When I See You Again

Part 29

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Lindsey spoke up, once the two of them sat down in Stevie's living room.

"Nu-uh, you first. You called me." Stevie pointed at him then at herself. "I sure hope you're not about to tell me that you and Cheri are getting married or something." She added, when he didn't respond.

"No. God, no!" Lindsey shook his head, the thought made him shudder. "Actually... I don't know, why this is so difficult. I just don't want to seem like an idiot."

"What's going on, Linds?" Stevie asked, picking up on his nervousness.

"I broke up with Cheri. Again." He rolled his eyes. "For good this time."

Stevie felt relief wash over her, but she wasn't going to mention it. "And you were nervous to tell me that?"

"Well, not just that." Lindsey shook his head and grasped her much smaller hand with his. "I know that this is not what you want. You keep telling me to move on as apparently you're doing so yourself, but I can't, Stevie. I just don't want to. I've spent the last couple of days thinking, staying up late, because I can't stop thinking about it. I love you and in spite of whatever you say, I know that you love me, too. I can't bare the thought of not being with you, of raising our child separately, not as a family. Neither of us know, what's it going to be like. But I know that there are going to be so many little things like the first smile, the first laugh, the first word, step..." Lindsey had to stop to compose himself. "Steph, I don't want to miss any of that. I don't want to miss seeing our son or daughter growing up. I don't want to come over occasionally, on birthdays and holidays. I want to be there all the time, I want to do it together."

"That's what you've been nervous about." Stevie stated to which Lindsey nodded his head.

"I understand why you would want to have someone like Rick by your side, but you don't love him, you don't. You're not the kind of person to just be in a relationship. You need passion, love, romance, even anger. I admit, we have taken the latter too far too many times, but it's because we care so much about each other. We get angry and we fight, because no matter what has happened, we still want to fight for each other." The lack of expression on Stevie's face worried Lindsey. He didn't know if she already thought of him as an idiot or was she simply processing everything he'd told her. "What we've been through already, some people don't experience in a lifetime. Even though sometimes I've come close to hating you, even though you've hurt me just as much as I have hurt you, even though I've cried for you more times than I care to count... Steph, you're still it for me."

"I hate you." Lindsey's eyes grew wide and Stevie was quick to elaborate. "I hate that I'm such an open book to you and that you love me as strongly as you do." Her bottom lip quivered and she let go of his hand, both of hers now covering her face.

Lindsey shifted over closer to her and gently pulled her hands away, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, his lips pressed to her temple. "I do. Not even all the songs I've written about you or things I've said to you can express just how much." He pressed another kiss to her hair. "I'm yours for the taking, Steph. It's for you to decide, whether what you have with Rick is enough for you."

She sniffled and looked at him teary-eyed. "I don't have anything with Rick, Lindsey." She sighed, playing with the material of her very loose dress. 

"What do you mean?" His heart started beating a bit faster.

"I said, I've got something to tell you." Taking a deep breath, Stevie continued. "Just before you called, he and I broke up. Well, if there even was anything to break up. I just told him that I won't make him happy, he won't ever have my heart, because..." She trailed off, their eyes locked. She saw him gulp, anxiously waiting for her to finish. Stevie brought her hand up to caress his cheek, the pad of her thumb then gently traced over his lips. "Because you do."

Lindsey placed his hand over hers and planted a small kiss on her palm. "What are you saying?"

A smile tugged at her lips. "I'm saying, well, I'm asking if maybe you could stay with me? I really don't want to be alone." She referenced the night he'd spent with her not long ago, knowing, he'd understand.

"O-only tonight?" Lindsey gulped as the two of them slowly drifted closer together. 

Stevie shrugged. The atmosphere became a lot lighter and she teased him. "We'll see if my snoring doesn't drive you out of the house in the middle of the night."