Things we said today (completed)

9

     "Lizzie!" Shouted excitedly as he saw me at the airport. He ran over to me and tightly. I laughed at how excited he was.
    "Hi Paul," I said shyly, and he pulled away. We made our way towards a cab, and the rest of the boys, after telling me hello, got into cabs of their own. 
    "Liz, are you okay?" Paul asked as soon as we were in the cab, and I nodded.
    "I think I actually am. Nothing happened, I was just a bit shaken up because of what could've happened. You know?" I asked, and he looked at me with concerned eyes. I still felt bad that he came home for nothing.
    "Liz, I hate to think of what could've happened," Paul said quietly, and I took his hand in mine and squeezed it.
   "But it didn't happen," I reassured him, but he still looked distant, like he was in a far away place.
    "But it could've," he argued, and I sighed. I really didn't want to think or talk about this.
    "So how did the boys react to your coming home? I'm terribly sorry, by the way," I said, and he seemed to snap out of whatever had him down. He seemed a bit less distant, just for that moment while he was talking.
    "Eh, they were a bit mad at first. But then I told them," he said, and my jaw clenched. I wasn't planning on telling anyone, "I'm awfully sorry, by the way. Is it okay that I told them?" He asked, and I nodded surely.
   "Can we just not tell anyone else?" I asked, and he nodded. But it was already too late.
    When we got out of the cab, we saw the magazine stand right next to my apartment complex, and the magazines all had pictures of me.
    "I don't understand..." I said, feeling like needed  to cry. There were pictures of me and Paul, or pictures of just me.
    "Paul McCartney's girlfriend got raped," Paul read one aloud, and I closed my eyes. This felt like a nightmare.
    "Paul McCartney's girlfriend is pregnant with rapists baby," I read one when I opened my eyes. That one made my blood run cold.
    "Paul McCartneys girlfriend is destroying the band," he read, and I felt tears rush to my eyes, although I didn't cry, because being with Paul meant that there were eyes everywhere.
    "None of that is true," I said quietly, and he didn't say anything back. He instead bought every magazine that had anything to do with me. We walked into my building silently.
    When we got upstairs, he went to throw them away, but I stopped him. We sat on my living room floor and read through them together.
    "I mean, if I'm going to be seeing them everywhere, I need to be prepared," I told him, and he reluctantly agreed to read them with me. When we were done, I just took a deep breath.
    "Paul, am I destroying the band? Honestly?" I asked, and he looked at me with a shocked expression.
    "Liz, how could you say something like that?  Of course not, darling. The guys love you, and we're just going to stay here for two months and then pick up where we left off, okay? So no harm done," he reassured me, but I still felt bad. I'm sure the rest of the guys probably despised me and thought I was being whiny.
    "Oh," I said simply, and he stroked my cheek lovingly.
    "I remember the first time I had something bad written about me in the tabloids. They said that I was dragging the band down, that I was dead weight," Paul explained, and I looked at him in awe for not letting that crush him, "but I talked to John, and he reassured me that I only made the band better. And you know what? You might not believe me now, but you should. I remember doubting John's word. Thinking that I was terrible, and I was so close to quitting, but eventually, I had to let go. You have to let go, or you'll kill yourself worrying about what others think, okay doll?" He asked, and I nodded and thought about this. I really did feel better.
     "Thanks Paul," I said timidly, and I kissed him hungrily. It was something I had been waiting to do all night, and I could still feel the butterflies in my stomach, still had the good feeling I got with Paul. The feeling of being spun around at 100MPH. It gave me a feeling of bliss. But also dizziness.
-------------------------------------------------------if you don't get the last reference, we can't be friends.