Within You, Without You | George Harrison ✅

10

I had barely recovered myself when Mr Rostas stormed in. "What is the fucking meaning of this?!" He bellowed, pointing at me. I was cuddled up against George, who had wrapped me in a blanket and an arm around my shoulders.

"She was crying -"

"Girls fucking do that, Paul!" Mr Rostas yelled. "George, get away from my assistant -"

"Our assistant." John pointed out in an amused tone of voice. I was silent, listening only to George, who was whispering reassuring words into my ear.

Ignore him. I'm here right now, with you. The lads will deal with him. Stay with me.

I think he was afraid that I'd go back into the... I didn't know what to call it. A fit, maybe? When I went into my memories and just... disappeared...

From the way that Henry Rostas' chest was rising up and down faster than I had thought humanly possible, it was very clear that he was fuming. God, that man never seemed to be happy.

"I've sorted it out."

"Sorted what?" George asked, tightening his grip around me.

"There's another winner."

"Oh no there's not!" Paul exclaimed, "you've just fixed it so Amoreena hasn't won." He paused. "She deserves it more than anybody else!"

"She deserves the sack is what she deserves!" Ah wonderful, he had ceased to make sense now.

"And you deserve a slap, but nobody gives it to you." Ringo said nonchalantly from the seat across the room from George and I.

"You insolent little -" Mr Rostas cut himself off, a sadistic smile spreading across his horrid face as he fixed his gaze directly at me. As if to protect me, George stood up and stood in front of me. "Get out of the way!" He snapped. George refused. Mr Rostas stormed over and literally pushed George away.

My poor George had been unprepared for this. He stumbled and then tripped over, narrowly avoiding whacking his jaw on the edge of the sound table. Paul rushed over to see if his friend was okay, but George quickly waved him away. The youngest Beatle hurried back over to me and sat by my side once more, wrapping both arms around my middle this time and pulling me closer to him.

All of this had happened before Mr Rostas had a chance to say anything else.

"Amoreena," he said in a somewhat tortured tone of voice, "this will be your last day at the studio. I'm asking you to leave. You're too problematic -"

"It's okay, Amoreena." John said as he put a supportive hand on my shoulder.

Ringo agreed, going over to the phone on the wall and dialling a number. "I'll get Eppy on the phone. He'll hire you proper." He looked at Mr Rostas dirtily, "not like this yobbo -"

"I beg your pardon, Mr Starr?!"

"No need." He smirked. Brian Epstein must have picked up the phone then because Ringo began to explain the conversation to him.

Rostas skulked off, his tail between his legs. George chuckled and leaned closer to me, placing a kiss on the side of my head. "We'll always look after you, luv." He promised.

"George," I said softly, trying desperately to think of a reason why he shouldn't kiss me. "Pattie..."

"Has been downright horrible about you and to you." He answered. "She'll have to suffer me giving you little kisses here and there." His gaze flickered down to my lips.

I shook my head. "Never there, George," I said in a voice barely more audible than a whisper, wishing that the world was different and I didn't have to deny him what we both so desperately craved.

"Never there?"

I shook my head. "Not while you've got Pattie."

If you really want me, then you'll fix that.

I couldn't believe that I had just thought something so selfish and horrible.

I sighed and removed myself from his arms reluctantly, going over to stand beside Ringo and listen to the conversation that he was having with their manager on the other end of the phone.

"Where are you staying tonight, Geo?" Paul asked, trying to start a conversation and fill the slightly awkward silence which now filled the recording studio.

George shrugged, "I was hoping that you and Jane might -"

"Sorry, mate," he said, shaking his head apologetically, "you know what her parents are like."

Ah yes, Paul and Jane lived in the same house as her brother and her parents. How charming.

"Maybe you, John?" John shook his head at George.

"I'm having some lady friends over tonight." He smirked. I rolled my eyes. What had I ever found attractive about John Lennon? I honestly had no idea.

"Ringo?"

He shook his head at his friend and then continued talking to Brian.

"Geo?" I said. He looked up from the floor and met my gaze from across the recording studio's room, "it's my fault that she kicked you out -"

"It's not, Am, I -"

"You can stay with me." I interrupted him, "it'll be fun... like a sleepover."

John and Paul chuckled. Ringo didn't do anything, and George just smiled. "That sounds... fun."