Stevie did her best to ignore Hank. She refused to see him, didn't answer his calls, didn't let him in, when he was knocking on the door of her condo for hours. After what he told her, all she could think of was Lindsey, she had to see him first, before she said anything to Hank.
Not even Karen knew about what happened at Hank's place, Stevie trusted her assistant with her life, but she didn't want anyone to find out. When the two of them were being taken to another concert venue, Karen noticed just how quiet and distant Stevie was, but she respected her boss' privacy and she wasn't going to ask, unless Stevie wanted to open up herself.
Stevie was already dressed up to go out on stage, with her hair in soft bangs and her make up flawless. The door of her dressing room unexpectadly opened and she gasped, seeing Hank.
"How did you get in here?!"
"Karen let me in."
"Oh my God! I told her not to let anyone come back here!"
"Calm down, baby, please..." He closed the door, taking steps towards her.
"Get out, Hank!"
"Not until I get you to talk to me."
"I don't have anything to say to you. Please, leave. Hank, I'm begging you!"
"I don't want to leave you, Stevie! Not again, I did that the other night and what good did it do for either one of us?" He gently gripped her shoulders, as she was trying to get out of his grasp.
"What does that even mean? You told your wife that you loved her and got her back!"
"I didn't."
She stilled, giving up her fight. "No?"
He shook his head, putting his palms on her face, so their eyes would be locked. "No. I love you."
"Don't say that..." She was close to crying, her voice barely audible.
"I'll leave her for you, Stevie. I'll do anything you want me to do so we can be together, I want to be with you more than anything!"
"How can you mean any of it? We've known each other for less than three months, Hank. You couldn't have fallen in love with me."
"I never believed in love at first sight until I met you. There's nobody else like you, you are all that I want."
"What do you want me to say to you?" She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears.
"I don't want you to say anything to me right now. I just don't want you to shut me out. Stevie, I need you in my life. All I ever do now is think of you, picture your beautiful face and your gorgeous body, your piercing brown eyes, the softest skin that you have, you don't have to be near me for me to be able to feel your scent. I'm... I'm crazy about you."
"I don't think I can be for you what you want me to be. I just... I can't say anything back to all of that at the moment."
"Do you feel anything at all for me?" She kept silent, giving him an answer that she couldn't say in words. "I know you do, Stevie. I won't believe it for a second it's just sex for you."
The one thing she wished he wouldn't do was kiss her, which he did as soon as she thought of it. The kiss was almost painful, not physically, but emotionally. Her knees started growing weak and she suddenly pulled away, pushing at his chest.
"You have to go."
"Stevie..."
"Go, Hank! Leave! You have to leave now or I'll make sure we'll never see each other again." He sighed in defeat, as she left no more room for his further argument.
Stevie didn't perform that night, she simply went through motions, willing for time to pass by quicker. She knew she wasn't up to her standard and it saddened her that the fans were most likely disappointed, but her inner personal battle was getting out of control. She nearly lost it during Silver Springs, putting everything she had into fighting back her rising emotions. When they finished the set list, all four band members gathered in front of Mick's drum kit for the final bow. Lindsey had heard Stevie and Hank earlier and he didn't miss the sad look in her eyes. At that moment, he wished for nothing more than to hug her and assure her of his love.
The stage clothes off and her face clean off make up, Stevie knocked on Lindsey's dressing room door again, hoping a different outcome this time. It took him a minute to open up, making her think he was already gone. Lindsey wasn't surprised to see her standing in the hallway, he even expected her to come. He stepped to one side, letting her come inside.
Stevie was nervously rubbing her hands together, wanting to look at Lindsey, but unable to. "What is it, Stevie?"
"Hank told me he's fallen in love with me."
"I know, I heard. But I'm not sure why you're here right now, telling me this."
"Because I'm falling for him too, Lindsey." He swallowed the lump in his throat, making eye contact with her at last. "But you can still catch me."
