How Could You?

What truth?

"Well?" Lindsey urged Mick to start talking, once the three of them sat down. "What truth?"

"I don't know where to begin..." Mick shrugged his shoulders, stealing a quick glance at Lindsey and Stevie, who stared back at him expectantly.

"Clearly, you came here with a reason, especially at this time."

"I'll understand if you two can't forgive me, but I thought I was doing the right thing. I did what felt right to me at the time."

"For God's sake, Mick." Stevie's patience was wearing thin.

"It's about Alice."

"I think we've gathered that much." Lindsey nodded, showing with his hand to continue.

"After the adoption papers were signed, not much time passed, when I went back to Sheryl. I just wanted to see how they were doing."

"You stayed in touch?" Stevie asked in disbelief, her mouth slightly agape, eyebrows creased.

"Yes. I visited them frequently. When John filed for divorce, I... I pretty much became a constant presence in Sheryl and Alice's lives. Sheryl and I were kind of dating."

"Dating?!" Stevie couldn't help exclaiming. "What the hell, Mick?"

Lindsey brought his arm back and around Stevie, holding her at the waist. "You kept that to yourself?" Lindsey asked. "You do understand what adoption means? Alice was theirs, you didn't even really have a right to be there."

"I was hoping, I just... I wanted her to be mine."

Stevie sighed, leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees as she covered her face with both hands, rubbing her temples. "That's not what we had agreed on." Pulling her hands away, Stevie said. "We said if Alice wanted, she was the one to come to us and if she wanted, we were going to do a paternity test. You weren't supposed to go behind my back. Out of all things, sneak your way into the family."

"I didn't sneak my way in. It just happened. Sheryl was upset over the divorce and she needed support, she didn't really have that many friends, she needed help with Alice, so why shouldn't I have stepped in?"

"Because!" Stevie yelled again. "Because you don't do that. This wasn't something that I took very easily. You knew that. And while you were coming to me, saying you'll always be there for me and help me through it, once you left me, you went to them. You went to my daughter, whom I've been crying my heart out over."

"How long?" Lindsey spoke up, when the other two grew quiet. "How long were you together with Sheryl, seeing Alice every day most likely, growing bigger, learning to do things; walking, saying her first word?" Despite his voice sounding calm, inside Lindsey felt far from it. He felt extremely betrayed, hurt and angry. Diverting his eyes away from Mick, Lindsey turned to Stevie, who he felt slightly shaking, as she started crying.

"Not... too long." Mick said, thinking about his answer. "Alice was about two years old."

"Oh God..." Stevie cried out. "Not too long? You've been a part of Alice's first two years... I'm her mother and I made the hardest, most heartbreaking decision in my whole entire life and you didn't care at all. You didn't consider my feelings, how it would make me feel if I knew you were around her. You had no right, Mick." She shook her head, wiping tears away with the sleeve of her robe, as Lindsey tightened his hold on her, pressing a kiss to her hair occasionally.

"I'm sorry. I know it doesn't help, but I've nothing else to say that would make it better or change what happened."

"You're right. I don't give a shit about you being sorry, because I doubt you truly are." Stevie sniffled, tears freely rolling down her cheeks.

"Why did you stop?" Lindsey faced Mick again. That was the thing he hadn't explained yet. "I didn't know any of this back then, but you still betrayed both me and Stevie, then you suddenly stopped being with them?"

Taking a deep breath, Mick suddenly wished he hadn't showed up, at Sheryl's or at the Buckinghams'.

"I had to know." He shrugged, saying simply. "I lived for about two years, treating Alice as if she was my daughter, so I had to know if she was."

Stevie's eyes immediately shot up, locking with Mick's. "You had the paternity test done." It wasn't a question, as he gave a nod of his head.

"You-" Lindsey clenched his fist, stopping himself from saying what was on his mind exactly. Suddenly, anger overtaking the hurt.

"Sheryl didn't know. She left for work one day and I..." Mick trailed off, feeling his own eyes well up. "Alice is your daughter, Lindsey."

Deathly silence followed, except for Stevie sobbing. Mick had nothing left to say for himself and Lindsey was completely stunned.

"I found out she wasn't mine and-"

"You fucking left! What, you suddenly didn't love her anymore? Didn't care for her anymore? I can't believe this!" Lindsey jumped to his feet, pacing around the room. "I can't believe this... Get the hell out of my house." He demanded with eerie calmness.

"Lindsey-"

"Get the hell out of my house!" Lindsey repeated, punctuating every word.

"I really am sorry." Mick said once more, before Lindsey almost literally kicked him out.

A minute later, Lindsey returned to Stevie, her face wet from tears, her eyes bloody red. Feeling his presence, Stevie looked up at him, opening her mouth, but he cut her off. "I need... I need to leave."

"What? Lindsey, no..." She shook her head, standing up. "Please, we need to talk about this." She came up to him, grasping his hands in hers, but he pushed her away, as if she was a flame that scorched him.

"I just need to get out of here. I... I can't breathe." He looked at her briefly, before disappearing in a matter of seconds.