In My Life

Eight

A few days passed and Ringo had called and arranged for the two of us to go out to dinner, which made my mother absolutely over the moon with joy when I told her I "ran into him on my way home from Lilly's and was the reason I had gotten home so late that morning".

She had practically begun to plan our wedding as she helped me get ready after her insistence.

Before long Ritch had come and saved me from my mothers droning on about how nice of a boy he was as a child and how cute we were together.

"Remember how that one nurse who hated me? What was her name?" Ringo laughed after taking a sip of his coke as we sat at a booth in the restaurant he had taken me to.

"Nurse fattie is the nickname I believe you gave, the poor woman's name was Pattie." I sighed remembering how much of a nuisance he and I were together.

"Right, good fun that was." He laughed leaning back in his seat.

"You know, I've missed you." Ringo admitted as our laughter subsided, becoming more alluring, reminiscing about the old days.

I found myself unable to stop the lingering feelings of attraction I felt toward Ringo, though the last we had known of each other had been so long ago.

"You know, I've really missed you too." I grinned seeing his eyes glimmer entranced.

After a moment, he spoke again, realizing his gaze had lingered.

"So, you and John then, when did that all start happening?" He cleared his throat looking at me through his lashes.

"Oh, I dunno, a few weeks I'd say now. It's, new." I grinned though feeling uncomfortable to talk about it with Ritchie, knowing when we were young the two of us, fancied each other.

"A few weeks," Ringo looked as if he were trying to add something up in his head before a smile settled on his face that looked complacent in a sense.

"-that's great, really." He smiled merrily before adding on, "what d'you say we get out of here and go to the Cavern for a pint?" A clever smirk snaked on his lips, causing excitement to flutter in my chest.

"I'd love to." I nodded beaming.

The two of us had finished up our meals and headed for the cavern which was packed with people unlike I had seen before, a blasting noise or rock and roll coming from inside.

Ritch was eager to get there as he glanced at his watch to check the time as we made it, the two of walking down to see none other than The Beatles playing, making my heart skip a beat as we glanced upon the familiar faces.

"Did you know they were playing?" I felt uncomfortable for many reasons, one of which John never telling me about this gig, in fact not hearing from him since New Year's Day.

He sighed, "look, Eleanor, I would never mean to hurt you, because you know I love ye'," he grinned in that adorable teddy bear way he did, "but, you deserve to know the truth." He became more serious as he turned back to the stage seeing as they were just ending their set.

"What are you talking about Ritch?" I asked puzzled and slightly taken aback as I saw them begin to walk offstage.

"Look." He encouraged me nodding his head over to where they were getting offstage into the audience.

It was then before my eyes, a cute blonde in the crowd threw herself into John's arms and placed a big kiss on his lips which John seemed to return like it was habitual, my whole world seeming to have instantly gone crashing down around me.

They looked happy.

My eyes welled with tears as I was frozen in place watching them.

"That's his," I trailed off, suspecting the worst.

"Girlfriend, Cynthia." He finished my sentence.

The word Girlfriend pierced a deep wound in my chest, feeling myself ablaze with anger and sorrow and confusion. I couldn't believe I had fallen for the nice guy facade, his colours were as bright as day now.

"Ellie, I'm sorry, I am, but you deserve better than to be mixed up with John, he doesn't have much regard for the way he treats women," He seemed to genuinely want to protect me while being weary of his mate.

I was torn at the way Ritch told me, and the alterer motives I suspected he did it for considering our past together.

Without another word I tuned back and began to push my way outside, my tears falling from my eyes heartbroken, not being able to form a proper thought fiery with fury. I was dizzy and disoriented, I wasn't sure I could have believed what I had witnessed.

"Elle." Ringo spoke catching up to me outside.

"No, no you stay away from me Richard. I know your heart is probably in the right place, but the the way you did it, you didn't have to hurt me like this." I felt as if I couldn't trust anybody, backing away from him.

"-And you can go and tell your mate John I never want to see him again and that I regret everything, I'm sure that'll give you some more satisfaction." I growled seeing his face twist with sorrow, realizing what he had done.

"Ellie-" he began.

"-I'm going to go." I turned exhausted, my face red and puffy from the sobbing I couldn't seem to stop.

"Eleanor, please." Ringo pleaded catching up to me and stopping me.

I looked down at his feet feeling the tears still falling from my eyes. I couldn't stop myself from giving in to Ritchie, he had always been so comforting and familiar.

"I just really thought we had something Ritch." I sniffled, seeing his features soften.

"I know." He brought me into a hug which I returned crying into his shoulder, squeezing him tight.

Just then noise came from the doors of the Cavern as a group were exiting, the voices making my stomach drop.

Ringo and I broke away from one another's arms, looking at them.

Pete, Paul, George, John and Cynthia.

From a distance because of Ringo and I being the only idle people around, they took notice of us, my eyes immediately meeting John's who instantly became overwhelmed with a sense of dread as his expression dropped.

John froze looking at the two of us in shock.

"Let's go Elle." Ringo whispered into my ear, putting his arm around me comfortingly.

I nodded ready eyed, the two of us turning away quickly and getting away from the mess that had taken place.

"I'm sorry Elle, you deserve so much better." Ringo sighed breaking the silence between us as we stood at my front porch.

"Well, I'm just glad I got to know sooner rather than later." I smirked looking up to Ringo meekly.

"I'm just glad our paths got to cross in the process." Ringo had a lopsided grin as he seemed to come closer, sliding his hands down my arms.

"That seems to be the good thing." I nodded seeing Ringo's gaze caught on my lips, studying them.

In a vulnerable state I didn't want to wait in anticipation of him to kiss me, I grabbed the collar of his shirt and brought my lips to his, he returning the kiss while pulling me closer by the small of my back.

It was abundantly clear to me that John wasn't who I had thought him to be, but Ringo had always been there for me from the beginning and I felt I could be vulnerable with him. Maybe Ringo showed me the truth solely to be with me, but it was the sort of honestly John and I seemed to lack, though I don't think I'd ever even tell Ringo the entire truth.