Angel

Part 32

It was getting late. Stevie had a big day ahead of her - the release of her first solo album - and she knew, she needed to rest. She had several interviews scheduled and a party to attend, to celebrate her new record, which was undoubtedly going to be a massive success. Her mind was racing, she was anxious. Lindsey wasn't beside her either, he was still in his studio.

Stevie gave up about twenty minutes later. Barefoot and wearing only her nightie, she searched for something first before going to see Lindsey. She found him listening to some track she didn't recognize and she just watched him for a minute, not wanting to disturb him.

"I know you're here." Lindsey said, his eyes closed.

Stevie smiled shyly and made her way towards him, her hands behind her back. "I couldn't fall asleep."

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Lindsey asked, giving her a sympathetic look. 

"Yeah, but I think there's more to it." Stevie shifted her weight from one foot onto the other, her eyes fixed on the floor. "I know, I said that what I'm doing this is for me. That it's important for me to separate my own work from Fleetwood Mac and well..." She shrugged, sighing heavily. "From you. But your opinion is still extremely important to me. I probably shouldn't, but I want you to like, what I've made."

"Of course, I'm gonna like it, baby." Lindsey wrapped his arm around the back of her legs, giving her a gentle push to make herself comfortable in his lap, but she didn't budge.

"I want you to be the first person to hear it, Linds." Stevie said. "Well, the first person, who wasn't involved in the making of the album." She finally revealed, what she had been hiding from him since she came in.

The last thing Lindsey expected was to get emotional. Bella Donna. He took the record from her hands and stared at it without blinking for a moment. He moved his hand and touched the cover with his fingertips, then turned it over. He acted like a total jerk, when Stevie told him at first. He was jealous and scared of what was to come. It took him a while to get used to the idea that he was no longer the only person to take her beautiful poems and turn them into something more. Only when they were officially back together, when he knew, she didn't decide to make a solo album to get away from her, that was when he became supportive of what she was doing. 

"Why?" Lindsey asked, lifting his eyes up. 

"I just do." Stevie gave a weak shrug, waiting for him to move out of his seat and put the record on. 

And he did. She walked over to the couch to sit down, her heart beating out of her chest until the the first song started playing, filling the silence in the room. She knew that for the next forty minutes or so he wasn't her boyfriend. He was the creative genius, who listened to and heard everything, who pick up on the smallest detail the majority of people wouldn't even pay attention to. Song after song she watched him, trying to get something out of his changing facial expressions, his fingers tapping along to the music, his eyes closing and opening again.

The last song faded out and Lindsey remained with his lips sealed. Stevie shifted in her seat, waiting for him to say something. Anything. At last, he got up from his chair and approached her. She looked up at him a little confused. He held out his hand and she took it, standing up, he wrapped her in his arms and instant relief washed over her.

"I'm so proud of you." Lindsey said, pulling back slightly to show her his genuine expression. "Even though it pains me that I'm not on it with you, you did an incredible job."

Chuckling tearfully, Stevie pulled him back closer, holding onto him tightly. "You have no idea what this means to me."

"I'm sorry for ever doubting your intentions, for believing that you wanted to do this to hurt me." Lindsey's sounded hoarse as he swallowed uneasily. "Thank you for letting me be the first person to hear your album." He drew back again and held her face in the palms of his hands. "I'm a huge fan." 

Stevie blinked away her tears and leaned in to kiss him. "I'll sign it for you if you like." She joked, making him laugh. 

"It would be an honor." Lindsey nodded, caressing her cheek. 

"We didn't talk about it, but I know, this was the last obstacle in our relationship." Stevie said and the smile on his face faded. "I was so worried, how you'd feel, when it wasn't just talk anymore, when I handed you a copy. To see you be sincerely happy for me..." She trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. "When you finally decide to give me a different kind of ring-" She held up her hand to show his birthday present for her. "I'll accept it."

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THE END

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A different take on Bella Donna and a nice place to leave these two. Thank you so much for reading! ♥