It's been awhile...

Are you...?

Lindsey stayed for a while longer after Stevie left. Seeing her out, he then returned to the bedroom and lay down on her side, breathing in heavily. He couldn't believe that he got so emotional that he wasn't able to control it, crying in front of her. The feelings were strong and it was impossible to ignore them. What mattered to Lindsey the most of course, was the fact that she clearly felt the same way towards him. 

He wasn't sure of how much time had passed since she left, but he knew he should be going as well. He had made up a lie and Jane seemingly bought it, but it was nearing 4 am after all. Lazily sitting up, Lindsey sighed, getting on his feet to put his clothes back on. They smelled of her. He didn't even care anymore.

Looking around the condo to make sure he had everything, Lindsey noticed something on the floor, by the wall. He bent down to pick it up, realizing it was Stevie's bracelet, which had apparently fallen off her wrist. He put it in the inside pocket of his jacket, making a mental note of giving it back to her. 

Once Lindsey was in his car and on the way home, he wasn't rushing at all, taking his time to reach the house he shared with his family. Family... It was supposed to have turned out differently. He was supposed to marry Stevie and have children with her, not Jane. He married the other woman, because she was second best. She obviously had a thing for him, she was pretty, so it worked for him. Not really, but... He settled down, because it was time to. He thought he would never be with Stevie again, but he still wanted to be a father. So it happened that Jane got pregnant.

Locking his car, Lindsey made his way to the front door, trying to enter quietly, as it was so early in the morning. He knew he wouldn't fall asleep, so he went straight to his home office and slumped down in the chair heavily. Opening one of the drawers, he took out a flask and drank from it, then put it down on his desk. Lindsey also searched for another item, keeping it hidden away most of the time.

A photo album. 

A photo album from nearly twenty years ago, a smile crossing his lips, as he looked at the first picture. He knew what it was going to be, he knew every single picture by order by now. They were so young, innocent and so in love. Nothing mattered to them except each other. He considered himself to be the luckiest guy on earth, being able to call her his. There wasn't a guy in their area who didn't want to date her, everyone was after her, but she chose him. Lindsey often asked himself, what did he ever do to deserve her. She always said it was destiny. 

"Then why aren't we together?" Lindsey asked out loud, touching Stevie's face in one of the pictures. 

Then Ryan came between them. At that time, Lindsey barely knew him. What he did know though, was that Stevie started spending more time with Ryan than him. Then, she was cheating on him, now, Lindsey realized that she just needed a friend, because she certainly didn't have one in Lindsey himself anymore at that time. Little by little, as Lindsey was seemingly doing everything to lose her, Ryan was doing everything to have her. Lindsey genuinely had no idea how he and Ryan became friends later on, after everything that happened.

There was a light knock on the door some time later. Lindsey didn't say anything, but the door opened anyway and Jane came in. She just... she knew. He was away practically the whole night, he didn't come to bed, he was drinking, he was looking at that damned photo album again and as she approached him... he smelled of her perfume. 

"You're seeing her again, aren't you?" Jane asked, tears in her eyes. "Why? I thought it was over."

"It's never going to be over." Lindsey simply replied. 

Jane knew about the affair. She didn't catch them or anything like that, but she just figured it out, and when asked, Lindsey told her the truth. He had made her swear to him that she wouldn't tell Ryan or anyone for that matter, but he truly was shocked she seriously hadn't uttered a word.

"What has she got that I don't?"

"It's not about that." He shook his head. "I love her."

"You don't love me? Have you ever?"

"I... I love you, because you're the mother of my daughter and I've grown to love you as my wife to some level, but... I'm not in love with you and you knew I never would be, when you married me."

"I thought I could change that. I honestly really thought that I could."

"Well, you can't."

They were silent for a few long minutes, before Jane herself said it. "I don't think I can do this anymore."

Nodding, Lindsey looked at her, saying. "Neither can I."