"Hi."
He pauses in the doorway, not really sure what to say. She awkwardly invites him in, equally unclear on what she should be doing right now. "Hi, come in."
"Stevie, listen..."
"I don't want to fight." She looks at him, pleading,
"Good. Neither do I."
"I'm sorry if you were upset by anything I said. It's nothing new. I don't think I crossed any lines..."
"You didn't." His statement catches her off guard and she tilts her head, waiting for an explanation. "I was too hard on you. I'm sorry."
"Thank you." This softer Lindsey was still a new thing. She'd forgotten how much gentler he could be now.
"You have every right to be successful independently," he starts. She shifts her weight onto her other hip, waiting. "You've earned that by now. I just wish you'd commit to an album."
"You know why I'm scared of that."
"I don't think I do."
"You don't remember how awful making Say You Will was?"
"I do."
"Then why do you think that walking into a studio again won't end up a complete mess?"
"Because we're different. I'm different. You're different. Chris is back in the mix. The energy is good, Stevie. You can't keep imposing old expectations on things happening today."
"You're really this upset over me not recording with you?"
"Well, I don't like it. But no, that's not all of it."
"Then what's this about?"
"That article really bothered me. I don't like that you've decided to be alone."
"Why do you care?"
"Because I assumed that you and I would both have someone."
"I always assumed that someone would be you."
"Sometimes I wonder if I screwed up."
"You can't say things like that."
"We did really well last year. Like, really well."
"Too well, Lindsey."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that you care too much about your family to have me in your life like that."
"Stevie, you and I are never going to get away from each other. Why don't we figure out how to not make it a miserable experience for everyone involved?"
"That's what we have been doing! And then you come over here starting fights," she says, looking exasperated.
"I'm not talking about barely coexisting."
"Then what are you talking about? We suddenly become best friends again and re-release Buckingham Nicks and go on tour with your wife and kids like a big happy family and live happily ever after? I think you know that's not how we work."
"I'm talking about the two of us. I still care about you, Stevie. I want you in my life somehow and I've spent about seventeen years trying to figure out how to do that."
"And you came up with yelling at me for being in Rolling Stone?"
"Will you stop being difficult for a minute? This is a hard conversation for me to have with you."
"Just say what you want to say, Lindsey." Her patience was wearing thin and she crossed her arms expectantly.
"I care about you. I don't like seeing you alone, because I know you aren't happy."
"Who are you to tell me I'm unhappy? You don't have to come in here and rescue me from my loneliness. My life is just fine, thank you."
"That's not what I..."
"Just say what you fucking mean!"
Without any further warning, he pulls her to him and crushes her mouth with his. For a split second she relents, then gathers her wits and pulls back violently, slapping him across the face. She watches while he stands completely stunned for a minute, trying to figure out whether to leave or apologize. Then she throws herself into his arms and kisses him again, letting out a rough moan as their bodies collide. Hands start to wander, but this time it's Lindsey who pulls back. They stare at each other, breathless.
She's eventually the first one to speak. "What was that?"
"I have been trying to figure out how to do that for a long time."
"We don't do that anymore," she says dumbly, repeating his words from earlier that day.
"What if I want to?"
"Then you probably shouldn't have gotten married," she says, her voice not concealing her irritation.
"I probably shouldn't have," he agrees.
That was clearly not what she was expecting and she can't respond. He refuses to bail her out, watching her intently as she fumbles. He was going for shock and he got it. "You really want to do this again?"
"Why not?"
"Because..."
"Besides the fact that I'm married," he says, rolling his eyes. He was tired of hearing that. "She doesn't need to know. We're on the road."
"I don't know, Lindsey."
"I know it's not ideal, but we can make each other happy."
"We can also make each other totally miserable."
"I'll take the bad if I can get the good along with it."
"You know how dangerous this is. Everyone watches us."
"You used to think that was exciting." He approaches her and tucks her hair behind her ear, standing entirely too close to her. He tilts her face to his, suddenly remembering how much littler she is without her boots on. She looks up at him, wide-eyed, clearly unsure of him.
"You still love me," she says calmly. It's a statement, not a question.
"Of course I do. You love me, too." His statement gets a nod.
"I've narrowed it down to no one but Lindsey Buckingham," she says, invoking her own words and smirking a little.
"Then be with me," he insists, an arm wrapping around her waist.
She stretches up and kisses his lips gently, then takes his face in her hands. "Not tonight."
