(Don't) Leave Me Behind

Part 21

Stevie wasn't sure when that was, but she fell asleep at some point during the night, having exhausted herself with crying. She didn't want Lindsey to go, he said, he'd be there by her side and then he walked out. It was her own fault, she eventually admitted that to herself. She pushed him away. Even though she was definitely more in the wrong than Lindsey, he was the one coming to her, apologizing and asking to give their relationship another chance. She should have been happy and grateful that he loved her enough to do it, but she hadn't been thinking clearly lately and last night was just another one of the wrong choices she'd made. 

When Stevie woke up the following day, she was already late. She was supposed to be in the studio by now. However, she didn't plan on going. They weren't working on any of her songs at the moment and if she needed to add some of her vocals to either Lindsey or Christine's songs, she'd do it another day. She felt like she could allow herself a pity party.

The phone rang several times, but Stevie ignored it as she lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Then it was the doorbell. Sighing heavily, she rolled out of bed and padded to answer the door. A woman, whom Stevie recognized as one of her neighbors, was looking back at her. 

"I'm sorry to bother you, dear, but this man has spent hours by your door. I got worried that he's bothering you. Should I call the police?"

Frowning, Stevie stuck her head out and saw Lindsey, curled up in a ball on the floor in the hallway. 

"I know him." Stevie said. "Thank you for letting me know."

"No problem." The older woman smiled and walked away. 

Stevie crouched down and placed her hand on Lindsey's shoulder, shaking him gently. "Wake up, Lindsey."

After a few more tries, slightly disoriented, Lindsey open his eyes and sat up, running a hand through his messy curls. "Man, this floor's uncomfortable." He tried to make a joke to ease the tension. 

"What the hell are you doing here? Have you spent the whole night by my apartment?" Stevie helped him stand up and showed him to enter her home. 

"Yes." Lindsey replied simply, following her into the kitchen. He was actually surprised her attitude compared to the previous night was completely different. "I was serious, Steph. I ain't leaving."

She couldn't hide her smile if she tried, turning away from him in hopes he hadn't noticed. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Would I!" Lindsey yawned and took a seat, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "When I left, I wanted to come back right away, but I thought, maybe you do need some time, but going back to my place didn't feel right either, so I reckoned my best choice would be to be your personal security for the night."

"Well... that was sweet of you." Her mood had changed from when she woke up. What Lindsey did, proved that he was serious about her, about them. Even though she still had some reservations, she no longer wanted him out of her sight. 

They spent the next several minutes in silence until Stevie had two mugs of coffee in her hands, placing one in front of Lindsey. He nodded a thanks to her and brought the steaming drink up to his lips. 

"I never understood how you can drink coffee while it's still boiling hot." Stevie said, leaning against the kitchen counter. 

"And I have no idea why you'd drink it cold." Lindsey replied, putting the mug down after taking a sip. 

"Shouldn't you be in the studio?"

"Shouldn't you?" Lindsey asked her back.

Sighing, Stevie put her coffee down and crossed her arms over her chest. "What are we doing here, Linds?"

"I've told you already what I want. You know my intentions. It's up to you now." Lindsey left it for her to decide what was going to happen next. "I love you and I want to be with you."

"You make it sound so easy." Stevie was fidgeting with her rings that she didn't take off the night before. 

"It won't be easy, but I think together, we can make us work again." Lindsey told her honestly. Standing up to his feet, he walked over to her, placing the palms of his hand on the counter on each side of her, trapping her body. "Look me in the eyes and tell me that you haven't missed me, that you don't love me and you want nothing to do with me."

Her breathing quickened as she stared up at him, her lips slightly parted. "I-I..." She stuttered, before her hands cupped his face. "I have missed you, I love you and I want everything to do with you." 

A grin spread across his face as his arms enveloped her and he captured her lips.