Wide Open Spaces

I'm So Hurt

Lindsey gets up from the booth, leaving their twins behind to look on. The anger evident in his eyes. Stevie jumped apart from Brock, watching as Lindsey came near, almost as if in slow motion.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he hissed, trying not to cause a scene.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Stevie asked.

"I could ask you the same thing. Answer me."

"I kept calling her. I begged her to see me and I think I forced her into this." Brock said, before Stevie could even open her mouth.

"I asked Stevie" Lindsey said sharply. "I will deal with you in a minute"

"Listen, this was all my fault. Please don't be mad at her." Brock interjected again.

"What did I say?!" Lindsey's rage was building.

"I needed closure" Stevie told him quietly.

"Yeah, it looked so much like closure. Kissing some jerk who used you, abused you, talked shit about you and our kids. We're getting married, we have a 9 month old daughter and 14 year old twins." he said in a near whisper.

"I know" she said. It scared her when his voice got quieter instead of yelling. She knew she couldn't talk her way out of this one. She didn't even know why it happened. 

"If you know, why did I catch you kissing some other guy."

"I don't know who kissed who." she says, tears falling down her face.

"Brock, I think you should leave before I do something I'll regret" Lindsey told him. He nodded and went to pay the bill. Lindsey watched him like hawk, following him with his eyes until he left.

"His truck is at our house" Stevie said.

"Jesus Christ...why Stevie?!" She stood silent for a minute and hung her head.

"I'm sorry" she said softly.

"What did he do that made you kiss him? Did he tell you he changed, and apologize for all the bad stuff he did to you? Did he do cute old fashioned things like open doors for you? Did he cry, Stevie?" She nodded. "He's playing you like a fiddle. He knows you like that shit. He fed you line after line and you believed him."

"I'm so stupid" she says, covering her face with her hands.

"You are not" he says, softening a little. "You have a big heart and you want to believe all the good in people. What he did to you- show you his sensitive side, make you think he's different, laying on the apologies and how he tried to defend you...yeah, maybe somewhere in his sick little mind he still loves you but he played you. I'm just lucky he didn't get anymore than a kiss"

"I wouldn't have slept with him" Stevie said, adamantly.

"I'd like to think you wouldn't have either" Lindsey bit the inside of his cheek. "Are you not fulfilled with me? I thought we were happy"

"We are happy. I am fulfilled"

"Happy women in relationships don't kiss other guys. Even if he did kiss you first, you didn't have to continue to kiss him and you certainly didn't have to kiss him like that." Lindsey stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at the floor.

"I'm sorry" she says again. "I love you, Lindsey"

"I love you too, Stevie. I always have and I always will. I've known you for the better part of my life. We have three gorgeous children. You're beautiful, smart, funny...I just don't know what you see in him. You chose him over me before"