Blue Denim

Part 21

Some time later, Stevie was still in some state of trance when she left the house. Lindsey's and Cheri's house.

She walked down the street for a while, needing a minute to herself. She knew that her actions were dangerous, everybody could easily notice and recognize her, but at that moment, she didn't care. Tears were running down her cheeks, she didn't even bother to wipe them away. She sat down on a park bench and buried her face in between her hands. What Cheri had just told her had caught her completely off-guard. Apparently, she and Lindsey had been a couple for the past six years.

Stevie shook her head and looked inside her bag to fish out her phone. She dialed the number of the car collection service she usually used when she stayed in LA and asked for a car to pick her up and take her back to the city.

--

Hours went by. Hours that Stevie spent thinking about all the things Cheri had told her. After leaving the suburbs, she had checked into a hotel close to Lindsey's venue. She took a bath and talked to her mother on the phone for about an hour, slowly but surely getting tired. The day's events had worn her out.

It was around 1 am when there was a knocking sound at her hotel room door. Stevie groaned, hoping whoever was making the noise would leave again, if she just ignored them long enough. Sadly, she had no such luck. She stood up, tying the sash of her robe as she made her way to the door to take a look through the spyhole.

She closed her eyes for a moment when she saw who was standing at the other side, at the same time cursing her mother for never being able to keep her mouth shut. Stevie took a deep breath, telling herself that she had to be mature about the situation for once in her life, and opened up the door.

"Stephanie..", Lindsey muttered under his breath, surprised to see that she was actually willing to speak to him.

"Come in.", Stevie said and stepped aside, "We need to talk."

Lindsey stumbled through the door, almost as if he was scared that she might change her mind if he took too long.

"Whatever she told you, it's a lie.", he said as soon as Stevie had closed the door behind him. "There is nothing going on between Cheri and I. I didn't cheat on you. Steph, I swear. I haven't seen her in months. I..-"

"I know.", Stevie interrupted him. "Cheri told me so."

"She.. she told you? What did she tell you?", he wanted to know. His heart was beating twice as fast as usual.

"Everything.", Stevie said and sat down on the couch in the middle of the room, motioning for Lindsey to do the same. "She told me that you and her used to be a couple for the past six years. That you two wanted to marry and moved to the suburbs to start a family. That when I called you to join Fleetwood Mac on stage to play at the inauguration, you didn't want to agree at first because you were scared to see me again. That for years, you were dealing with major trust issues because of the way I treated you when we were younger. And that, as soon as you saw me and offered your help to get me sober again, you didn't call your girlfriend of six years once in ten days to tell her where you had been. That she was worried sick about you and broke up with you over the phone because she couldn't put up with the way our history was affecting your and Cheri's relationship any longer."

When Stevie was finished, she noticed that Lindsey had started to cry.

"I'm so sorry..", he mumbled, "So, so sorry, Steph."

"It's not me you owe an apology, Linds.", Stevie said softly as she reached for Lindsey's hand, "It's Cheri. Though, I have to admit I wish you told me about her. All this time we spent together and you didn't think it would be necessary to bring up the fact that you were with someone else for six years? That hurts. I mean, what did you think would have happened? That I wouldn't have wanted you, anymore?"