Escape

He had to talk to her

It was Wednesday and Lindsey had just gotten off the phone with his lawyer. He apologized to the band for this interruption and was ready to start playing again. They spent a few more hours in the studio before Stevie said her voice was getting tired and she would like to call it a day. Mick agreed reluctantly, John was glad to be going home and Lindsey had to talk to her. Since a few words shared on Sunday they had barely said a anything to each other. 

He found the courage and approach her. "Are you still available tonight?"

"If you need me, yes."

"I was thinking we could go to my place so we wouldn't get disturbed." What was he planning on doing, she thought, but agreed nevertheless. 

"I'll just go get my things."

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you in the car." He said and was on his way out. Stevie remained where she was and took a few deep breaths, it wasn't going to be easy. 

When Stevie went outside to the parking lot, she immediately spotted Lindsey and went over to where he was. "Sorry, I kept you waiting. Mick..."

"No, it's fine. I didn't have to wait long." He cut in. "Let's get going, shall we?" She nodded and they were on their way to Lindsey's apartment. 

"Sara told me you have a nice place." Stevie couldn't bare the tension, so she tried to start a conversation, maybe it wouldn't be so uncomfortable.

"She made a pretty big deal of how clean it is knowing me."

"It's not a bad thing at all."

"I have to take care of myself, since I don't have anyone else to." She wondered if it was directed at her in some way. "Stevie, I don't want us to fight. We need to figure out things, not make them worse." Lindsey explained why he had asked to see her after they were done practising.

"I understand, I don't want to fight with you. It's just that we have a hard time communicating."

"And we're both equally guilty."

"Right."

The ride didn't last much longer. Lindsey parked his car and Stevie followed him all the way to his apartment. He showed her to take a seat. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. But so was he. "Can I offer you anything?"

"I'm good." She thanked him and he sat down too, leaving a lot of space between them. 

"To be honest, I don't know where to begin."

"Let me." Stevie turned her body to his side. He didn't protest. "Lindsey, I'm so sorry about the last time. I don't know what had gotten into me then, I was scared, I guess. And I still am, Lindsey, I'm absolutely terrified."

"About what?"

"I've already told you. I'm afraid you will leave me again and I can't let that happen. I can't bare to see you walking away from me one more time." Her eyes were already beginning to tear up. "Every time I let you in, you find a way out. I can't even count the times you shattered my heart into a million pieces and I was left on my own to gather myself together again. I just... I need you to prove to me that I won't have to cry myself to sleep every night that instead you'll be there next to me."

Lindsey was silent. There was only one thing he could say now to calm her fears down. "Kristen signed the divorce papers today."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard it. I made a promise to you, Steph. And I asked you to trust me."

"But... You just told her you're leaving her. She didn't even put up a fight? Nothing? That's not the Kristen I know."

"When I said I will bring Sara home on Sunday morning because I had some things to take care of, by that I meant seeing my lawyer. We talked it all through, she got the papers on the same day and three days later, here we are." He explained. "What can she really say, Stevie? Threaten me with not allowing me to see the kids? I've been a great father to them, they have a roof over their heads, money has never been a problem, never have I ever raised my hand. Court takes care of the custody, not a fuming soon to be ex wife."

"I don't know what to say..."

"Tell me what you want, Steph. I have to know where I stand with you. You told me yourself you want us to be together, but hey." He shrugged.

"I do, of course I do, Lindsey. I love you, never stopped."

"Then what was that outburst all about back at your house?"

"I guess... I willingly tried to push you away, so that if you go away again... I wouldn't have to deal with the heartbreak." Her voice cracked and she could barely see through the tears. 

"Oh, baby..." Lindsey closed the gap that separated them and pulled her in his arms. "You like to torture yourself, don't you?" 

She smiled in his chest. "Actually, I reckoned that way I would save myself a whole lot of tears. It would have been easier to lose you then than after having a taste of what life with you is again." He stroked her hair while she let her tears soak his tshirt. "This is turning into a bloody habit. I don't want to keep crying, Lindsey. I've been doing that for the better part of my life and I'm so exhausted from doing it. I want to be happy. I have everything I've ever wanted in life; a wonderful career, money, a beautiful house, adoring fans all over the world, the most incredible daughter. But I don't have you and I will never trully be happy for as long as you're not a part of my life like that again."

"Right, and who's fault is that?"

"Yours, since 1997 until about two weeks ago, mine, since about two weeks ago until now."

"That is correct. Steph, you know that I want nothing more than to be with you, to call you mine, to openly show my love for you, for us to finally be a real family."

"I think we can do this." She stated.

"You mean it?"

"Yes. Of course there is so much for both of us to learn along the way, but if we trully want this, we'll make it. Let's be honest, this is our absolute last chance and we can't fuck it up." She sat up and took his hands in hers. "You're the great love of my life. I might have tried to deny it, but I fell in love with you the second I saw you and I have loved you ever since."

He leant forward and surprised her with a kiss. "I second that, baby."

"One last time?" She asked smiling brightly.

"One last time."