"Poppy?" Paul opened the door, shocked to see me as he had just left my house earlier on in the day.
"I-um-George-" My vision became blurred as tears welled immediately in my eyes, my whole world seeming to be crashing around me.
I really thought George wouldn't make the same mistake again. I was terribly wrong. Obviously, he wasn't satisfied with just me anymore like he had been. I couldn't help but think back to the night we'd first kissed at Rory's party when he had told me that he would never do what the bloke who'd cheated on me did, yet here we were.
Paul's expression became troubled as he brought me into an immediate hug.
I let out a silent sob into his chest as he pulled me into his house, holding me closely to him.
"What's the matter?" He spoke quietly, already clued into something since I'd been able to stutter out George's name.
I tried stopping my sobs to answer, knowing I couldn't just keep him in the dark because he'd find out eventually.
"W-well," I let out a deep exhale, "George k-kissed Maureen-" I bit my lip, having Paul take my arms and pull me back to look at me properly.
"Didn't you two already," He trailed off confused since George and I had already seemed to move past what he had done in Wales.
When he saw that there was a pained and embarrassed look on my face, he added "Again?" looking completely distraught.
I nodded, "Before Ringo and Maureen had left, they'd-I caught them-" I explained becoming too upset to continue. I couldn't believe what I saw had really happened.
"Come, sit. We don't have to talk about anything if you don't want to love." He spoke to console me, leading me to his couch near the fireplace, Martha sleeping peacefully beside it.
"Can I get you anything, a cuppa?" Paul asked nervously as I sat down, staring into the fireplace looking completely lost.
"That'd be lovely Paul," I nodded shifting my attention, "thank you." I whispered, my voice crackling and my eyebrows furrowed as I attempted to blink back tears as I knew if started I wouldn't be able to stop.
"Poppy." Paul said once he'd returned, sitting himself down beside me, once again pulling my attention off of the fireplace where I'd been watching the flames, trying to gather the thoughts that raced in my head.
"Thank you," I paused taking the cup from him, "I'm sorry I'm bothering you with this, I-" I trailed up forcing myself to look up to his eyes that were soft with an attentiveness that settled me.
"-It's just, you know, I can count on you." His expression brightened as I said so. I didn't have many other people who I really trusted the same way I had Brian in the moment, however I knew I could really confide in Paul.
"Really Pop, you're not bothering me at all. You know there's nothing you could ever say that could bother me." He comforted putting his arm around my shoulders and squeezed gently.
Putting my head on his chest, I felt my eyes sting with tears that couldn't help but find their way down my cheeks, hitting Paul's shirt as the began to flow more violently.
"Maybe he doesn't love me because I-I'm pregnant and not as pretty as Mo, a-" I lifted my head off his shirt rambling on sobs getting caught in my throat, looking to his eyes, probably looking like a complete mess with my puffy red eyes and red cheeks.
"Hey, hey, Poppy," Paul cupped my cheek in his hand stopping me from talking, "you're beautiful, and it has nothing to do with you and everything to do with him, y'know, he's an arse to have done what he did," he continued looking into my eyes trying desperately to convince me.
I shook my head attempting to show a grin as he began to lose his train of thought, our eyes beginning wandering lower on each other's face as we sat dangerously close together, practically being able to feel each other's breath.
Paul's face became as red as mine had been from crying. He swiftly closed the gap between us pressing his lips to mine with a sweetness that made my heart swoon, giving into my instinct as reciprocating the emotion as he laid me back across the couch. He soon deepened the kiss as he hung over top of me, playing with the hem of my shirt as the other ran through my hair, as my hands cupped his cheeks, moving up to his hair, never wanting to let him go.
After a moment of the intensity we both shared, I felt him beginning to pull away. My stomach began to twist with uncertainty as he broke away completely, hanging over me with my lipgloss over his mouth, looking as if he regretted breaking away from the kiss, his eyes still lingering on my lips.
"Did I do something?" I asked insecurely, watching as he snapped back into the moment.
"God, no, I'm sorry, I am," he spoke flustered, moving a piece of my hair behind my ear softly.
"Y'know, I've just waited so long to do that." He bit his lip unsure of himself as I sat up, he immediately moving from on top of me, shaking his head disappointedly deep in thought.
"So have I." I added, surprising myself with how sure I had sounded.
I suppose the attraction had always been there, but I had never thought to act on it.
He looked over to me, a slight pain in his eyes.
"-but, I'll always come second to George." He shook his head causing me to frown.
"Paul." I shook my head, grabbing his arm, gently squeezing it.
"For me Poppy, it's always been you." He looked to me, running his hand through his hair nervously, causing my heart to leap and break at the same time. That had been what I feared for so long, and to hear it caused me to nearly fall apart.
"What about Linda?" I inquired, hoping he would say he could love her more.
He look a moment fitting puzzle pieces together, he looked at me with realization.
"You didn't ask to take photographs just because she's an amazing photographer, did you?"
I sucked in a breath nervously.
"I want you to be happy. Maybe I asked her here because I saw how you and her clicked at the Stg Pepper release, or maybe I see how unhappy you are with Jane. Paul, I've always just wanted you to be happy, I love you." I spoke meekly, seeing him flooding with different thoughts and emotions trying desperately to collect himself.
"I love you," he looked like he wholeheartedly felt it, leaning over placing a shorter, but even more meaningful kiss on my lips, cupping my cheek and forcing himself to pull away making it brief.
"Which is why, I have to let you go." He concluded after a lingering moment, causing my heart to sink deeply, feeling like I could cry for a complete other reason.
"I haven't seen anyone look at someone the way you look at George when you're together. I don't know if you can forgive him, but either way you need time to heal by yourself. You still love him, I know you do." He looked at me sympathetically, hoping I'd understood what he meant.
"Why do you always have to be a gentleman?" I sniffled trying to lighten the mood with a smile in an attempt to grin, feeling my heart ache at how true his words were.
I couldn't stop loving George, with kissing Paul the same way George has kissed Maureen, I felt as if I stooped to a whole new low. However, at the same time I didn't feel sorry at all because I felt like I had come full circle with Paul and gained closure for something that has always been a mystery with all the years I had known him.
As for that night I didn't want to think about the future, not George, or the stress of being a mother, or Maureen, or where Paul and l's friendship stood. I just wanted to be held. Paul and I laid on the couch, both drifting into slumber, leaving the problems for tomorrow.
