Another Chance

Girl Talk

It had been a week since Lindsey had opened up to Stevie about his feelings and said he had wanted them to be together again. Deep down Stevie had always wanted and believed that someday they would rekindle their romance and grow old together but there was a difference between wanting something and it becoming a reality. Stevie could far too easily recall all the bad times, all the times they had screamed at each others for hours, all the times various objects that had been thrown across rooms, all the times either her or Lindsey had walked out of their apartment vowing not to return and how much pain and heartache they had caused each other.

She was so conflicted and decided to turn to someone she knew was always a good voice of reason when it came to her and Lindsey: Christine McVie. Chris and Stevie had been each other’s rocks during the break up of Stevie and Lindsey’s relationship and Chris and John’s divorce. She knew she could trust Christine to keep this between the two of them but also to give honest advice. She had invited Chris over under the pretence of dinner. They hadn’t spoken much since Stevie had entered rehab and she had missed her friend.

“Hey Chris, come in” Stevie greeted her old friend with a hug.

“Hey love” Christine returned the hug. “How are you doing?” she asked as she followed Stevie into the kitchen.

“I’m feeling good, it’s so good to have the band back together with everyone getting along. I’m pretty nervous about this tour but I can’t wait to get back out on stage. I’ve missed it”

“Speaking of getting along, you and Buck seem to be spending a lot of time together recently. Don’t tell me you’re shagging again!!” Christine laughed but stopped when she saw the look on Stevie’s face.

“Oh God! I was joking, you actually are, aren’t you?” she questioned wide-eyed.

“No, no, no! That hasn’t happened!” Stevie exclaimed.

“But something has, right?” Christine pressed further and Stevie knew that she had to be honest.

“We’ve been, well I suppose you could call it dating. Honestly Chris, it’s been so nice to get to know each other again and he seems so different, well not really different but more like the old Lindsey, my Lindsey from before we joined the band. Not the obsessive control freak that broke my heart”

“Oh love, I thought something like this might happen” Christine said looking at her friend sympathetically.

“What do you mean?” Stevie enquired.

“Okay, don’t tell Lindsey I’ve told you this but about a month after you went into rehab for the second time Lindsey called me, I’ve never heard him so upset. I think he had been drinking, it was 3am, but he was saying over and over that this was all his fault that he had destroyed you, that he could never forgive himself. I was worried about him so I called Mick and the next day we went to his place to check on him. He was a mess; I don’t think he had left the house for weeks. Even during the worst of our drug abuse I hadn’t seen him in such a state. Anyway it took us a few hours but we convinced him he couldn’t beat himself up about it, that you and Lindsey had both hurt each other but that we all knew that you still loved him”

“I had no idea he even knew I had gone back to rehab at that time, let alone that he was still worrying about me” Stevie whispered as a single tear ran down her cheek.

“The next time I saw him was with Mick and John, he was talking about this album and a potential tour but after he took me aside and asked whether I thought you would want to take part. And then he said something about he was going to try his hardest to win you back. At the time I thought he just meant for the band because he was so excited about reuniting but now I guess it meant something very different!”

“Oh Chris, I’m so confused! Can this work? We’ve always been happy for a while and then ended up breaking each other’s hearts again, I’m too old to do that all over again!” Stevie exclaimed

“Do you still love him?” Christine asked inquisitively.

“I don’t think I ever stopped, I was just really angry for a long time but I don’t think I can recall a time when honestly I didn’t love him. Maybe that’s what made me so angry?” Stevie replied.

“I think you already knew what you wanted before you asked me to come over tonight” Christine smiled and raised her eyebrows at Stevie.

“I think you’re right, I just needed someone to tell me I’m not making a mistake”

“Stevie, you and Lindsey love each other. You always have done and everyone has always known this. Things have changed, you’ve both grown up a lot and without all the drugs and booze complicating things I think you owe it to each other to give it another shot”

“You’re right” Stevie nodded.

“Of course I am” Christine said with a smile. Stevie smiled at her friend before walking over and embracing her, she whispered “Thanks Chris, you’re too good to me”

“Always here love. Now where’s this dinner I was promised?” The two women laughed and chatted for the rest of the evening as they ate. Stevie was so thankful to be in Christine’s calming presence and she had made up her mind. She would call Lindsey tonight.