AN: Hey there! Thank you for your reviews and support! It's awesome to know that you're looking forward to the next part a lot! And here it is with some new and stuff that maybe you aren't expecting or are, did tell ya some new stuff is ahead. Anyways I hope you're all well and thanks for still reading. I hope you enjoy it and I'd love to hear from you in a review, if you'd like!
I then hear some cheering and people whistling as we still kiss and I pull away with a blush to notice people looking at us with almost proud smiles on their faces and I glance back to Paul who shows a large smile on his lips; the pair that I just kissed. He winks at me before I shake my head and glance to the pair of girls still standing in their spot from a few minutes ago, now with angered looks on their faces as they glare at the both of us. Somebody is not happy, and you know, I really don't care whether they are or not. I softly laugh and I grab his hand to pull him off the place where he stands and to the flight of stairs as I keep my head low to avoid looks even though most of them are friendly; they're just admiring a young couple.
"You like to make quite the scene, huh?" I ask him and I feel his warm fingers mingle themselves with my own as we casually march up the stairs and we turn to find our booth that must be the only one with people sat at it on this wall.
He takes my other hand to face him and he cheekily grins and then winks, "I suppose I do, darling," he comments and I blow out my exhalation and glance to the front door where those two ticked off girls exit. "Don't you?"
I shake my head and let go of his hands to slide into the booth and I pull my open bottle of Pepsi over that I cautiously sip on due to my stomach that isn't feeling tossy and turny anymore, but I don't want to be running to a bathroom once again. I let the straw fall from my lips and I set the glass bottle down and I look up to the baby faced man who has ebony hair framing most of his face as his hazel eyes shine bright before me and I feel a corner of my mouth rise into a smile, "You have such a pretty smile, you know." he remarks and I look away with my smile being much larger now.
I fiddle with the rolled up napkin that contains the few items of metal silverware and I see his manly hand creep over to take my wandering hand in his one, "I wanna apologize about the whole deal downstairs. I wish I knew what to say 'cause I get that you're angry at me 'cause of that and something else I'm not sure of. Would you care to enlighten me?"
He gives me a half smile that looks encouraging to me as a light hanging from the ceiling over the booth behind Paul creates almost a yellow halo above his round head with his short hair that will only grow longer in the coming years and I get a flash of the words him and John were practically screaming to each other, ones that were about me. I'm the conflict here. He tips his head to the side with a smile, ah that magical smile that could trick a girl in so many several ways. I sigh and tear my eyes away from his pair that were beginning to melt mine and I glance to our joined hands and I run my thumb along his smooth knuckles riddled with tiny black hairs.
"Tell me, please." he urges and I think how putting this off longer and longer is only going to make the telling part worse and plus he's not going to let it go if I keep pushing it away. But what is this thing that's weighing me down and stealing my happiness?
"I don't really know what to say, what's bothering me," I reveal as I stare at the wooden table and I lift my head to fall into his gaze. "I just keep feeling like I'm bugging you guys and that something isn't right, with us."
"Not this again." he grumbles and his hand slips out from mine to go to his lap as mine still sits there until I bring it to sit on my leg as he doesn't look all too happy.
"Paul, please-."
"No, you can't keep changing your mind like this! I'm on the other side of this, you know, it's not just you, Court!" he retorts boldly as his eyebrows are knitted together and the words come out before I can stop them.
"I heard some of what you and John said earlier, about me, and it was pretty ugly, I thought." I blurt and I see another wave of feelings come over his face. He shakes his head and looks away before speaking himself.
"Oh, so now you're eavesdropping on my conversations, are you?"
"I didn't mean to, Paul. I promise." I tell him to try and save myself but by now he looks far disappointed as well as angry and he stands up to pick up his jacket.
"Yeah, well you know the thing about promises is that they're supposed to be kept, ya see, and I don't see much truth in the one you just made. The flat is around the corner, find your way home when you're ready and when your bloody mind is made up. I'll pay for the drinks, like always, so don't worry about it." he retorts as he slips on his jacket and turns to leave as I open my mouth to say something to stop him but nothing comes out.
I sigh and let my head fall to my arms that had moved to the wooden table and I lay my red head on my freckled limbs.
"Hey, sweet stuff. What're you doing up here all alone by yourself? Where's that dashing man of yours I was hoping to meet?" a minute later a familiar voice speaks and I lift my head to see Izzy strolling up to me and I see her face fall as she gets closer.
"Doll, why're you crying? What's the matter?"
She comes on over to kneel by me and I shake my head as if it's nothing while I wipe my wet cheeks. Can't this disastrous day just be over yet?
"We got in a fight and he uh left." I answer her question softly as my lips move but I feel somewhat numb.
"Ah, I'm sorry about that, darling. I was just leaving back to my flat. Would you like to come with me? I could put a kettle on and pop some popcorn and put a record on if you like. I have bars of chocolate as well," she pauses and her friendly words stop for a second. "I reckon you don't want to go see him again just yet so why don't you just come have a little slumber party with ol' me? It'd be the perfect time to get to know each other better." she suggests and my tired head nods in agreement and she leads me out of the restaurant that I notice has a sign reading 'Valentino's' with spotlights on it as we walk down the wet cobblestone in the opposite direction of the boys' flat that I've been calling my home the past week. I don't know what to call it now.
I shut the door of the red car belonging to Izzy who I'm coming to like with her spunk and personality, even though what Paul said is still bugging me. I didn't mean for it to end like that.
"Tea or hot cocoa, dear?" she asks as we enter her small flat that smells of cinnamon candles and I look around when she flicks on the lights to see a kitchen right when you walk in, and a small living room connected to it along with a hall to my left.
"Cocoa, please." I respond as I slip off my flats and my sweater that I no longer need and I pull out a chair at the table to sit at, a table that is littered with empty mugs sitting on plates, envelopes of mail, things of nail polish, a book of crosswords and a few pens.
I look away from the clutter to see barefooted Izzy standing at the sink filling the red kettle with hot water. I sigh and glance to the yellow refrigerator and the magnets as well as pictures all over it, "My record player is below the telly over there. You're welcome to put on an album or a track if you like. I'm just going to go grab some pjs for us while the kettle gets hot, yeah?"
I nod my head with a fake smile and I leave the wooden chair to travel over to the carpeted living room and I go to my knees to sit by the brown record player. Unlike just about everything else in her house this isn't a bright color like her fridge, red couch, tea kettle, and pink wallpaper. I undo the latch to open the thing that is a mini version of the huge Crosley one I have back home that I'd have to lug out every time I wanted to listen to a record. I look to the shelf on the tv stand where a tall pile of records sits and I carefully pull it off to flip through them. I see a few oldies like Elvis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly and then I come across a Beach Boys album as well as the Rolling Stones and then I find a Beatles album; their first one, Please Please Me. My face falls at seeing Paul's smile and remembering the disappointed look on his face that also looked sad when he left with those words of his.
"Well here you are, love. Ah I see you must like those Beatles then, is that right?" Izzy surprises me by walking up in red pajamas that button up like a man's button-down and I look down to the record that's in good shape.
"Uh no, I don't like them actually." I lie and I place it on the pile on the floor along with the others and I look back to her confused face.
"I'll have to get you into their music then. They're good looking lads who actually live somewhere around here, and boy are their voices something." she remarks and I just smile and set the rest of the vinyls on the floor to take the blue pajamas identical to hers from her offering hands.
"The loo is the first door on your left, love."
I thank her before twisting the knob to find a bathroom with a large sink and a plain bathtub against the opposite wall with a pink polka dot shower curtain. I lock the door behind me and look in the mirror at my tired eyes that have little bags under them already as my frown takes over my face.
I step out of the bathroom to hear the familiar gravelly sound of a record and then an electric guitar and unfamiliar harmonies, "I figured you might like these Beach Boys since you're an American, you know it's not hard to recognize your accent around these places." Iz comments when I arrive back in the front room in long pajamas that are just a different color of the ones she wears.
"Yeah, I like 'em. I have a few of their records back home." I answer and I take a seat on the couch, it is the truth.
I fiddle with the bracelets on my wrist that I right now just want to rip off with my bare hands as Izzy sings along to the cheery record. I wish I could be as happy as her, "So, what happened to those guys that you were with?" I ask her and she looks to me as she adds the powdered mix into the two mugs and I see her make a face.
"They weren't any good, I discovered. I went to too much trouble trying to get them to like me when I found out in the end they just wanted to get up me skirt and have a quickie. I hate those kind of boys." she answers and I tell her I'm sorry and she says that it's okay.
"It's still mighty hot, love. Be careful." she warns while she walks up to me and she places the two slate gray mugs on the light colored wood table and I give her a thankful smile.
"And what about your boy and this fight you lot had? He doesn't sound too nice either, I'm afraid." she remarks as she combs her short hair back into a tiny ponytail.
"It's complicated."
"Isn't every relationship?" she mumbles and I nod my head after realizing that in some way and form they all are.
Neither of us say a word and I glance to the clock where the long hand is only a few ticks away from it being quarter to ten. I should call him, shouldn't I? To let him know that I'm alright. Won't he get worried? Or do I just hope that he cares that much? I wish I knew.
"Do you have a phone?" I question after I took a glance around to not find one in sight.
"You aren't thinking about calling him, are you, doll?" she asks and I give her a sheepish nod and she pats my arm affectionately.
"I do, but you shouldn't ring him. I'm not going to stop you from calling him, but sometimes space is what two people need, especially after having just gotten into a row. It's plugged in over by the stove if you want it, but sometimes it's better to just give him time." she answers as my fingers blindly play with the bracelets on my wrist and I think about what to do.
I should at least let him know that I won't be coming back, right? Then again he could be out at the bar getting drunk for all I know, or maybe asleep. Choices, choices.