Decades

Keep Us Together

Stevie and Lindsey had an 11:00 am wake-up call. They had two hours to meet the plane. Stevie had finally slept last night on the sofa, but she woke up puffy, exhausted, and sore. She dreaded having to interact with Lindsey. She was afraid he would still be behaving cruelly and didn't want to hear another awful thing he might say to her.

She started her morning with a couple of ridiculously fat lines. She knew she would need something stronger than her backbone to get her through the day she was imagining. After showering and dressing, she woke Lindsey. He looked like he'd been "rode hard and put up wet," as the saying goes. He looked around the room, disoriented for a second, before sitting up in bed and looking at Stevie.

He immediately noticed her swollen eyes and pained expression. She hadn't been in bed with him and hadn't awakened him by snuggling her warm body against his. She'd said his name, tapped his shoulder, and took a step back. It only took a second for the memories to flood back to Lindsey. He'd seen her with Don. He watched them from a distance, John and Mick restraining him from going over and making a scene. But he'd watched, and their group had been going in the same direction at the time, so he'd been able to follow them.

Don had looked at Stevie adoringly, and she'd returned the look. Lindsey had seen it. The two hadn't been acting. They were enjoying themselves, feeding each other, holding hands, and snuggling together for a carriage ride. No paparazzi or fans were stalking them. There was no one to pretend for or to impress. It was a real date.

Hurtfully, it was the kind of date that Lindsey and Stevie hadn't ever had. When they were young and starting out, there had been no money to visit tourist destinations. They wouldn't have been able to afford a carriage ride or even dinner and drinks and cover charges.

Once they joined Fleetwood Mac, their time was poured into recording, touring, and later partying, not making time for date nights with each other. Eventually, things became ugly between them, and they could barely be in each other's company without things deteriorating into an ugly scene. So, the idea of strolling through New Orleans hand in hand, enjoying Cajun delicacies, and listening to live music was nothing more than a dream for Lindsey and Stevie.

Seeing her do those things with Don hurt.

Then, he'd seen those pictures of them together. It had been hard to contain his rage. There in a magazine was his rival groping Stevie's ass and kissing her at his hotel room door. He felt like such a fool. He'd sat there waiting for her to come home until the wee hours like a golden retriever waiting to sit and wag his tail when their owner finally took the time to toss him a bone. He didn't want to be her fool again.

But then, he remembered their lovemaking on the balcony. There was no way that wasn't real. It had been transcendent.

His cruel words when he arrived home hadn't even registered with him yet.

He tried to seek Stevie's eyes, but she was busying herself around the room, not speaking to him. When she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, he could see that she was afraid to look or talk to him. He felt queasy from the alcohol and the partial memory of their encounter that he wasn't sure he wanted to recall. God, what had he said to her? What had she said? Was she acting this way because she'd told him she wanted to end things? Did she admit her feelings for Don? Did she sleep with him last night? Why even bother coming back here and pretending with him if she did?

"I'm going to order breakfast. Do you want anything?" Stevie asked in a measured, calm voice. Obviously, tiptoeing around the elephant in the room.

"Just coffee," Lindsey grunted.

Stevie couldn't gauge his mood yet. She hated the apprehension that came with his jealousy and wild mood swings. She was reminded of how it felt to live with him when they were at their apex before their original break up. It had been so hard to navigate. She didn't want to be back in that dark place ever again. She felt a lump in her throat at this moment because it felt like they were heading there now.