You Always Have Me

Part 18

The weekend passed by torturously slowly. Stevie felt more than just unwelcome at the Stanley's. True, Martha was as nice as ever to her, even telling her of Evelyn's plans, but it didn't make up much for having to be around Evelyn and Nicole. The two were clearly a united front, making Stevie feel as if she shouldn't be there, shouldn't be with her husband. Anyway, Stevie spent most of the time with him. He now managed to get into his wheelchair with little help, so they were able to leave the house and explore the lands a bit, giving them an opportunity to be by themselves. Jeremy was on his best behavior, trying to listen more than speak, so he wouldn't say the wrong word. He didn't want them to fight, more importantly, he didn't want Stevie to leave while she was mad at him, knowing it would only make matters worse. 

After the first day, things were relatively okay, Stevie thought, but what worried her was how different Jeremy would become around Nicole. When she would come in, something about Jeremy's demeanor would change. He even seemed nervous to Stevie and she couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was just her seeing things, so she dismissed it, not mentioning a word. 

If she was honest, Stevie was relieved to being going home. She was anxiously waiting for Lindsey to arrive. He was supposed to come at around 5 pm, so half an hour earlier, Stevie went to say goodbye to Martha, check if she had all of her things and have a couple of minutes with Jeremy.

"I'll miss you." Jeremy said. What Stevie hoped to hear from him though was that he wanted her to stay, because he knew she could. 

"Me too. I'll come back when you want me to."

Nodding, Jeremy brought her hand up to his lips. "Okay. Call me when you're back home. I love you."

"I will and I love you, too." Stevie said, disappointed that he didn't ask to say bye to Lily.

Thankfully, Lindsey arrived soon, still refusing to get out of the car. He highly doubted Jeremy's family would welcome him, so he would rather avoid any awkward run ins with them. A smile crossed his face, when he saw Stevie walk through the door with Lily and Beth behind her. Even if she loved her father, Beth didn't want to stay, it wasn't a pleasant environment. 

"Hey." Stevie smiled, hugging Lindsey close. 

"Hey." He echoed, lingering for a moment longer, taking in her scent. It had only been two days, but he had missed her so much. "Hi, girls." He waved at them, but it wasn't enough for Lily, who without any warning jumped into Lindsey's arms, making him laugh. "I missed you, too!"

Beth stood back, watching the scene in front of her, focusing on Stevie. It hurt to admit, but those three seemed a lot more like a family. She saw Stevie happy at last, she hadn't seen that smile reach her eyes for the whole weekend she had been with Jeremy. Sighing, Beth handed Lindsey her bag, him loading their things into the trunk. 

"So, how was it? Did you have a good time?" Lindsey asked, pulling out of the driveway.

Stevie looked through the rear view mirror at the girls, then at Lindsey. "We'll talk later, okay?"

He instantly knew something was wrong. Nodding, he said. "Of course."

Besides occasional chatter between Beth and Lily, the drive was spent in silence. Stevie was lost in her thoughts, looking out the window at the passing scenery. Lindsey was naturally worried. He thought she'd be happy, having spent some time with her husband, but it seemed like it wasn't like that at all.

"Here." Stevie gave Beth the keys, once they came home. "I want to talk to Lindsey for a minute." Watching Beth and Lily go inside, Stevie then turned to Lindsey and broke down.

He didn't hesitate, pulling her into his arms and trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Steph. It's all okay... Shh, baby don't cry."

"I don't know wh- what happened to him, Linds." She sobbed. "As soon as we arrived, h- he and I got into a- an argument. He accused m- me of things and worst o- of all..."

"Breathe, Stevie." Lindsey said, stroking her back. 

"His ex is th- the one taking care o- of him. She's around him 24/7 an- and he's so weird when sh- she's close t- to him."

"What the hell is she doing there?" Lindsey frowned, holding Stevie by the shoulders, looking at her face. 

"She's a nurse or whatever you call them." Having calmed down a little, Stevie could speak more coherently. "It's all a set up. Jeremy's sister asked Nicole to be the one taking care of him. She's trying to ruin my marriage, because she hates me."

"Oh, baby, nobody could hate you." Smiling slightly, Lindsey used his thumb to wipe under her eyes. 

"Well, she does and I don't know why. Oh, Lindsey... I don't know what to do." Feeling defeated, Stevie rested her head against his chest, as Lindsey's arms wrapped themselves around her again. "I feel helpless. Jeremy didn't even ask me to stay. I would have, you know, but I think he doesn't want me there." 

"If I'm honest, you just told me all of this and I'm not sure what to make of it or what to say to you, how to help you."

Sighing, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I just needed to let it out, I've been holding it back for the whole time we were there."

"It's okay, you know that you always have me." Kissing her on the forehead, Lindsey drew back a little, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Is there anything I can do?"

"You'll probably say no again, but I would really appreciate it if you stayed with me. Beth said she's going back to where she lives with her mother, it's just easier for her to go to school from there, so it's going to be just me and Lily. And maybe... you?"

Smiling, this time Lindsey gave in. "You know, you're impossible to say no to."

 ~

I apologize for this chapter, I've been struggling writing it, but I needed it for things to be able to move forward.