⇾ 𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 | 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐈

Chapter Seven: Come Back to Bed

February 11, 1964

The band gave another concert at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, DC, that night. Afterwards, they were encountered by more demanding journalists before they could finally get back to the hotel. Fortunately, it seemed my existence hadn't made it out of New York yet, so 'John's girlfriend' was never brought up.

"Love, what's wrong?" John asked me that evening when we were finally alone, putting his arms around me from behind as I closed and locked the door behind me. I turned around and shrugged, putting my arms around him gratefully.

"Brian and I just had a little argument is all." I leaned my head against him and closed my eyes, listening to the rhythm of his breathing.

"Everything alright?" he hummed, swaying me from left to right.

"Yeah. He was just being a prick."

John chuckled. "Hey, I'm sorry about last night," he said and I pulled away, giving him a sincere smile.

"Didn't I tell you not to be sorry?"

"I dunno, did you?" He laughed and turned around for a minute to turn on the radio. "You look ravishing today, dear. Did I tell you?" John whispered in my ear as he closed the distance between us completely, smiling down at me. I shook my head, my breathing accelerating. "Would you listen to that?" he said, motioning towards the radio. "It's our song."

"Words of love you whisper soft and true / Darling, I love you."

"Yes, it is." I blushed and looked down towards my feet to hide it, but lifted my head up to face him, placing a slow and passionate kiss on my lips.

"Can I ask you my question now, ma douce Donna?" he said. I nodded, only half aware of what was going on around me now.

"Now that the whole world knows we're together, thanks to me—," he began, rolling his eyes teasingly. I snorted. "I think it's only fair that I finally get past all my silly nerves. I wanted to ask if perhaps you'd like to move in with me? It seems silly since you're almost always there anyways, but making it official only seems fair. And I know I live with Paul too, but maybe sometime soon we can get our own place together. Just you and I." His words had began to jumble up by the end of his speech, so I put a finger to his lips and I felt him relax, letting out a sharp exhale.

I smiled at him widely, his voice sending butterflies coursing through my body. "Of course I would want to, John," I answered. He kissed me again and that voiced everything he had on his mind.

"I'm sorry about Brian, love." he said, humming lightly under the words and swaying us in either direction again.

"It's not your fault," I replied. "It's mine."

When he tried to interject, I put my lips to his, telling him I didn't want to hear it. "What's on your mind, then?" I asked.

"I want these girls to leave me alone," he said teasingly. "Downright drag, they can be." He let out another exhale, lightly moving us towards the nicely-made hotel bed.

"They just love you," I said, moving in sync with his light shoves. "But always remember that I love you more," I added.

The song switched and I heard "Don't Ever Change" by the Crickets coming out of the small device.

"You never wear a stitch of lace / Your powder's never on your face / You're always wearing jeans / Except on Sundays."

He began to play with the sleeve on the dress I was wearing. "Please please me, oh yeah, like I please you," he hummed teasingly, grinning down at me manically.

God, I loved him...and why was this suit so bloody hard to get off?

~~~

I was jerked awake by John in the middle of the night. He had a worried look on his face and I didn't know why.

"What's wrong?" I asked him skeptically.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay, why?"

"You were...I don't even know. You seemed like you were dreaming." I couldn't remember dreaming anything. "And you seemed scared."

"I-I don't remember anything," I said uneasily and then stood up, pulling a satin nightgown on over my head.

"Where ye going?" John asked.

"To get some water."

"Donna, come back to bed. Rest your arms and your legs," he said in a singsong voice.

I smiled back at him. "But, I'm thirsty."

"Oh, alright." I went over to the sink and got a foam cup out of a bag in the corner of a desk. "Now," he said as I poured the cup. "C'mon back."

I did. I went back over to the bed and buried myself in the comforter, curling up against John as if my life depended on it. Sometimes it felt like my life did depend on him, and only him.

February 12, 1964

The band was performing at Carnegie Hall. They were caught in a slow piece called "This Boy." I'd had it in the back of my mind that I needed to tell Brian that I would be moving out all day and it was eating away at me. I didn't know how to tell him. I wanted to hope that he'd be happy, but I truthfully had no idea.

Brian seemed to have two state of minds: happily supportive and upsettingly disapproving. There was no way to tell what mood he was in.

He was smiling right now. I hoped he was happy, but I also hadn't spoken to him directly since our dispute the morning before and was scared that perhaps I could change that by talking. I didn't know what to do.

What do I have to lose? I thought as I sighed and spoke up. In the background, I could hear the boys launching into "Love Me Do." My voice was drowned out by the uproar of screaming fans.

I'd gotten Brian's attention, though, so there was no going back. He waited for there to be a moment of somewhat quiet to ask what I needed.

"I—." I began, but choked up immediately. "I'm moving out," I said in a rush before turning around. I'd been living with Brian since we'd moved to London. We were rarely ever home for long periods of time, so it hadn't really made sense to get my own place yet.

He turned me back around. "Where?"

"I'm moving in with John," I admitted. "Don't be mad. It was my decision," I added quickly, feeling tears come into my eyes at the thought of having to say that.

His expression was unreadable. "This isn't because of—?"

I shook my head quickly. "No, he—uh—no, it's not. I think he's been thinking about this for longer than that."

He nodded, grinning lopsidedly. "Well, I can't stop you, can I?"

I shook my head lightly, giving a smile. "No, you can't."