I Learnt To Love In Liverpool | George Harrison ✅

♥ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ♥

Two Weeks Later

I'd been avoiding him. I'd been avoiding them both, actually. George and John hadn't seen me since the day after the BBC interview. The next morning, I had woken up and taken the earliest train I could back to Liverpool with the excuse of seeing dad and Mike, but the intention of avoiding both George and John.

George had been phoning nonstop, of course, but dad and Mike always answered, and they always told him that I wasn't there; that I'd gone on a little holiday with some girl friends... but George still phoned every night to ask if dad had heard from me and to enquire as to how I was doing.

My actions were killing me, but I couldn't face George.

I had had two weeks to think about John and my feelings for him. Why had I kissed him back?

The answer was simple...

I loved him.

And as sick as it made me feel to say that, it was a simple fact, and I knew that I couldn't cheat on George (anymore than I already had). Whether emotionally or not, cheating was wrong... and so I had come to a simple conclusion.

I had to break up with George.

"Dad?" I asked as I came downstairs wearing one of the pyjama sets which I had left here before we had all moved to London. Dad was in the kitchen, but when he saw me appear in the doorway, he beamed.

"A father never tires of seeing his children in his house, Em," he told me as he plated the breakfast and gestured to the stairs so I would call Mike down. He was probably still asleep, but I called him anyway. I then went back into the kitchen, "I only wish that Paul would come home for a bit." He furrowed his eyebrows, "he grew up so fast. You both did. And Mike, of course, but he's still here, so I don't need to miss him." I sat down opposite dad and just smiled, "Em," he said, and somehow I knew what was coming next. I braced myself, "what happened in London...? Was it something with George? He's a nice lad, I'm sure 'e didn't mean it -"

"It wasn't with George, dad, but it does involve him." I sighed and looked down at the egg which dad had cooked for me - sunny side up, just as mum always had. "Daddy," I said, "I kissed John."

"John?" Dad exclaimed in disbelief, but quietly so Mike wouldn't hear if he were coming down the stairs. "John as in John Lennon?"

I nodded, feeling tears cloud my vision. This had happened multiple times since I had come back to Liverpool, but only ever in the private of the little room which I used to share with my brother. I missed the days when we'd been two school children at the Inny... life had been so simple.

"Daddy, I kissed John, and now I have to break up with George -" I cried, but he cut me off.

"Darling, if it didn't mean anything -"

"But it did!" I sobbed, covering my eyes with my hands as I wiped my tears away, "dad, it meant something! God, he... he's my best friend... but I think that I love him!"

Dad didn't know what to do, I knew that. I wanted him to comfort me, but at the same time, I knew that he wouldn't be able to do it like Paul did. Paul always knew what to do. I wished that I had taken him up on his offer for a little chat in the middle of the flat which I shared with George and Ringo.

"Em, I'm going to phone Paul. Stay here, finish your eggs." He didn't attempt to stop me crying, but I was grateful that he was going to call Paul, because I trusted Paul more than I trusted anybody.

Paul's POV

We didn't know where Em was. We didn't know why she had disappeared so suddenly, and we didn't know why she wasn't calling us. Was it something I had done? Had George done something wrong? Or was it simply that she was angry with us for letting John spill everything about her and George's relationship to the BBC?

A knock at my bedroom door in the Ashers' attic knocked me from my thoughts. "Paul?" It was Jane. My gorgeous girlfriend poked her head round the side of the door gingerly, a little smile on her face as she said, "the phone's for you."

"The phone?" Nobody ever rang me at the Ashers'. Even the boys didn't. They usually just showed up without an invitation. "Who is it?" I asked her.

"It's your dad." She paused, "he said it's about Emeraude." She said Em's name very pointedly. Never in our relationship had I heard her call my sister by her nickname. She was always Emeraude to her.

"Oh," I said, "a'right, Jane, thank you..." she went to leave, but I asked, "do you want to go out for dinner tonight?"

She beamed and nodded eagerly, squeaking excitedly as she hurried down the stairs and back to the main part of the house.

I took the phone from Mrs Asher - Margaret, as she had told me to call her - she smiled at me by way of a greeting before she strode off to prepare for her next student.

"Da?" I asked.

"Took you bloody long 'nough, Paul." Dad snapped at me, which was very uncharacteristic of him.

I didn't hold it against him. I asked civilly, "is something wrong?"

"I've got Em 'ere, sobbing like a widow. She's done something, Paul, and she's in bad shape over it -"

"What's she done?"

"I think she needs to tell you 'erself." Dad answered, "can you come up today?"

"O'course." The memory of asking Jane for dinner was gone from my mind as I thought of my little sister. I hung up and then dialled John. "We're goin' ter Liddypool today." I told him by way of a greeting.

It was early morning, not even 9AM, so he must have been asleep when I called because his voice was clouded with grogginess, "what? Why?"

"Em's at dad's and I'm s'pose ter be goin' up there." My accent always grew thicker when I was emotional.

"What 'bout George?" John asked in a slightly bitter tone, "why don't you take 'im? Ye don't need me -"

"A'right, I will -"

"No!" John exclaimed, "I'm gettin' dressed now, stop by on your way. See you in a bit." And then he put the phone down.

That's weird, I thought, but I didn't question it. I put the phone back on the hook and turned around, squeaking in surprise when I saw Jane standing there.

"How long have you been there?"

She shrugged, "long enough." She paused, "dinner's off tonight, isn't it?" She didn't sound surprised, and I felt bad... but family came first, and Em was always my priority, whether I was with Jane or not.

I went over to her and gently kissed her lips, keeping it simple and chaste in case her father or mother walked in. I didn't care about her brother, Peter, walking in on us because he had done so before. "I'm sorry, Jane," I told her as honestly as I could. "It's just -"

She sighed, "Emeraude comes first." She finished for me, looking down at the floor. "I know... and I'm not surprised. It'll never change for you, Paul, will it?"

"She's my sister -"

"And I'm supposed to be your girlfriend!" Jane snapped, though not loudly enough for the argument to be overheard. "You live with me... I should be priority. Without me, Paul, you'd have nothing -"

"Without Em, I'd be no one... and that's a thousand times worse, Jane." I turned away from her, angry and unable to look at her because of how selfish and jealous she was being. That wasn't the Jane that I knew and loved. "I'll see you tomorrow, I'll stay at my dad's tonight." I went to the front door and took my car keys before leaving. Jane watched me, but we both remained silent.