Do you want to know a secret ?

Chapter 17: If I Fell

After stepping out of Anna's car and thanking her one last time for her help, I watched her drive to the end of the street and waited for her to pull around the corner before walking up the little stone steps to the door and ringing the bell to the bottom of the flat. The Beatles' flat it was, I reminded myself. Only after already having rung the bell did I realise I had absolutely no excuse or possible way to explain why I had come back so late.

The sky had turned dark and the streets glistened with fresh fallen rain under the golden glow of the street lights. The air smelled fresh and new, as if the rain had washed away all of the bad things in the world. Of course it wasn't true and I didn't feel that way either...

It was late, I didn't know exactly how late, but I'd been gone for at least 4 hours longer than I was supposed to be. The streets were empty and quiet except for the faint sound of music coming from a bar down the road, and the dripping of a drain pipe next to the door.

God, just think of something Brie. But nothing came to mind.

The heavy black door opened suddenly with a loud clank making my heart jump. It was George. Concern and relief both written clearly on his face.

"Brie!" He stepped forward to take my hand and quickly pulled me inside, closing the door behind me. "God, we were worried, are you alright?" He asked, both his hands now on my upper arms.

Think of something, now anything!

"I..."

George was standing quite close to me, as close as he had been that night at the bar. And his hands were a warm comfort holding me, as I realised then that I had been shaking from the cold. I put down my bag with stuff on the floor of the hallway.

"I'm fine." Was all I could say.

His right hand went up to my face to cup my cheek, he looked at me intently, maybe to try and read my expression, but all I felt was guilt. And even then I still couldn't help myself from leaning into his touch.

His other hand went around my back and he pulled me into a hug. I pressed my face into his neck and from sheer exhaustion was leaning my entire body weight on him to keep myself upright. Before I could realise what I was doing he stumbled backwards into the wall behind him while still holding onto me tightly. A surprised "whoa, there" came out under his breath as his back hit the wall. The momentum made it so I was pressed even closer into him.

I pulled away quickly, my cheeks burning with even more embarrassment and guilt "I'm sorry." I managed to say looking down, praying he wasn't annoyed at almost pushing him through the very brickwork.

"Hey," he said softly, stepping towards me and lifting my chin up to meet his gaze. Reluctantly, I looked into his soft brown eyes, sparkling with a mischievous look in them I had never seen before, my chest barely containing my heart anymore. "Do you feel alright?" He said and tentatively tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." I said. That's still no explanation Aubrey. He had been worried and some part of my heart soared at the thought. "Did I hurt you?" I asked quietly, somewhere willing that he wouldn't hear me so that he couldn't say yes.

He smiled and chuckled slightly with amusement, little dimples appeared in his cheeks. "No I'm alright." His voice was low. He bit his lip and inhaled as is he was going to say something else, but then he decided against it.

"C'mon love let's go upstairs, n' get ye to bed." He said finally, taking my hand in his and pulling me further along the hall and up the narrow staircase.

Right then I was overcome by a second wave of guilt about lying to George. About everything, who I was where I came from, what I knew about him but then—His calloused thumb caressed the back of my hand, and the anxiety in my stomach dissolved almost completely. I snuck a sidelong glance at him, his tousled dark hair falling just above his gorgeous eyes, while wearing a slight grin, slanted, revealing his wonderful teeth. George Harrison, ladies and gentlemen... and I was pretty sure that I was falling in love with him. God help me.