I Can't Stop

Part 27

Don had a bad feeling. He put away his notebook, but the glass of whiskey remained in his hand, gripped tightly. Since Stevie didn't speak up again, he took a deep breath and dedicated his full attention to her.

"Alright, let's talk. I've been wanting to since you've come home." 

"I went to see Lindsey." Don nodded his head, he knew. "He and Kristen are really done, he's moved out and into a new place. It doesn't seem like Lindsey's going to change his mind."

"Okay. How does it have to do anything with you and I needing to talk?" Don asked, shifting in his seat.

"I want you to know the truth. You've been so good to me for such a long time and you don't deserve to be lied to." Stevie thought that right about now she was going to start crying, but she was keeping it together rather well. "A lot happened during this last tour."

"I figured." Don sighed, turning away. "Since you're the one, who wants me to know the truth, you better tell me everything."

"Lindsey and I..." She knew it wasn't going to be easy, she couldn't bring herself to say the words. "He and uh-"

"You slept with him." Don spat it out for her. "Was it just a one time thing or not?" He asked, before Stevie could respond.

"How-"

"Oh, come on, Stevie." Don sighed. "How long have we been married? I think, I know you pretty well. I know, when something happens. You have changed and I noticed that the second you stepped through the front door. You and Lindsey spent a lot of time together, away from your spouses. Knowing your history, it's not that hard, putting two and two together."

The thing that Stevie couldn't understand was, how on earth was Don being so calm. She expected him to get angry, to yell at her, do God knows what else, but he just sat there, talking without his voice raised as if there were discussing dinner plans.

"Don, I'm so sorry." And she was, she truly was sorry for cheating on him.

He didn't say anything for a good while. Stevie kept quiet as well, awaiting some sort of response. "You know, that doesn't even really surprise me. If you told me that it happened just on this tour, I wouldn't believe you. Does it hurt me? Of course. I think I've tried my best to give you everything, to show you that I care about you and that I love you with all of my heart, yet it just never seems to be enough."

"You have." Stevie wholeheartedly agreed. "You've shown me your love and I've been happy with you for the most part, Don, just..."

"I'm just not him." He finished the thought for her. "Why do you think I get upset and anxious every time you go out on the road with Fleetwood Mac?"

Stevie frowned, she wasn't expecting that question to come. "I, uh, well... because you thought that what had happened would eventually happen?"

"Screwing him is one thing. Every time you leave, I'm afraid of what you two might talk about." Don's breathing increased and he bit into his lower lip, he was getting emotional. 

"I'm not sure, I follow." Stevie was utterly confused.

"Alice." Don said, his voice sounding shaky. "Have you told Lindsey that he's her father?"

Shocked. Stevie was completely shocked. She parted her lips to say something, but she was rendered speechless. How? How did Don know? How did he find out? How long had he known?

"I have." Stevie replied at last. "But how did you know?"

"You just told me." Don hid his face in his hands, sitting hunched over. "I had a feeling. I'm not stupid, Stevie. It's not that hard counting back nine months, you and I couldn't have possibly been intimate, when you got pregnant. For years I kept telling myself that maybe, maybe my memory just wasn't that good. Maybe I didn't remember, when I came home in between shows to see you or you came to see me. Then Alice was born and she looked absolutely nothing like me. She doesn't even look much like you. She does, however, look a lot like Lindsey. The bond they share... I don't believe that coming over occasionally and playing for half an hour together can build such a strong relationship. As Alice got older, I even started noticing Lindsey in her behavior and again, I repeated to myself that she got that from you. Nothing mattered to me, Stevie. I loved you and I loved Alice from the first time I got to hold her. Even if I sometimes doubted, whether I'm her father, I pushed those thoughts away every time, because Alice is my daughter." Don emphasized. "She is. And the thing that had always scared me the most was that Lindsey would eventually find out the truth. Now he knows. I don't want him to take her away from me." He whispered, a tear slipping out, rolling down his cheek. "Because if I were in Lindsey's shoes, I wouldn't wait for anything, I would tell Alice myself."

It took some time for Stevie to process everything she had just heard. There was nothing really she could say to make it all better. "I know that telling you that I'm sorry again won't help, but-"

"It won't. Nothing will." Don shook his head. "It will hurt like hell, having to deal with losing you, but it will completely destroy me losing Alice."

Don didn't give Stevie a chance to respond as he got up and left her alone.