Where I Belong

Part 2

Lindsey thought that he had never driven slower than that night. Stevie sat in the passenger's seat beside him, watching the city they were passing by. Callie was in the backseat, he kept checking the rearview mirror, a million questions on his mind that he didn't dare ask right now.

"So..."

"Dad, not now." Callie shook her head, he saw her narrowed eyes through the mirror when he glanced at it again. 

"You're gonna get pulled over if you don't speed up." Stevie steered the conversation into a different direction.

"I don't care." Lindsey shrugged and continued on without putting any more pressure on the gas pedal. "I'd rather bring you home safe."

"You didn't have to do that either." Stevie finally turned her head to look at him. "We could have-"

"Stevie, please." Lindsey said, holding up a hand to silence her.

"I just don't want to get you into any more trouble." As if on cue, the sound of Lindsey's phone ringing filled the car. "I'm sure your wife isn't too happy with you."

"Oh my God..." Callie murmured quietly.

"My wife is too busy entertaining her friends to be thinking about me." Lindsey replied, knowing that it was most definitely Kristen, who was trying to reach him.

They arrived at Stevie's shortly after. Lindsey noticed that all the lights were out and there weren't any cars in the driveway that he didn't recognize. Callie had already climbed out while Stevie stayed behind to thank Lindsey, who wasn't ready to say, goodnight, just yet.

"Can I come in for a minute?" He asked. "If you're alone of course. I wouldn't want to get you into any trouble." He echoed her words and heard her sigh.

"What for, Lindsey? You've already done enough. We're home, so..." Stevie shrugged, staring back at him. She could tell he was trying to come up with a reason. "Fine."

Lindsey pulled the key out of the ignition and swung the driver's side door open to jump out and follow Stevie into her home. He sensed that she was annoyed, but that was nothing new, that wasn't important. However minor the accident was, he knew that both Stevie and Callie were shaken up, so he wanted to hang around just in case they needed something, absolutely anything from him. 

"Where is your boyfriend, Cal'?" Lindsey asked, once he located his daughter in the kitchen. "Aren't you usually together on Christmas?"

"Jack is with his parents, they're visiting their relatives out of state, and I wanted to be with mom since there's no party this year to keep her occupied." Callie replied, opening one of the cupboards for a cup to make herself some much needed tea.

Why isn't there a party this year, Lindsey wondered. And why would Stevie needed a distraction? Or was he just reading too much into it?

"He hasn't run away if that's what you're thinking." Callie added.

"I wasn't-"

"Sit down, honey. Let me do it." Stevie cut in as she walked into the kitchen and saw Callie struggling with the packaging.

Too exhausted to argue, Callie did as told. Lindsey took a seat at the table in front of her and just blankly stared at his daughter. He knew that now was not the time, but he simply couldn't wrap his head around the fact that his child was having a child of their own.

"We'll talk, I promise." Callie said. "Just not tonight, okay?"

Lindsey nodded his head and forced out a small smile. "Not tonight."

"Lindsey, you want anything?" Stevie asked and he looked back over his shoulder, having forgotten that Stevie was there for a second. 

"Uh, no. Thanks." He declined, placing his hand over his phone, tucked inside his jeans pocket, when it started ringing again.

Seeing Stevie bringing the tea over to the table, Callie got up on her feet. "I'll take it upstairs." She approached Lindsey from behind first and bent down slightly to wrap her arm around him. "Thanks. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart. Get some rest." Lindsey gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Stevie and Lindsey were left alone. She brought her own cup and took Callie's seat. They were silent for a moment until Stevie cleared her throat and spoke up. "Why don't you want to go home, Linds?"

"I didn't say that." Lindsey replied, sounding defensive.

"You don't have to." Stevie shook her head, smiling weakly.

Lindsey exhaled heavily, giving a one shoulder shrug. "I don't want to be a part of Kristen's circus, I guess. There's a bunch of people at my house, who I don't even really know. She's been talking nonstop for hours, trying to paint this perfect picture that our life supposedly is and I'm just... I'm so tired of it." He admitted. They rarely ever spoke about his marriage. "It's quiet here, it's nice."

"You know, you can't stay here." Stevie told him before he could ask.

"I know." Lindsey nodded, leaning back against the chair. "Where's your boyfriend on this special day?" Clear disgust in his voice.

Stevie had to laugh. "We've not reached that stage yet."

"But he's still around?" Lindsey asked and she nodded her head. 

"You're allowed to have a wife and three more kids, but I'm not allowed to even talk to another man?" Stevie asked, only half joking. "You can't get jealous, Lindsey."

"I'll always be a little jealous." Another truth he hadn't admitted to in a long time.

"A little." Stevie repeated. "Yeah, sounds like it." She took a sip of her tea. "Go home, Lindsey. These conversations never lead to anything good."

With a sigh, Lindsey pushed back the chair and rose to his feet. Stevie walked with him to the front door, where he stopped himself and turned around to face her again. 

"Call me if you need anything." Lindsey said, hugging Stevie goodbye.

"Will do." Stevie nodded, pulling back. She moved to open the door for him. "Let me know you're back safe." She added, wanting him to know that she cared about him as much as he did about her.