But I'll Be Back Again

Chapter 25: "Where words leave off, music begins."

With a hidden  smile, and a sweet voice he assured her, "You have nothing to worry about, I always take care good care of both of us, we used protection, and trust me I was more than careful."

She suddenly seemed annoyed, a strange reaction he thought.

"Please, you have to come to the hospital with me, I need to get checked if I'm not pregnant, or what?" She cried, as she walked away from him, knowing he was just behind her, "You don't think it might be yours?"

At the same instant she said that, he continued, "I don't think that, I'm just trying to tell you that you shouldn't be worried," he reached her and hugged her close.

"Would you please, then, accompany me? I need you,"

He answered yes, immediately asked for a cab to stop, and they went to one of the nearest hospitals.

Ella heard her name being call to the front, it was her turn, she didn't even notice that Paul hadn't arrived, she was far too nervous to see that. It wasn't until almost the last part of her presentation, the time of the questions that she remembered, he wasn't there. It didn't troubled her a lot, since she believed John to be behind Paul's absence. During one of the last questions, her classmate was asking her about the values one may find in ancient history, but he was interrupted by a door closing; that's when she saw, even with the light of the overhead projector  dazzling her, she clearly saw that the person entering was Paul.

At the end of the 2 following classmates, they gave all of them diplomas.

"I should've asked for a camera," he said approaching to her, he was holding his suit jacket behind him. "you must be proud,"

She rolled her yes jokingly, "Maybe a little bit," with pretended carelessness. She had just the sweetest smile she had ever given to any other person in her life.

He could've spent even more seconds admiring her, but he simply aplogised by not being there on time, "I had - er - some other stuff to deal with."

"I understand, no worries." She continued smiling, even if she tried to stop she couldn't.

After saying goodbye to everyone, they went outside, Paul asked her if she wanted him to walk her home. She agreed. Since he asked her about what he had missed, she began to explain the other works presented by her class.

"I was reading about this Diotima and Socrates alleged dialogue, about if something, like love, is not beautiful, it doesn't have to be ugly," he said to her, it seemed it was something he was trying to tell himself.

"Something not here not there... so in between?" She asked, as she tried to get closer to him, not in a romantic way, but it seemed that he was maintaining his distance, and since he wasn't speaking as loud as he used to, it was causing her not to listen him correctly, "Yeah, I guess, something like love can be irrational, it could lead you either to do good things or even something that hurt us. There was a debate during my class, that love could be dangerous, because we make this person the centre of our world, without seeing faults, or if we notice said faults, we render them to be insignificant,"

"Love is blind," he said, in quite a comical way, that lifted the mood.

"I guess," she said in his same tone, to sound poetic and ridiculous at the same time, "but, as everything in life, to make something better, it requires time, some philosophers even talk about different stages, like Dante's inferno." She laughed, "Love is hell"

As they walked back home, he changed the subject by talking about their performance, he said that he could even say they were playing perfectly, he confided in her that he really believed Decca studios was going to sign them, "Harrison was more than perfect, I tell you!"

"And I believe you!" She exclaimed, she shivered a little, it was cold and she had to use a formal dress for the presentation, it was a good thing Paul noticed, he offered his jacket, "thank you," she put it on.

They entered a small park, hidden between some buildings at Reynolds park, "Has your beloved brother, made another vist?" He asked.

"No! And please do not invoke him," she said ,

He stopped, taking her by the arm, "Oh yeah, sorry my bad." He looked warmly at her,

It was lucky that she didn't see his flirty smile, she noticed how three young children approached them, a boy with a ball in their hands was looking at them, he then said in almost a grown up voice, "Please don't tell us you're gonna kiss, we just chased some other pervs away,"

Paul turned to look at him, in quite a smug voice, "we're not pervs,"

One small girl, with the most adorable voice said, "don't care, you sure look like one, you have long hair just like the others," she pointed at him, and then tried to give him a menacing look.

Ella took Paul's shoulder "let's go, the authority has spoken, they sure had worked too hard to keep this place empty of pervs like you," she played along, sounding somber, still as in a joke.

"You're right," he said, the took her hand; they were leaving, not before planting a short kiss to her lips.

"Eew!" The kids expressed in unison, one even laughed, but one of them screamed: "mum!!!!"

The pair stared to run, his laugher was contagious, then they stopped near John's house, "I'm more scared of that trio than any policeman," he said, still laughing.

"I'm certain you're not kidding, those were something else; they have more dominion on that park than any other government official," she giggled, and tried to continue walking, but he stopped her by standing before her once again, it was as if he didn't wanted her to leave his side.

"These new kids, I would have never had the courage of speaking to any adult like that." He covered his mouth to stop a loud giggle.

She had to almost dodge his side, to continue their way, "at the age that I am, I wish I had that confidence,"

Confidence! He then had the courage to kiss her, this time for real, he got close to her and grabbed her by the lower back.