"Did I mention how sexy you look tonight?" George smiled pinching my bottom as we entered the door into Eric's gig.

I nearly yelled at this in surprised, though I had known George had become tipsy over the course of dinner. I wished I could've too, I'm sure I'd need it soon enough.

"George, we're in public, need I remind you."  I laughed grabbing his hand and leading him toward the side of the venue closer to security to be safe from fans and reporters, though this was one of their more low key performances.

"I just want to appreciate the mother of my child, that's all." He said in attempt to act seductive, causing me to smile though I wanted to fight it.

"Well, can you do it without touching me arse?" I looked at him, amused by his behaviour.

He hesitated to think for a moment.

"No." He looked back at me, completely serious.

When we found a safe enough spot, George and I had begun to listen in without too much of a hassle from fans or reporters, who I was yet to see any of, and I was beyond thankful for that. Cream was already playing their set, and everyone's attention was drawn to them, absolutely enthralled with the performance.

George and I were enjoying the music, and for once I felt that George wasn't worried about Eric stealing me away from him, which would never happen.

It wasn't long for that brief moment of bliss to end abruptly, as Eric's setlist has an addition that would change everything.

"This is a song I wrote, for someone very important to me," he scanned through the crowd, looking for someone, "who I know hasn't been getting treated the way she should be." He received some hollers from the women in the crowd as he began.

"What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long
You know it's just your foolish pride"

I felt my stomach drop.

"Layla, you've got me on my knees
Layla, I'm begging, darling please
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind"

He didn't.

"I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down
Like a fool, I fell in love with you
You turned my whole world upside down"

I felt my chest tighten in panic, slowly turning my head to George, who looked beyond furious, his eyes burning into Eric, no longer dancing and enjoying himself as he was moments ago.

When Eric's eyes had finally met mine and realized what he'd done, it was too late to take back everything he'd sang. He continued to play, jerking his head away from George and I quickly.

"Now do u believe me when I say he's in love with you?" His jaw clenched as he kept his eyes unmoving from Eric.

"George, you know how I feel. I'm not interested in Eric in that way, and I'll make that clear to him right after he gets offstage, I promise." I offered feeling so sorry George had to listen to this song, feeling like this was creating a thicker tension between us than even he and Maureen's kiss had.

"If you don't, I will." George grumbled angrily, staring down Eric grimly.
                            ____________

After the set, I had managed to convince George to take a moment to cool down while I let Eric down gently, to avoid it becoming a big scene as I knew George would make it with his temper.

I bit my lip watching as Eric put his guitar back into its case, forcing myself to approach him though I'd rather do absolutely anything else.

"Eric," I scared him accidentally as I came into his sight.

I watched as he caved into himself shyly, mumbling only a small hello in response.

"Eric, I-"

"Did you like the song?" He questioned, looking up into my eyes searching in my eyes as if to know the response.

I opened my mouth to speak but he continued, feeling more confident seeing the expression on my face.

"I wouldn't have played it if I knew George was coming, but I did mean everything I sang." He sighed looking down to his guitar case as he closed it speaking frankly.

"Eric, you know I love George."

"Don't you see how poorly you're being treated by him?" He took a step toward me, standing face to face with me, looking deep into my eyes, hurt clouding within his.

"You're worth so much more than you're given credit for," he spoke lowly, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, "I could show you how much you mean to me." He whispered, causing me to gulp staring into his deep brown eyes as he held my chin between his index finger and his thumb, tracing my jaw until it rested on the side of my face.

Slowly, he began to lean in, and I felt myself doing the same until I came quickly back to reality.

"Eric," I whispered, "I love George." I slipped away from his touch, leaving him with a look of loss and confusion. 

I turned around to see George looking at Eric and I from farther off, and I clenched my jaw in anger.

In the same situation George had been put in with Maureen, I stopped myself because I loved and still continue to love George beyond any force imaginable, yet he couldn't say the same.

Quickly, I began to hurry out of the club, going in the opposite direction of George, feeling myself fight off the streams of tears that was sure to fall from my eyes as I did so.

I had denied Eric, who had never been anything but kind to me for a man I felt I couldn't trust anymore, despite his recent efforts.

"Poppy!" I heard George call loudly emerging from the crowd as I stepped outside in the night air, going to attempt to call a taxi.

"Poppy." George grabbed my hand away from the road where I was trying to flag down a cab and turned me square to him, holding on to my shoulders firmly.

"You want to say, I told you so?" I looked over his shoulder to the street lights that were the only source of illumination the street along with the signs of businesses.

"Go on." I looked at him in the eye without hearing a response from him.

"You didn't kiss him." Was all he could say, letting go of my shoulders gently.

"Of course I didn't," I looked at him like he was insane, "but you can't say the same about Maureen."

He looked as if I had shot right into his stomach, his mouth staying open in a loss of words, before he quickly snapped back into reality.

"I will apologize for as long as I live and breathe for that, Poppy, I just don't know what I was thinking."

"You know what I was just thinking about? How much I love you." I scoffed looking deeply into his eyes growing angry at the amount of calmness he had on his features.

"P-"

"I just want to lie down." I spoke softly looking to the ground, holding onto my head where I was beginning to get a migraine.

"Alright." George spoke in a whisper after a moment, with a small nod.

_______________

The car ride home was completely silent, allowing my mind wander with thoughts as I drove, being the only sober one out of the two of us. I knew I would have to learn to get past what happened, but it seemed to hard. Mostly because what he'd done had been one of my biggest fears, I felt I'd lost him.

"Don't cry." George whispered softly in sorrow.

"I'm okay." I brushed away the few stray tears that had fallen.

Silence fell between the two of us once again.

"Will you come back to the bus with me tomorrow? I'll make sure you're accommodated this time better." His voice was almost in a plea.

"George, I don't know-" I began queasily.

"I need you, please." He spoke in a very quiet voice as he stared at me in anticipation.

I nodded silently.

I suppose there wasn't really anywhere to go but up for George and I, I don't think that George and I had ever been so uneasy in our relationship, but we would find out soon enough where we stood.