Stevie made her way backstage as the last bars of Eyes of the World echoed through the auditorium. With only days to spare until the kickoff of the tour, Stevie's days had been filled with promotional photoshoots and final dress fittings. Already long past sundown, Stevie was more than ready to finish rehearsal. All day, they had been testing not only sound equipment but also setting lighting, restarting and rearranging over and over. While it wasn't anything she hadn't done many times over, that didn't keep her from being weary. Even Lindsey, in all his technical perfectionism, had seemed exhausted. Having slipped out for a break between songs, she'd barely had enough time for a quick bump and a sip of brandy before making her way onstage. Taking a moment to find a mirror, she tugged at the black ribbon tied around her neck before fixing her skirt properly before heading back. Just as she was about to clear the heavy curtains, she froze as accented words reached her ears.
"-where the hell has she gone off to?"
"Oh calm down, Mick" Christine's blasé voice returned, "Lindsey's gone too, so it really doesn't take too much to guess. Of course, who knows—the poor sod may have finally decided he doesn't like his own sloppy seconds being handed back to him, by men like bloody Paul and Doug no less."
Stevie's cheeks burned crimson, her sharp nails cutting into clenched fists. She was so caught up in Chris's easy suggestion that she was sleeping with every record exec in Los Angeles that she hardly heard Mick's unperturbed reply.
"Well they better fucking hurry up, I'm not in the mood to send someone to knock on every closed door in the damn building."
"Come on, we're almost done." Stevie jumped at the voice in her ear, pushing his hand from her shoulder as Lindsey appeared beside her, cup in hand. "Hey, you okay?"
Her humiliation faded, replaced by rage as she brushed him off, striding into the harsh light of centerstage with purpose. Sensing him as Lindsey finally strolled in behind her moments later and took his place to her left, she stared into the empty audience with seemingly blank focus.
Distracted, Stevie didn't recognize the opening notes until the low smooth tones of Lindsey's voice hit her. Once his words registered, she felt like she had been punched, almost choking on the burning tightness of emotion.
I've been loving you a little too long
Unwilling to meet Lindsey's intense gaze, she looked down at floor, arms weaving together to hold herself as Stevie tried to swallow down the tumultuous feelings clogging her throat. She finally took a shaky breath before looking up, glancing to her right as she saw Chris's eyes pityingly focused on Lindsey and finally catching her own before quickly moving back to the keys.
You are tired and you want to be free
The music swelled as she finally allowed her emotions to overtake her.
Taking a shaky breath, she began to sing through the bridge, her voice building as the music crescendoed.
As Stevie's pained voice filled Lindsey's ears, he couldn't help but turn to lock eyes with her, caught off guard by the depth of feeling he found there.
While he'd admit to being more than a little hurt when she'd brushed him off without a word, he certainly hadn't been expecting reciprocation like this. It lit a fire within him, to know for certain that, just this once, he wasn't alone in what forever lingered between them.
I've been- I've been loving you
He rejoined powerfully, voice made raw by the force of his emotions.
Please don't let me stop now
Eyes unmoving as their voices rose, they challenged and echoed one another's pain in equal measure.
