Martha My Dear

Chapter 28

Paul's P.O.V

I can't believe I had let her go.

I can't believe she'd actually left.

That night I hadn't slept a wink, waiting for her to return home to me. I didn't want to believe she really left. I couldn't. The worst part of it was that I had been the one who had driven her away from me.

"Paul." My father hesitated in my car before getting out to join Ruth and Angie to their train.

"If you love her, go to her. Life's too short not to with the one you love, let her in son." He offered a small grin before getting out of the car and walking off to with the girls.
Without saying it, I knew he knew exactly why I struggled with letting my walls down completely with Charlie, especially I after I found out her past.

Loosing my mother had always put loosing the ones I loved in the back of my mind no matter how silly it may seem. With Charlie's past, I had feared she would leave me without even thinking twice about it.

I had a profound love for her I hadn't felt with anyone else before, and I was so afraid of how badly it would hurt if she left.

And now, it was really beginning to sting knowing that she thought I even needed time to think about everything. I knew one thing for certain in my life, and it was that I wanted to be with Charlie.

I sat back in the seat, running my hands along my face defeatedly, feeling like an absolute arse for causing her to think I had no trust in her.

I started the car up, thinking of only one person who would know where Charlie would go.
                     _________________

I pulled up to Audrey's house and knocked on the door, it being immediately opened by a very annoyed and frantic Audrey.

"It took you long enough." She shoved my shoulder before pulling me by my arm into the house.

I noticed Ben on the couch, looking at me with a glare making me uneasy, obviously having heard of Charlie and I's argument yesterday.

"I know you're a Beatle, but I'll still kick your ass." He threatened half jokingly, causing me to clear my throat uneasily.

"She's going back home Paul." Audrey explained snapping my attention back to her, causing me to tense up with fright.

"You mean-" I began.

"-hopped on the next train to her parents house to let her father say I told you so and strap her down with another young man so she can be a nice little housewife." Audrey spoke quickly, causing my eyebrows to furrow with confusion.

Another?

"Her father set her up with Will?" I inquired slowly with shock, having pieced what she said together.

"She didn't tell you that bit, did she?" She sighed looking at me like I was helpless.

I shook my head still troubled.

"Charlie wanted to do something important with her life Paul." She shook her head as if saying it was a shame.

"Her father was having none of it. He's always been the traditional type and wanted to make sure Charlie would stay dependant on a man to provide for her. Eventually she realized she'd rather be practically shunned by her father than marry William." She explained shaking her head looking down at her hands.

My heart dropped into my stomach, she never loved him in the first place. Things seemed to suddenly click in my brain.

"Christ sake, she heard Will say he didn't love her on her wedding day." Audrey scoffed in disgust.

Charlie's P.O.V.

I had taken my heels off and snuck around the church hoping to see if I could slip my farewell letter explaining exactly why I'd left him at the alter to William, he at least deserved to know why.

Somehow a smug voice was telling me I had always known this moment would come, and now that it had it felt more of a thrill than a nightmare as I'd imagined.

Pressing my ear up to the door to see if he was inside, I couldn't help but overhear he and someone else conversing on the other side.

"Ya, but you're ready to go get married, right?" On of his friends asked with a small chuckle.

"I mean, she'll be good, reliable, but, I be never really found myself, head over heels for her." He tried to find the rights words.

"Do you love her?" One of his other friends pressed.

Silence.

"No." I barely heard it as a whisper.

Clutching onto the letter, I shredded it to pieces at the bottom of the door, taking my ring off and smirking in hysteria.

"I'll have a hell of a time pawning this." I smiled to myself deliriously in a fit of fury, storming off to find a way to get out of this nightmare of a wedding.

The memory replayed in my mind as I looked out the window of the train. Soon enough my father would be back to telling me what do do.

Maybe being a housewife is the type of lifestyle I was destined to have, it was very much a man's world after all. I thought I could have some adventure in my life, and although it was fun while it lasted I had a feeling it was time for me to stop.

My heart aches terrible seeing Paul's face everywhere. I didn't want to leave him. In fact I could barely stomach the thought, but I know he had some things to work through himself.

I wanted to erase London from my mind, like it had never happened, but leaving Paul behind, I knew I couldn't.

I soon arrived to my parents house in what seemed like a bat of an eye, everything blurring together in a haze of emotion.

I hung my head as I arrived at the front steps, taking in a deep sigh before knocking on the door. I tried to prepare myself for what was about to come, barely being able to before my mother opened the door.

"Charlotte." My mother gasped, covering her mouth and looking back behind her before stepping on to the porch. She shut the door quietly behind her, staring at me like I was insane.

"What are you doing here lovie?" She scanned me over as she held my face in her hands to examine the deep bags underneath my eyes.

"Dad was right." I swallowed hard.

She shook her head sorrowfully, having always been a silent supporter.

She pulled me into a tight hug, which I returned sobbing into her chest.

"I love him mom." I choked out as she ran her hand over my hair.

"I know honey." She comforted me, unaware of everything that had happened between Paul and I.

The front door opened and I quickly broke away from my mothers embrace, wiping away the tears on my cheeks.

"Charlotte." My father greeted me with a big satisfied smile.

I said nothing, looking down to my feet.

"That Beatle, break your heart?" He spoke causing me to become shocked he had done some research.

"No." I spoke bitterly, not wanting him to say I told you so.

I wanted to say how he'd filled me with a love I'd never before experienced and leaving him was one of the hardest decisions I'd ever had to make. I wanted to scream out I was in love with Paul McCartney regardless of what he thought. I simply hung my head, feeling I was hopeless, and that the damage had been done.