Broken Promises

Part 14

It was quiet on the other end and Lindsey didn't make an effort to fill the silence. Holding the phone against his ear, his other hand in the front pocket of his jeans, he waited. He heard her sniffle and his heart ached, but he wasn't the one, who had done something so terribly wrong. 

"Did- did Don call you?" Stevie asked after some time.

"Yeah." Lindsey nodded even though she couldn't see it. "Needless to say, we're no longer friends. I can't believe I trusted him for so many years."

"And what are we, Linds?" 

Running a hand through his hair, Lindsey exhaled heavily and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you really. This is not a conversation I want to have over the phone."

"I'll come to you." She replied instantly.

He shut her down just as fast. "Don't. I don't want to see you."

"Lindsey, I'm so sorry... I-"

"I don't really want talk to you either." Lindsey admitted. He could see her clearly in his mind, he knew, rivers of tears were rolling down her cheeks and if he had been with her, he would have already wiped those tears away and pulled her into his arms.

 "I understand." It hurt her, but she realized that the hurt she'd caused him was far worse. "I love you."

"Don't call me, okay? If and when I want to, I'll do it myself."

"O-okay. I love you." She repeated, unsure if Lindsey even heard it before he hung up.

Of course, he hadn't just suddenly stopped loving her, but Lindsey simply couldn't bring himself to say those words back. He was angry, upset and hurting, he had every right to feel the way he did, but he also knew, Stevie was hurting, too, which made the whole situation even worse. 

When Lindsey walked back inside and took his seat at the table, he wanted to get up and leave again. He had no intension of joining a conversation or laughing about the latest prank one member of his band played on another. As he sat, sipping his drink, all he could think about was his wife, the woman he'd been in love with for well over two decades, in bed with someone, who he'd considered to be his friend. 

Don didn't hold back. In his mind, Stevie had disrespected him. She didn't want him, she stood up and walked out of his house. That was unacceptable. So, he wasted no time. Late the night before, he dialed Lindsey's number. Pretending like he could no longer carry the guilt, he wanted to come clean about something. Lindsey knew, he just knew, especially having seen those pictures of Don and Stevie together. All Lindsey could do was listen. He didn't interrupt Don once as he was letting it all out; where, when, how often, fortunately, not how. Lindsey felt sick, he was completely heartbroken, when he found out that the only woman he had ever loved felt the need to look elsewhere. He wondered if Don was the only one, he couldn't help it. Was it his fault? Didn't Stevie feel loved enough? Didn't he show he cared enough? Didn't he give her enough attention? Why? Why was the only question that he wanted answered.

"I don't know what he told you, but I beg of you, don't believe everything he said." 

Lindsey read the text he'd just received from Stevie. What wasn't he supposed to believe? Did Don lie about her falling in love with him, claiming that she told him he knew how to take care of her unlike Lindsey himself? Or maybe, Lindsey wasn't supposed to believe that one of his children possibly wasn't actually his?