A Happy Accident

You warned me

"You know... When I arrived at the hotel and asked for a room under your name, the receptionist said they didn't have a guest with that name." Robert started. "Then off the top of my head I said, what about Lindsey Buckingham? And it was a match. Honestly I didn't believe I was going to find you here until the moment you opened the door." He sighed sadly. "I wondered for how long you were going to keep up the act. You wouldn't have told me, would you?" She didn't answer, feeling as if he probably didn't even really want to know. "What hurt me the most was that you pretended. You pretended to care about me and love me. Was he here the whole time? Until we left?"

"He was." Were her first words after what seemed like forever. "Robert, I'm sorry, I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I never meant for this to happen, but it did. I know no matter how many times I apologize, it won't help, but I do wish you believed me."

"When did it start? Back home?"

"No. No, we um... when we left. It wasn't supposed to happen! He just... he grabbed me and kissed me, and I don't know what was going on, so I just gave in and..."

"Are you telling me you weren't willing? That you didn't enjoy it?"

Ashamed... "I was and I did. I really wanted to marry you, Robert, and live a happy life together, but I... I don't know. I don't know what does it take for me not to want Lindsey anymore. I knew I didn't deserve you, you should have never fallen in love with me."

"You warned me." He said matter-of-factly. "You did, but I didn't listen. I never realized what you had with him, I genuinely thought I could change it."

"I know it's a lot to ask, but please don't hate me. I do love you, I-"

"Just not enough." Robert stood up, exhaling deeply. "You can keep the ring." And walked out.

Stevie broke down the second he took the first step out of her life. Was she doing the right thing? Robert loved her enough to forgive her, but she didn't ask for forgiveness, no, instead she now put all of her hopes into Lindsey, praying to the heavens above he wasn't going to break her heart again.

Having calmed down some, Stevie searched for her phone she rarely ever used and found Lindsey's number, asking him to come see her. Her tone of voice told him something went terribly wrong and he dropped whatever he was doing at the newly booked suite and rushed to the one they had been sharing. 

"Ba-Stevie?" He quickly changed his mind on how to address her, he didn't know if she was alone or not. "Stevie, are you in here?"

"Yeah." He heard a weak reply from the bedroom, so that's where he went to. 

Her eyes instantly brimmed with tears all over again at the sight of him, as Lindsey realized Robert certainly wasn't around, rushing to get in bed with her, pulling her close. "Oh, baby, what happened? Why are you crying?"

"Robert found out." She sobbed into his chest, as he was rocking her in his arms. 

"H-how?"

"First of all, he got suspicious when he found me in the room that was under your name. Then he noticed your necklace on the nightstand."

"Oh fuck..."

"Out of all the things you could have left behind, Lindsey..."

"I'm so terribly sorry! Damn, how could I have overlooked that!" He cursed himself, rubbing her back, seeing as it soothed her. "Didn't you try to explain? To-"

"To make up a lie? No. Besides, he's not stupid, he understood. I didn't see any point in lying anyway. I was going to break it off myself, just that I didn't think it was going to go this way."

"This is really bad. I really am sorry I screwed up so badly."

"He didn't even yell at me or anything." Stevie recalled it, laying her head on Lindsey's chest, her tears subsiding. "He just said that he believed he could change me, change what I felt. He said I just don't love him enough... He told me to keep the ring too."

"Is that a good idea?" Lindsey asked carefully. "I mean, every time you see it..."

"I won't be wearing it, Linds. It's just... it will be a memory. Not all memories can be good ones." And he thought he knew exactly what she meant, not that he was going to bring it up and discuss it... "I really thought this time it was it. I finally found someone, who wasn't you, but I wanted to be with him, I could see us together. Yet again, I couldn't go through with it, because of you. Don't get me wrong, but I sacrificed a lot for you, Lindsey, I already told you. And just like you promised me, I hope this time will be different."

"I swear. As soon as we come home, I'm telling her. I don't want this to get ugly, so that's why I haven't gotten on the phone with her yet, I believe we can be civil about it, so when we're back, I'm asking for divorce. Stevie, I mean it. I love you and you're right, you gave up, by the sound of it, a wonderful relationship, I will not disappoint you again."

"I don't know if I could survive it."

"Well, you don't have to think about it, because we will be together, we will."

Stevie remained silent after that. His promises sounded nice and she hoped for nothing more than for him to see them through. Yet, that small voice inside her head told her to stop listening to his words and wait to see his actions.