Twice

III

Since coming home at the end of November, Lindsey hadn't been up to much. For some reason, he didn't even visit his beloved home studio all that often, choosing a movie or a book instead. No matter how much he loved making music, maybe he did need a break for a while too. 

Lying on the couch in the living room, Lindsey was switching from one channel to another, not finding anything good, mindlessly watching whatever was on. He started snoozing, then getting slightly startled by Leelee's voice.

"Um, Dad? Since when are Aunt Stevie and Uncle Mick a couple?"

Frowning, Lindsey sat up, staring at his daughter as if she had two heads. "What kind of question is that, Lee?"

Handing him her iPad, Leelee walked around the couch and sat down next to her father. "It popped up on my news feed on Facebook. I wasn't sure if it's true or not."

Reading the article fast, Lindsey got even more confused. Was this true at all? If it was, when did it happen? Who knew? Why didn't he know?

"Are you okay with staying at home with your sister for a few hours?" 

"Sure." Shrugging, Leelee nodded. "Where are you going?"

"I, uh... I need to talk to one of them."

Not caring to mask his shock or anger rising from his daughter, Lindsey jogged up the stairs, quickly changing out of the clothes he was wearing into a pair of jeans and his trademark t-shirt, and a jacket. 

He didn't think of calling first either, speeding off straight to Stevie's condo, hoping to find her there and preferably alone. And he got lucky, not even Karen present.

Without an invitation, Lindsey forced his way inside, as soon as Stevie opened the door as he then exploded. "How could you do this to me again?!"

"Excuse me?" Stevie asked, folding her arms over her chest, after she shut the door. 

"You and Mick! Is it true?"

"Where did you hear about that?" Gulping, she wasn't expecting Lindsey to react any other way.

"It's all over the Internet!"

"First of all, stop yelling, please and second of all, yes, it is true."

Lindsey hated that she appeared to be so calm. "And you're just telling me it like that?"

"Well, how should I be telling you? Would you like me to perform a magic trick?"

"What the fuck, Stevie? Just... ugh!" Groaning, he shook his head, breathing heavily. "Why him? Why out of all the men on this planet you had to get together with Mick? AGAIN!"

"Because, why not? We were both single, we have so much in common and we have a good time together. What's so wrong with that?"

"What's wrong is that you've chosen him twice over me, Stevie."

Now it was her turn to get angry. "I've chosen Mick over you? Lindsey, you're married! You've been married for over ten years! No matter what things and how many times you've promised me, how many times you swore to me, all you could give me was an affair! Don't tell me I chose him, there was no other choice."

"How long has it been going on?"

Sighing, she decided to be honest about it. "We started seeing each other somewhere halfway through the tour."

With eyes wide, Lindsey stared at her, not believing his ears. "During the tour? You mean to tell me that when we were all still around each other, you two have been screwing, then showing up every day as if nothing was going on?"

"You know, I'm not exactly sure why am I supposed to be explaining myself to you right now. Mick and I are both adults, what we have is good for us. Don't try and ruin it."

"You don't love him."

"Of course I do."

"Not the same way you love-"

"Shut up."

"Not the same way you-"

"Lindsey, SHUT UP!" Tears stinging her eyes. "You don't get to talk about that."

"It still doesn't change the fact."

"It doesn't matter to me anymore." Shaking her head, she admitted weakly. "I'm sixty seven years old. I won't get to perform on stage for much longer and it's the only time when I don't feel lonely. I can't go to a random place and meet someone new, no one is interested in getting to know the real me and Mick does. At least as much as I let him in on and that's enough really. I don't ask much." Hugging herself around the middle, she continued. "All I want is someone to be there with me, when I get up in the morning, even if we don't talk, it's still nice to know that he's there. I have a person to share things with, be it just a laugh over something silly, but it's enough. It's become enough." Letting a few tears escape, she wiped them away, before facing him again. "It's not about you, Lindsey. I know you and how you tend to come up with a bunch of theories, but this is solely about me. I'm not with Mick to get back at you, because you married Kristen or whatever, it's because I admit that I'm not as strong as I want people to believe I am, that I also need a shoulder to cry on, a pair of arms to comfort me and to hear that it's going to be alright."

It had been a very long time since Lindsey heard Stevie being so honest. He didn't think before coming here and accusing her of whatever, he didn't stop and consider why. Still, he felt like he got betrayed again by two of the closest people to him.

"I'm sorry." Approaching her, he opened his arms for a hug, which Stevie didn't hesitate about accepting. 

As they stood, embracing each other, comfortable silence surrounded them until Lindsey decided to break it, placing a hand on the side of her face, tilting her chin up, as he leaned in to capture her lips, but Stevie turned away, pushing at his chest.

"Leave!"

"Stevie, I-"

"I said, leave! You thought I was vulnerable so I wouldn't resist! I'm not single anymore, I'm not a toy that's lying around until you feel the need to pick it up and play with it for a while!"

"That's not-"

"GO! WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?"

With his mouth agape, Lindsey lingered for another second, before there was really no choice for him left, than to to walk out the door.