One More Time

Part 16

"You know you can talk to me." David said, placing his hands on Stevie's shoulders, his thumb brushing over her exposed skin. "I can tell something's on your mind. Otherwise you wouldn't be crying like that."

Taking a deep breath, Stevie tried to compose herself. She wiped under her eyes with the back of her sleeve and turned around, going to the living room to take a seat. David followed after her and patiently waited for her to open up once they sat down, rather close to each other.

"I don't know where to begin." Stevie sighed, placing her feet on the edge of the couch as she brought her knees to her chest. "Everything was going really well for a while." David tucked one leg under himself as he turned his body towards her, listening intently. "Lindsey and I were trying for a baby. I did get pregnant, but I lost the baby just recently." 

"Oh, Steph..." David had a concerned expression on his face, reaching for her hand. "I'm so sorry to hear that." The memories filled his mind and he feared she was going to lose herself again.

"When we knew I was already pregnant, Lindsey told me something. Before we got back together, he had found a surrogate to carry a baby for him. When he told me, I could tell he was so excited and that he loved that child already. Sharon, the surrogate, she was seven months pregnant at the time I think, so I mean... I knew I had no choice, but to say, yeah. Yeah, we can totally do this thing. It's not like we're both pushing fifty. Two babies? Sure." Stevie shrugged, shaking her head. "What was I supposed to tell him? If I said no, I knew he'd leave. I don't want that. So, I pretended I was happy too. Then..." Stevie trailed off, closing her eyes. It wasn't getting any easier to talk about it. "Then I miscarried and a couple of weeks later, he's telling me, Sharon's in hospital, about to give birth. It was the middle of the night, when we got the call, we jumped into the car and went there, but I couldn't move. I couldn't get out of the car and uh... I told so, Lindsey drove me back home and left once again to be with her, with another woman, who was able to give him a child." Her eyes glazed with tears and she started chewing on her lower lip. David scooted a bit closer and hugged her around the shoulders. "He keeps referring to the baby as ours, but it's not. The boy is Lindsey's, not ours. There's no part of me in him." Swallowing the lump of tears, Stevie continued. "I ran away. I did." She sniffled. "I just can't be there, when he brings his son home. I can't deal with it. I ca-" Stevie began, but stopped. It was a mean thing that she wanted to say. Blinking, which caused the tears to fall, she looked up at David and whispered. "I don't think I can love that boy as my own."

Giving her a sympathetic look, David wrapped his other arm around Stevie as well and she lay her head on his chest, crying. She realized it was a horrible thing to say, but it was also the truth. She admitted it to herself, but she had no idea how she was going to admit that to Lindsey. That is if he still wanted anything to do with her, once she returns home. 

"You have to be honest with Lindsey." David spoke up after some time, Stevie's tears had subsided and his hand was stroking her hair. "You can't live a lie. It's not fair on him or you, or that baby. It will end in tears otherwise, Stevie. You know it."

"Maybe..." Stevie shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe Lindsey and I aren't meant to be together after all. If I'm honest, I thought you were going to be my happy ending." Stevie smiled sadly, causing David to close his eyes, feeling the stinging of tears. I've moved on, I've moved on, he was repeating to himself. No, I haven't. "Everything was going great for us."

"Until I fucked it all up." David said with a heavy breath. "I can't possibly put it in words how sorry I am for ruining us, Steph. I was so excited for our future together. I had all these plans for us and... just..."

"Well-" Stevie was going to reply, but what was she supposed to say to that? What else was there to say? 

"I don't think I'll ever learn how not to love you." He saw her lips forming into protesting, but David shook his head and continued. "It's true. I'm as in love with you now as I was the day we got married. You're the woman I had been searching my whole life. There is no one else like you. There is no one else for me."

His words were tugging at her heartstrings. She was an emotional mess as it was and now hearing David, the things he was telling her... She wasn't thinking clearly, when she opened her mouth to speak. 

"Kiss me."