Beatlemania!

“Got a thing for blondes, then, have you?” Paul teased me as we all began to clean up the next morning.
My head was pounding with a hangover, but I managed to retort, “What about you and redheads?”
He let out an obviously forced laugh, and I joined him.
“I am never drinking again,” I groaned, giving up on cleaning and just collapsing onto the floor.
“Oh, they all say that,” George remarked snidely. “And yet we all end up hung over anyhow.”
“Shut up, George. You drank more than me last night,” John snapped.

ignored them both and after swallowing a few aspirin, we were back to cleaning. The phone rang an hour later. It was Liam, asking me to meet him in Central Park.

“Where are you going?” Ringo asked mildly.
“I won’t be half an hour. Keep cleaning!” I ordered, grabbing my coat and running out.
New York was warm already, even at barely ten o’ clock. I managed to meet Liam right at the entrance to the park.
“Hello, Alice,” he smiled at me like he always did.

I was unable to give him a reply. My heart was beating faster than normal and my gut was filling with a sense of dread.
We walked on a completely different side of Central Park. I had actually only been here once, when I was searching for my bench all those years ago.

“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday,” I apologized slowly. “I was rather rude.”
Liam shook his head. “I was a dick. And I sort of deserved it.”
I smiled. “If you were a dick then I was most definitely an idiotic twit.”
I leaned up to kiss him, but gently, he pushed me away. The feeling of anxiety doubled in my stomach.

“I’m sorry, Alice. I truly am,” he said sadly.
I understood immediately. “You’re leaving me for her.”
“Her name’s Emma. She sort of reminded me of you at first,” he explained as we started to walk along. “I met her at a club in London the night of that ridiculous party at John Lennon’s house. She was nice, and I felt like you had picked John over me, so as I got drunk, we began to get...friendly.”
I was glad he was sparing me the details of his rendezvous with this girl.
“I told her I was engaged, and she felt terrible. I felt bad that she was so upset with herself, but I said goodbye. Then, when I thought you had left England, I ran into her again at another bar. We took a walk in the moonlight, and I suppose Paul saw me kiss her. I spent the rest of my time in England with her.” Liam was waiting for my reaction.
“You cheated on me,” I said blankly.
He looked horrified. “I thought that I would get back to New York and you would end it. I thought we were done.”
“But you still cheated on me.”
“Understand that I’m sorry,” Liam begged. “Please.”
I nodded curtly. “And now you’re off to see her?”
He sighed heavily. “I’m off to see her. Emma’s parents cause a lot of trouble for her. She needs me.”
I felt the tears surfacing as I kept my eyes on my toes and asked quietly. “What if I need you, Liam?”
He turned to look at me and he smiled gravely. “That’s just the thing, though, isn’t it? You don’t need me, Alice. I don’t think you ever have.”
I nodded tearfully. Silently, I slid off the ring from my left hand and handed it to him. “I think you’d better take this.”
And then he cracked. He pulled me into a hug and he kissed my lips forcefully. “I love you Alice,” he insisted. “I don’t think it’s possible for any man not to love you.”
The tears were spilling down my cheeks as I kissed him over and over again. “Don’t forget me, Liam.”
He laughed shakily. “I’ll have to forget some things; otherwise life would be awfully hard-going.”

Suddenly, he stopped walking. “And somehow things always come back to here,” he noted.
It was my bench. He kissed my hand gently and he left me sitting on my wretched bench, just watching him walk away from me. As soon as his figure disappeared, I ran. I ran faster than I ever had.

I was running from Liam, from the things he had said to me, and from the things I had left behind. I was crying for myself and myself only, and it felt good for once.
I burst into my apartment and found it completely clean.
“SURPRISE!” all four Beatles exclaimed.
I gaped at them wordlessly. “We didn’t hire maids for the day or anything,” Ringo blurted out. John stomped on his toe immediately, and Paul hurried over to me.

“What’s wrong, love?” he asked softly.
I heaved in a few breaths before collapsing into Paul heavily.
“I knew she’d go for Paul,” George whispered hoarsely.
I laughed despite myself. “Liam’s left me.”
There was silence im my apartment except for John, who snorted rather loudly and said, “The git. I knew he was an idiot when I first saw ‘im.”
“I think I just need some time for myself,” I whispered unhappily. “I’ll call you later, yeah?”
The boys looked concerned, but they nodded unwillingly.
~
For the first time in my life, time passed slowly. I sat in my room, under the covers, letting my sadness fester in my heart. Normally, I kept myself busy, but I didn’t bother this time. Tick, tick, tick...it was nine o’clock, ten past, quarter past, half-past, and I cried silently.
At half eleven, there were three knocks on my apartment door. I dragged myself out of bed and sluggishly opened the door for Paul, who was shocked to see me so wet with tears.

“Oh, Alice,” he sighed, pulling me to him.
The tears that I let out were wretched and hoarse, and I had to use all my will power to get them to stop.
“What are you doing here?” I snapped.
“We were all worried about you,” Paul explained carefully.
I snorted. “Quite right to,” I agreed, “but I’m fine now.”
“Yes, the red eyes and tearstained cheeks prove that,” Paul agreed firmly.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance. “Just go back to your hotel, Paul. I’m fine. I’ll phone you about plans for tonight.”

He left, thankfully, and I went into hibernation. I never called them about plans; I fell asleep instead. The phone rang numerous times, but I let it ring, and eventually, I expect the boys gave up.
Liam was gone. Lucy was out. Dad was fishing.

I felt alone.