She tried to call him as soon as she got home that evening... she tried, and tried, and tried again, but each time all she got was his voicemail box.
She felt awful- absolutely terrible for never calling to let him know that she couldn't make it... The Lindsey she knew would have been so annoyed, and she was certain this one was as well. It was in his DNA.
"I'm sorry I was so short with you earlier." David was standing in the bathroom doorway, leaning up against the frame as he dried himself off with a towel.
"It's fine." She was already in bed, reading glasses resting on the bridge of her nose as she stared down at the book in her lap, pretending to read.
"I've just been really worried about you lately, Steph." He admitted, staring at her very intently. "You've been acting so out of character..." he had already said that before, almost like it was news to her.
She knew she wasn't acting herself- she wasn't herself. She was someone totally different.... Someone she didn't even know.
"Is it the menopause?" When he said that, she totally froze, glancing up at him to make sure he was being serious before she replied.
"Are you kidding?" She shook her head, pulling her reading glasses off her nose to look at him better. "That's such an insensitive thing to say to your wife." She really believed that... It was rude.
She wouldn't tolerate that from anyone- no man ever got to speak to her that way. It was wrong.
Rolling his eyes at himself, he let out a sigh. "I didn't mean it like that." He didn't, not really. "I just know how hard this change has been for you and I want-"
"I don't want to have this conversation with you." She had never been afraid to stick up for herself and this life was no exception to that. "Let's just go to bed and pretend you never said anything." She suggested.
She was already in a mood- the last thing she wanted was to have some drawn out talk with her husband about things he didn't understand. He couldn't possibly sympathize with her- he knew nothing about her.
Trailing through the room, he slowly sank into the mattress as he stared into those deep brown eyes. "You look nice tonight, Stevie." He tried to change the topic of conversation- lighten the mood just a little.
She stared back at him for a long moment, feeling his hand sneak up her leg as he hovered over her. "David..." she whispered, closing her eyes as this deep sigh escaped her.
His lips met the curve of her neck, hand rubbing her leg through her silk nightgown. "So good," he repeated as his kisses traveled along her jawline.
She could feel herself sink down a little further, arm circling his shoulders as her eyes stayed closed.
There was this moment where it suddenly felt right. She was comfortable and really safe... She felt at home for a split second.
It was like the person that she was in this life was slowly starting to take control- that's how it felt. It seemed like her real life- the life she'd been longing for was beginning to fade and it was scary.
So just as she felt herself slipping away, she was pulled back into reality at the thought of Lindsey, waiting for her... He was waiting for her in both lives, she could feel it.
"Not right now." She mumbled, patting his shoulder to silently tell him to stop. "I have a headache." She pulled the oldest card in the book, but she couldn't do it.
If she stopped fighting for her life back, she knew it would be gone and so would Lindsey.
He rolled his eyes gently as he fell on his back next to her. "You always have a headache, Steph." He didn't sound too enthused with her.
Pursing her lips to the side, she nodded her head. "Hmm," she shrugged a shoulder lightly, not sure what he was expecting from her. "They're chronic, what can I say?" Stevie shifted lightly, readjusting the pillows behind her to get more comfortable.
"I think you should see a doctor." David had really been tiptoeing around this conversation all week, but he couldn't keep it in any longer. "I think you might be getting early onset dementia, or som-"
"Goodnight." She cut him off, rolling over abruptly.
"I-" he was really trying to just talk to her about it, but she wasn't having it- she wasn't going to listen.
"Close your eyes, or go to the couch." She was mean- she sounded really mean, which was even stunning to her.
He nodded lightly, sucking in his bottom lip as he stared up at their bedroom ceiling. "I love you, baby." He did- he loved her a lot, even though she was becoming just a shell of the woman he married.
She didn't know why, but these thick tears suddenly filled the brims of her eyes as she nodded her head. "I love you, too." She slowly reached back, finding his hand to wrap around her.
~~~
It was three in the morning when Stevie found herself standing outside the door of the studio, hoping he would answer.
She knew him well, even if it was in a different world- Lindsey was still predictable.
When something inconvenient happened in his life, he found refuge in the one thing that was always there... music.
So once she knew her husband was fast asleep, she snuck out of bed and slipped right out of the house... It was wrong, she knew it was, but she didn't feel it.
He didn't have the pull on her that Lindsey always had and for that, she didn't regret a thing.
"I'm so sorry." That was the very first thing that left her mouth the moment the door came open and her eyes met those blue storms. "I'm so sorry." She repeated with tears blurring her vision.
Lindsey stared at her for a second and then, almost like he'd been doing it forever, he wrapped her in his arms. "Hey," his voice was so soft and sympathetic. "It's okay." He assured, pulling away just enough to look down into those eyes. "Stop that." He chuckled, wiping away some of those tears.
"I wanted to come, I really did, but-" she had started rambling on so much, her words were so jumbled from how worked up she'd gotten.
"You don't have to explain yourself, Stevie." His eyes scanned over her face, thinking about how beautiful she was. "Life happens- I get it." He could tell there was more than just that that had been bothering her, but he wasn't going to pry... Not yet, at least.
Biting down on her lower lip, she felt herself sink into him a little more and without any hesitation, they both leaned in.
It was soft and sweet for a second and then she slipped her arms around his neck as the door slammed close behind them.
He paused for a second, still holding her close. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Lindsey used one hand to push some of those crazy curls out of her face to see her eyes better.
"I'm beyond sure." She nodded quickly, lips meeting his once more as he pushed her up against the door.
"God, you're so beautiful." He mumbled against her mouth as he felt the curve of her hips. "So beautiful." When he said that, little butterflies formed in the pit of her stomach.
He meant it. She knew- deep down that he meant it and he felt it.
There was magic... They were magic.
