Not the One

Part 23

"Would you like to come inside?" Stevie asked Dave, who was standing on her doorstep, hands in his pockets, eyes everywhere but on her.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I only came over to bring whatever you've left at my place. It's not much, but... they're your things."

"Dave..."

He lifted his eyes up to look at her and that was enough for him to give in. Stevie stepped aside and smiled a little, letting him enter the house.

Stevie herself was in a vulnerable state. She wasn't doing too well on her own. After Lindsey had left, he tried calling her several times each day. It was currently day 5 and the phone hadn't rung yet. She guessed, he'd given up, she hoped, he'd finally got the message.

"What have I left at yours?" Stevie asked, realizing she was still holding the bag Dave had handed over to her.

"Women stuff." Dave shrugged, a glimpse of a smile on his lips. "A hairbrush, some kind of lotion. I really don't know."

Stevie chuckled lightly and thanked him again. "Would you like a cup of coffee or...?"

"Stevie, I-" He sighed. "Maybe I should go."

"No." She shook her head and rushed to add. "Please. I want to talk to you. I would have called, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear from me."

"It hasn't been easy, no." 

Stevie led them to the kitchen and showed Dave to take a seat, while she put the kettle on. From his seat, Dave's eyes followed her movements. He watched her reach up for two cups, she had to stand on her tiptoes. He wanted to help her, but he couldn't get close to her. He looked away, clenching his fist.

"How are your babies?" Stevie asked, standing a good distance away from Dave.

"They miss you." Came his reply, hurting them both. "They're alright."

Stevie cast her eyes down as she began fidgeting with her rings. "Dave, I've made a mistake."

He turned his head towards her, his eyebrows creased. "A mistake? Which one?"

She felt her eyes immediately brim with hears at his tone of voice. "I know how badly I've hurt you and I'm so sorry." Stevie, somewhat carefully, approached him and remained standing in front of him. "I'm sorry that I've dragged you into this mess that I call my life. Everything that happened during the tour... I guess, I just longed for something that I used to have a very long time ago, something I still thought I wanted."

"Stevie, I don't know, where you're going with this, but-"

She reached for his hands and he felt his heart melt at the touch. "I was selfsih, I only thought of myself. I didn't stop and consider your feelings." Without thinking about her actions, she sat on his lap and his arms naturally wrapped themselves around her. "You're the only man in my life, who wanted me for me. You didn't care about my money or fame, you saw a different side of me. Things weren't complicated with you. It felt good being with you, just being Stevie, without having to keep up appearances. You didn't care for one second about the way I looked or dressed. You didn't care about my industry friends, you were never impressed, whose birthday party I was attending, you just stayed at home with the kids and called me in the middle of the night to check on me. Dave, I..." Cocking her head back, Stevie needed a moment to compose herself. "I'm begging you to forgive me."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Dave pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking that maybe he was having a dream. "I don't know, what to think, what to say to you."

"Don't. Don't say anything to me right now." Stevie shook her head, eyes locked with his. 

Before Dave could properly process everything Stevie had just told him, he felt her lips on his. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was screaming at himself to push her away, but he couldn't. He didn't want to brake up, he still wanted her.