𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐸 !
"You missed the turn." Alice spoke up from the passenger seat. Paul stayed silent, driving through the streets of London smoothly rather than his normal speeding.
"Paul." Alice spoke. "You missed the turn." She said once again.
Paul glanced over at Alice and nodded. "I know." He said quietly as he made a left turn.
"Well, make a u-turn." She said harshly and rolled down her window, pulling out a pack of woodbines from her purse.
Paul shook his head. "No." He hummed.
Alice rolled her eyes and lit two cigarettes, handing one to Paul. "Look I'm not in the mood, Paul." She muttered. "I just wanna go home and go to bed."
Paul just ignored Alice's pleads, smiling to himself as he pulled in front of a driveway. Parking the car, Paul hopped out and opened the gate in front of them before getting back into his mini and driving through.
"Where are we?" Alice said, feeling a bit uneasy.
"My house." He said and parked the car.
Alice raised an eyebrow, watching as Paul emerged from his car and walked around to Alice's side, opening the door.
"Why?"
He didn't answer once again, only helped her out of the car and then up to his porch.
"Paul." She mumbled. "You're scaring me."
"Nonsense." He grinned and opened the door to his lovely home. Although Alice was quite anxious with his behavior, she followed him in. Paul led her to his living room where he sat down on the sofa and turned on the television.
Alice stood in the archway still confused. He just rolled his eyes and patted the seat next to him, gesturing for her to sit.
"Come 'ed, love."
Alice narrowed her eyes and took a seat next to him on the sofa. "Why am I here?"
Paul shifted in his seat and shrugged. "I dunno." He said.
"I figured you wouldn't wanna go home because sooner or later Ginny would be there," he spoke up. "and if I would've offered you to come over here you would've said
no— you're stubborn y'know tha'?"
Alice looked down at her lap, a smile making its way to her lips. "I know." She said softly.
"But, you could've said that in the car rather than kidnapping me."
Paul's cheeks flushed and he just shrugged. "You still wouldn't have come."
"I know." She sighed, leaning back and closing her eyes. Paul turned so that he was facing Alice, his eyes lingering on her perfectly sculpted face.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Alice's eyes fluttered open as she stared at the ceiling. Not a single crack weaved it's way onto the white ceiling of Paul's Cavendish home. "You don't have a single crack up there you know?" She said, changing the subject.
Paul looked up. "I had it renovated." He said making her smile.
"What's really on your mind, Alice?"
The girls soft smile fell into a straight line. She was never one to share her feelings with someone, let alone a man. She didn't like venting, it made her feel like a burden.
"I overreacted." She said softly.
"Just a tad." Paul spoke truthfully. "But you love Ginny, you basically raised her. I'm sure you don't want ta see her get hurt."
Alice nodded as she fiddled with the hem of her dress. "She's had a hard life Paul, losing her mother and all." She said. "And I moved her across the country before she even had time to finish her teenage years, I shouldn't have been so hard on her tonight." She went on.
Alice talked for a good half an hour and Paul didn't interrupt at any point. He let her talk. He knew how it felt to vent and get cut off, Brian did it a lot.
To him, Alice always seemed like the type to keep things bottled up and then explode when it got to be too much.
"You're a good sister to her, love."
Alice rolled her eyes. "No I'm not." She whispered, wiping a stray tear that fell. She didn't even realize she had been crying.
She felt foolish. She made a big stink over something and potentially lost her sisters trust while doing it.
"Don't cry." Paul whispered, taking notice of her tear stained cheeks. "You're an amazing sister to Ginny. She's lucky to have you." He frowned and took his thumb, wiping away another tear that fell.
Alice stared up at him. "Thank you." She whispered.
"O'course." He said softly, his eyes lingering on hers.
Paul let his hand rest on Alice's cheek, wiping another tear away. "What did I say about those tears, ay?" He said jokingly making her chuckle.
Alice rolled her eyes and sniffled. Paul just smiled, his eyes studying hers. Alice tilted her head, her cheek still resting in Paul's hand gently. He was holding onto it as if she was a fragile porcelain doll from an antique shop.
Paul didn't take his eyes off of her. He was far too mesmerized with her beautiful aura to even look away. "I wish I had a camera." He whispered, his thumb caressing her cheek.
Alice would be lying if she said she didn't feel anything at that moment because her heart was racing and she felt as if her stomach was filled with butterflies eager to break away from their cocoons.
"Why?" She whispered back, her breath getting caught in her throat.
"To capture this beautiful moment," he said. "To capture you."
Alice's cheeks flushed as she let a sigh of content. "You're a flirt."
"Only to pretty birds that have blond coiled locks that fall below their shoulders."
Alice let her chin fall, trying to hide her flushing face from Paul.
But, Paul pulled his hand away from her cheek and tilted her chin back up with his index finger. "Not letting you get off that easily." He chuckled.
"Don't hide your face, love." He said softly. "Please?"
Alice rolled her eyes. "It's embarrassing."
"What is?" He hummed.
"My cheeks flushing and all that,"
"Makes me feel accomplished." He said quietly as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind Alice's ear.
"And why's that?" She questioned.
"Because it means I have an effect on you." He smiled and placed his hand back onto her cheek, caressing it gently with his thumb. Alice just shut her eyes, savoring the rare moment. She never would've dreamed that this would be happening, never in a million years.
"Alice?" Paul whispered.
"Yes, Paul?"
Leaning in, Paul tilted her chin up once again. "Can I kiss you, love?" Their lips were merely a centimeter away, one little movement and they would've brushed against one another. Alice felt her breath hitch but nevertheless she nodded making Paul close the gap between them.
Paul placed his other hand onto Alice's cheeks so that she was sandwiched between them. Feeling herself melt into his touch, Alice placed one of her hands on his, holding it gently as the other found its way to the back of his neck. Her stomach was bursting, almost like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Paul pulled her onto his lap, letting her legs find their way around his waist. Her lips moved against his with ease, they fit together like a missing puzzle piece. It felt so right and organic, like nothing she'd ever felt before. She wanted to savor this moment, make it last forever. Alice didn't want to let Paul go, and he didn't wanna release her from his grasp. He wanted to protect her, guide her through the scary world, although he knew she would be the one teaching and guiding him. She was strong willed like that which was one of the reasons Paul felt himself growing with love for her.
Suddenly the telephone began to ring, startling Alice and Paul away from each other.
Alice bit her lip and began to chuckle as her cheeks turned red.
Paul ran his finger over his plump lips, almost as if he couldn't believe that the little scene even happened.
The two stared at each other for a second, the phone still ringing in the back as they tried to process what had just happened.
"You should probably get that." She whispered, her legs still wrapped around Paul's torso.
Paul hummed, raising an eyebrow.
Alice bit her lip still giggling as she raised her thumb and pinky to her ear and mouthed the phone.
Paul's eyes widened as his cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. "Right, right." He chuckled before gently pushing Alice's legs away from him and standing up to grab the phone.
Alice let out a deep breath she didn't realize she was holding before falling back onto the sofa. She could hear him in the kitchen conversing with whomever was on the phone.
"She's fine." He muttered.
"No no she's with me don't worry, love." Alice quirked an eyebrow and sat up, her eyes darting over to the kitchen where Paul was. Whoever he was talking to, they were talking about her.
"with Pattie and Geo?" He questioned and then let out a hum as if he understood.
"I-I don't know if she'd really feel up to talking to you right now— alright alright." He hissed before walking back into the living room where Alice was.
At the sound of Paul's boots hitting the carpeted floor, Alice fell back against the sofa with her eyes closed as if she wasn't just listening to his whole conversation.
"Alice, love." He said quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. The girl hummed, peeling her eyes open to look up to him.
"There's someone on the phone for you, I think you ought to take it."
Alice nodded and stood up from Paul's couch, following him to the kitchen. He handed her the phone and pointed to the back door, insinuating that he would be in his garden while she took her call.
"Hello?" Alice said quietly.
"Al? It's me, Ginny."
"Oh." She muttered.
"I um, I wanted to say I'm sorry."
Alice bit her lip. "No I should—"
"He left me here." Ginny said, cutting her off.
"He left me at George and Pattie's because he couldn't take me home with Cynthia in the car. God I'm such a bozo." She said quietly as a sob emitted from her lips.
Alice felt her heart break at the sound of her sisters crying. "Gin, I'm sorry for blowing up at you."
"It's fine." The younger Montgomery whispered. "I deserved it."
"Do you want me to get Paul to take us home?"
Ginny muttered a no. "It's fine. George and Pattie have got me on their pull out for the night, they said it was alright even though I protested."
"Could you hand the phone over to one of the two?"
"Patties passed out, George is right here." Ginny said softly before handing the phone over to the quiet Beatle.
"Ello?"
"Hey George." Alice sighed. "Thank you for uh putting Gin up for the night, and I'm sorry if I caused a scene tonight."
"Don't be daft, Alice." George chuckled. "I would've went off on Lennon myself if I caught him in the toilets with my sister, granted she's thirteen years older than me."
Alice smiled and let out a giggle. "Thank you for understanding, Harrison."
"No worries, Ally. Pattie and I will take good care of her for the night. Come by tomorrow, yeah? You and Paul can join us for some tea."
Alice nodded her head as if the boy could see her. "I'd like that. Give Pattie my regards, will you?"
"O'course." He said softly before hanging up the phone.
Alice placed the phone back onto the receiver before walking out the back door of Paul's house to where he was in his garden.
Paul was sitting in the grass, staring up at the sky when she made her way to him. "Hi." She whispered.
Paul looked up at her, a smile growing on his face. "Hello, love." He muttered and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to his side. For some reason Alice didn't feel awkward, it felt natural.
"You alright?" He questioned.
Alice nodded her head. "Mhm, I'm alright." She said quietly. "Mad at John."
Paul laughed, shaking his head. "It's alright. He'll get what he deserves."
"Don't let this get in the way of your guys writing okay? I don't want this to make anything awkward between you all."
Paul nodded his head. "Not to sound like an ass," he muttered. "But worse things have happened."
Alice understood. She couldn't imagine what else John had done in the past.
"George and Pattie invited us over for tea tomorrow when we pick up Ginny."
"Sounds nice." He smiled, looking over at her once again. Alice felt his stare on her but didn't look at him.
"Alice." He said softly.
"Hm?"
"I don't want this to be a one time thing."
The blonde looked up, her eyes meeting his. "What do you mean?"
Paul shifted so that he was looking straight at her. "Go on a date with me."
Alice chuckled, looking up at him with disbelief. Paul stared back at her with a straight face.
"You're serious?" She questioned, sitting up straight.
Paul nodded his head. "I've been wanting to ask you that since I saw you that night at the pub, Alice, I'm serious."
"But what about Jane? You just broke up with her."
"I can't remember the last time I actually felt something for bloody Jane."
"That's very asshole-ish of you." Alice joked making the boy snicker.
"Just one date." He said softly yet seriously.
Alice bit her lip and gave in with a sigh. "You're acting as if I didn't wanna kiss you too."
Paul shook his head with a laugh. "You're such a comedian."
"So I've been told." Alice smiled before pressing her lips to Paul's once again.