"So, how are we going to fix this mess?" Stevie had offered Lindsey a seat at the kitchen table, while she remained standing, waiting for the water to boil for coffee.
"What mess?" Lindsey asked with an arched eyebrow. "What's there for us to fix?"
"Your current situation." Stevie was going against what he had asked of her again. "I don't want to be the reason behind you and Olivia breaking up. Before you say anything, don't pretend like it wasn't serious. Need I remind you of that ring you had picked out for her?"
"Stevie..." Lindsey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Isn't there nothing else for us to talk about? The last I saw you was, what, two years ago? Clearly, your life has changed so much since then. I'm much more interested in hearing about you."
"Well, you already know everything that's happened." Stevie shrugged, pouring the water into his mug with sugar, hers didn't have any.
"Why are you acting this way?" Lindsey frowned, genuinely at a loss. "I'm trying to talk to you and you keep shutting me down."
"Because I know where this is going to lead us, Lindsey!" Stevie yelled out unexpectedly. "It can't happen again. I can't go through- through-" I can't lose you again. "This mess that we always create for ourselves."
"Do you honestly believe that's the reason I'm here?" He tilted his chin up when she approached and placed the cup in front of him. "That I have no boundaries or self-control?"
"I don't know! But I can't risk it." Stevie shrugged, shaking her head. She still refused to sit down and be close to him. "Two years ago, when I walked out of your hotel room, I... I felt like we were breaking up all over again. I've been trying really hard to forget about you, about us. And I was doing fine." She added. "Because I didn't see you, I knew nothing about you. You were once again out of my life."
Her sudden burst of honesty changed his approach. His initial response was going to fight her back, but he realized that she was protecting herself. Nothing had to happen between them in order for old wounds to reopen.
At the risk of receiving a slap or a disapproving glare, Lindsey reached for her hand and pulled Stevie a tad closer. "You think, I didn't feel the same?" A weak shrug. "I did. Saying goodbye to you after that night... I think, it hurt me more than when we decided to end things after we had spent years together. Stevie, I- I've missed you. I've missed having you in my life. I called you as a friend, I'm here today as a friend. I swear." He lay a hand over his heart. "The fact that I don't want to talk about Olivia isn't because I'm hoping that something is going to happen between us. No, it's because I care about you so much and I don't want to go any number of years without knowing where you are, who you are with, if you're okay, if you're happy again. I want to be there to see that for myself."
Blinking away the tears that had welled up in her eyes, Stevie finally sat down and the corners of her mouth turned upwards if only slightly. "I've missed you, too." She brushed her thumb over his knuckles, he hadn't let go of her hand yet.
Suddenly, a small, far away sounding voice caught Lindsey's attention and Stevie went pale. Lily woke up from her nap much sooner than Stevie had hoped for. She should have at least closed the door to Lily's room.
"Excuse me." Stevie stood up and turned to leave.
She's trying to lose the baby weight, Olivia's words echoed in the back of Lindsey's mind. He had completely forgotten about it until now.
