but I wasn't foolish enough to forget that I couldn't mess up this story more than it had already been messed up by my family.

I didn't move an inch, but when he pushed his lips to mine, his eyes asking for permission, I stopped him inches from me.

"George, what would the other think? Would you ravish me like this? I thought you were a gentleman!"

He didn't move either, and I felt his soft breath on my face. "I'm not going to ravish you, Angelina. Not if you don't want me to." His gaze was now entirely quizzical.

I rolled my eyes. "That's not the question. In this sort of place, even a kiss can sound like a declaration of war."

He sighed and then collided our foreheads together. "I swear, Angelina, I swear that one day, soon enough, you will completely forget about that fate story. And you'll be mine as I am yours."

And he just walked away from me, leaving me cold and empty.

When he opened the door and then closed it behind him, his words finally kicked in.

Oh my God. George Wickham just confessed he loved me! Oh God!

I think saying that I fell on my ass would be an understatement.

Tsss, Angelina really is overthinking... She's just like me, in fact. Proof? I've just written a full chapter without thinking about it. When the previous one had me having nightmares... Silly me!