Let Me Help You

I changed my mind

"Don't be so nervous." Lindsey glanced briefly at Stevie, as they were getting closer to her parents' house. He kept his promise and a week after the phone call, he was taking her back home.

"I'm so afraid, Linds. I just can't imagine how it's going to be and it scares me."

He placed his hand on her thigh and gave her a squeeze, before putting both his hands on the steering wheel again. "They're your parents, Stevie. It's been hard for all of you lately, but they love you, sweetheart." She didn't say anything else, trying to calm down, as her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Over twenty minutes later, Lindsey parked the car in the driveway and turned to Stevie, who was staring straight ahead, not blinking. He couldn't help but laugh a little. He waited until she was ready to get out and when she did, he came up to her and clasped their hands.

"Come on." He took a step forward, but she didn't budge. "Stevie, seriously?"

"What if they don't love me anymore?"

"Silly girl." Lindsey smiled lovingly at her and tugged at her hand again.

He rang the doorbell and they stood, waiting for a moment, until Stevie's mother let them in, instantly wrapping her daughter into a tight embrace. Lindsey hung back, knowing there couldn't have been any other reaction from Barbara. The two women cried, holding onto each other, then finally drew back, both of them with big grins on their faces.

"I'm sorry for everything." Stevie said sniffling. "I'm sorry for everything I've done."

"Shh, no Stephanie. It's gone, it's all in the past." They hugged again, before Barbara moved on to embracing Lindsey. "And I've missed you just as much!"

"I've missed all of you, too." He said sincerely.

"Why don't we go inside? I'm sure there's someone else who is dying to see you, sweetheart." Stevie's mother smiled, putting an arm around her.

Stevie gasped, her eyes brimming with tears again as she laid her eyes on her father. "Daddy..."

"God, Stephanie!" He pulled her into his arms. "You have no idea how amazing it is to see you."

"I feel the same." She chuckled, when her father wiped the tears under her eyes, just like he used to when she was a little girl. "I can't say sorry enough..."

"And I want you to not talk about it. I haven't seen my baby girl for two years, we have too much to talk about, there's not time for repeating how sorry you are. It's not your fault, Stephanie. We're all guilty." Jess said firmly. "But what I do want to say is thank you, Lindsey. You've always been there for my daughter even at worst times."

"What can I say..." Lindsey shrugged, able to come up with the only explanation for his actions. "I love her." Stevie looked down, blushing as her parents exchanged looks, smiling.

"How about we go and finish cooking dinner?" Barbara asked Stevie, who nodded in agreement, leaving the two men alone.

"I really mean it, Lindsey. I don't think she would have got out of that place if not for you."

"I couldn't not do anything about it. Stevie is so much more, she can offer and she deserves a lot. I didn't have a plan, I knew that I had to get her out of there. I didn't care what my girlfriend was going to say, there's so much history between us that I wanted to help her any way I possibly could."

"You're a good man." Jess patted Lindsey's back, as they took a seat. "And this girlfriend of yours... How does she feel about it?"

"Lisa just left, she got a job in New York and... honestly? I'm not sure we're even together anymore, we haven't spoken once yet. There's friendship, but there's no love."

"What about you and Stephanie?"

"Actually..." Lindsey took a deep breath before continuing. "I know I found her barely two weeks ago, but... I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"Well." Jess looked seriously at him, before breaking into a smile. "I think that's the only right to do."

"This is between us for now, okay?"

Meanwhile, Stevie and Barbara where busy with catching up more than cooking a meal. After they covered the events of the past couple of years that were worth mentioning, Barbara went straight for it.

"So, are you and Lindsey finally back together?"

"No."

"Why!"

Stevie had to laugh. "Mom, I need to start living again, get back on my feet, before thinking about relationships. Besides, I don't think he would want me that way anyway."

"Do you think he would have done what he has if you didn't mean the world to him? That man is besotted with you, Stephanie."

"He told me he loves me."

"He told us that half an hour ago."

"I told him I love him too."

"I don't want to make decisions for you, sweetheart, but I do want what's best for you. You've been silly enough to let Lindsey go once, don't waste this chance."

Stevie sat quietly, letting the words sink in. Lindsey said he would wait, but just for how long? What if he got tired of chasing her and suddenly gave up? Yes, she was scared and scarred, but she couldn't deny she fell in love with Lindsey all over again that second time he came back to take her with him.

Later that same evening, everyone had scattered to their rooms for the night. Stevie couldn't stop replaying the conversation she had with her mother in her head. She tried falling asleep to stop her mind from racing, but instead, she kept thinking that Lindsey was a door away from her. For some reason, the bed felt oddly entirely too big and the feeling of loneliness started sinking in. She left her own room, quietly not to make a sound and went in to Lindsey's, without thinking of knocking first.

"Are you awake?"

Lindsey smiled to himself in the darkness, having had a feeling this might happen. "No, I feel a bit lonely."

"Me too." Stevie said, still standing by the door, in nothing but an oversized t-shirt.

"What are you doing, still standing there?"

She hurried over to the bed and under the covers, snuggling up to his side. "Better."

"So much." He added, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It's funny how we're at your parents, sneaking into each other's rooms. At thirty six and thirty five." He said, making her laugh.

"Hey, I told my mother tonight there was nothing going on between us."

"And you didn't lie."

Stevie looked up, chocolate eyes staring into ocean blue. "What if I changed my mind?"

"About what?"

"Lindsey..."

"I said I was going to wait for you even if it takes forever and I meant it. It's up to you, Stevie."

"I don't want any stupid labels."

"How's that going to work? We'll be dating, but we won't be boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"See, it just sounds so ridiculous."

"Okay, I promise not to refer to you as my girlfriend."

"Okay, I would like to be your not girlfriend."

"You're one of a kind, you know that?"

"Better kiss me."

Who was he to deny her?