Lindsey tried to explain the current situation to Will to the best of his ability. It still wasn't completely clear to the boy why all of a sudden Ms. Nicks wasn't just that anymore, why she was crying in his father's arms and hearing that she was going to be a lot bigger part in his life now than just being one of the teachers at school. When Will went to bed, Lindsey spend a couple more minutes with him, making sure if this was okay with him and whether he still had some questions. Besides saying it was a little weird, Will didn't have any objections.
"You can relax." Lindsey said to Stevie, who still seemed to be nervous about the talk they, well mostly Lindsey, had with Will.
"It's just... if your child doesn't like me, there's no way for our relationship to even begin."
A small smile crossed his lips, as he sat down beside her on the couch in the living room. "One, Will does like you and two, so... something might happen between us?" Smirking, Lindsey leaned against the back of the couch, as Stevie shrugged her shoulders, always shy around him.
"Clearly, something has already started."
Opening his arms, Lindsey motioned for her to come closer and she did gladly, snuggling up to his side, as they just sat together for a while. It felt nice. Her relationship with Brad was never violent, they never even fought that much, but what they also didn't do often was show this kind of affection towards each other. She was a woman and she liked hearing that she was beautiful, just a hug or a kiss for no particular reason would have been enough. With Lindsey, Stevie already saw, she could have it all.
"I've set up a room for you. It's a little small, but it has a bed and a closet for your belongings, so..."
"No worries, I was going to stay at some dodgy hotel at first, remember?"
"We both know I would have never let you do that."
"Not that I understand why."
"Stevie, I've already told you why."
"Do you honestly have those feelings for me?" She asked, sounding somewhat afraid to hear his answer.
"Absolutely." He nodded, looking down at her. "What had to happen in your life for you to be so unsure of yourself? Of the fact that you can and are loved?"
Stevie didn't start talking right away, but she knew she had to start opening up to him more, but it scared her at the same time. "There were was a horrible period in my life. You asked me why I never tried to have a career as a singer, professionally, but the truth is, I did. And I succeeded, somewhat anyway. I was introduced to all the right people, I got offered a contract, I recorded an album, everyone kept telling me just how fantastic I was, the next big thing... I quit the job I had at the moment, I left my parents, my friends - everyone. I went on tour after the album was released. I started earning some serious money and of course I didn't think that it will all come to an end just as quickly as it began, which eventually it did. I had no one, absolutely no one. I had a little money left, which was barely enough to cover the rent of this tiny place, but I had to live somewhere. I got a job as a waitress, which paid nothing basically. Soon, I met this guy... He screamed trouble, but I was just so alone... We kind of started seeing each other, he took care of me for a while, but then he decided he could make me useful, so to say. He used to sell drugs, passing the duty onto me, because he had quite a few run ins with the police already... I've... I've been..." Pausing, she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, tears springing to her eyes. "I've been, well, raped countless times. Sometimes, when it happened, I would forget all about the money I was supposed to bring back and when I'd return home, I'd get beaten and abused sexually all over again..." She kept her head down, entirely too ashamed to look him in the eyes, which was why she didn't know he was crying, hearing those things, just like she was. "It went on for about a year, until I met Brad. It was incredibly hard for me to trust anyone, but after that asshole Brad seemed like such a nice man and he was. The first time he came in for a cup of coffee at the diner I worked at, he told me he fell in love with me, because he'd never seen someone like me before, much like you did. He helped me get out of it. It's because of Brad I'm not, like in prison or, you know, dead. I guess, that's why I stayed so long with him, because I felt thankful and I always will, but I never actually loved Brad." There was a lot more to it, but she felt like it was enough for now, shocked, that Lindsey still had his arms around her. When he didn't say anything, Stevie tilted her chin up, looking at him, surprised. "Why are you crying?"
"Because..." Coughing and wiping his eyes, Lindsey really didn't know how to react. "Nobody should have gone through that. But knowing it, now it makes sense, why you would be... careful and aware, for lack of a better word."
"Well, I have to be. I wouldn't wish that hell on anyone. I do believe that you're different, though. Maybe I'm just getting myself into yet another-"
"You're not." Lindsey cut her off. "You're really not. All I am is really, just a single father, having a boring job, without too much to offer, but the one thing I can assure you of, it's that I can love you and take care of you."
"I don't think I need anything else besides that." Smiling, Stevie pressed their lips together, being able to feel that he wasn't just saying those things - he meant them.
