"I'll be leaving soon, I'm meeting with a friend." Barbara said as she sat with Stevie and Lindsey, trying to ignore the fact they hadn't touch their food yet. "Then it's shopping for groceries. Anything in particular you'd like for dinner?"
Lindsey didn't respond, because he was too focused on Stevie, hoping she'd look back at him if he stared at her long enough. Stevie kept her mouth shut, because she was thinking about what she had told Lindsey moments ago and what he didn't say back to her.
"What is it with you two?" Barbara asked, her eyebrows creased, still, she kept her voice down.
"Oh, uh... nothing." Lindsey forced a smile. "Just woke up, that's all." He shrugged it off.
"I'm sorry, I'm not very hungry." Stevie pushed her chair back and picked up her coffee. "I'm going out to sit on the porch. Alone." She added.
As soon as they were left alone, Lindsey received and icy glare, which made him gulp. "I didn't do anything, I swear." He whispered.
"Well, something happened." Barbara said, crossing her arms.
There was no use in lying. Sometimes Lindsey thought Stevie's mother knew him as well as his own. "It was a misunderstanding." Raising one eyebrow, Barbara waited for an explanation. "Right before you knocked on the door, Stevie said, she wanted more than just friendship."
"And you told her, no?"
"I didn't tell her anything." Lindsey replied, shaking his head. "I was just caught off guard."
"Lindsey." Barbara paused and reached across the table to lay her hand over his. "You know my daughter. You know how she gets. She didn't hear the answer she had expected."
"But it doesn't mean, I don't want the same." Lindsey sighed, leaning against the back of the chair. "It's just... I don't know, things are going so well, I don't want anything to ruin that."
"I'm not the one you're supposed to be telling this." Barbara pulled back and picked up her unfinished tea. "The longer you let her overthink, the worse it's going to get."
Sitting for a minute longer, Lindsey thought of what to do. It was possibly that Stevie didn't want to see him or talk to him right now, but her mother was right as well. Communication had always been the worst part of their relationship. If he didn't tell her, how he felt, how was she supposed to know?
"Hey." Lindsey stepped over the threshold, hands in pockets, head hung low. "Can I join you?" A weak shrug - he took that as a yes. "I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't expecting that from you. Then your mother interrupted us and-"
"Don't blame this on her." Stevie cut him off, staring straight ahead.
"Right, you're right." Lindsey agreed, turning to face her. "I'm a coward. Is that a better reason?"
"At least, it's an honest one." She slowly brought her cup up to her mouth and took a sip. "It's only fair, since I was honest with you."
"And it's great! I'm really happy that you said that, Steph. You took my response the wrong way."
"What response?" She scoffed. "I told you, I want to be with you and you thought, we should go down for breakfast."
"I didn't think that's what you wanted. At least, not so soon." Lindsey explained. "That's why I was a bit shocked to hear you say that. I could have handled it better, absolutely, but it doesn't mean that I don't want you." He looked at her hand, resting in her lap and he thought of taking it in his, but he didn't want her to push him away. "Because I do. I'm just scared that we'll somehow ruing this again. I wouldn't survive if I lost you again, Stevie."
"So, does that mean, you're not even going to try?" She faced him at last and saw the fear reflecting in his eyes. They never lied to her.
"I didn't say that. I'm simply telling you, how I feel."
"I'm scared, too." Stevie admitted. "I'm especially scared, because my mind's clear right now. But... all I know is that I love you. I don't think that it's ever going to get any easier for us, but I want to try. I've tried to replace you, Lindsey, and I couldn't. I can't."
Carefully, he entwined their fingers together and she tightened her grip. "I don't want to just be friends either." He finally said, what he had meant to say.
