Escape

Did I get it right?

Lindsey insisted on driving Stevie home after rehearsals. He said he wanted to see Sara and she couldn't say no to him. The drive seemed way too long and it was mostly spent in silence. At one point Lindsey's hand fell on her thigh and she held her breath for a moment. Once she got used to it, she lay her hand on top of his and he turned to her briefly smiling. They hadn't talked about their relationship any more besides when Stevie dragged him out to find out what she had exactly done to make him act the way he was on the first day of rehearsals. She understood she wouldn't be able to play both sides for long, but she didn't know what to do about it either. 

"Wait." Lindsey said once he stopped the car by the front door of Stevie's house. She frowned, but did as she was told, while he got out and went around the front to open the car door and held his hand for her.

"You're very sweet, Linds." And so irresistible, she thought as they approached the entrance of the mansion. "You want anything?" She asked taking off her boots once they were inside. 

"I'm good. You don't need to treat me special, I know you always have to take care of other people, but I'm not a guest really, am I?" Lindsey tucked loose hair away from her face.

"No, I suppose not."

"No way, mom!" Both Stevie and Lindsey turned their heads to the staircase, where Sara was running towards them. "You brought home Lindsey Buckingham with you! You're the coolest!" She planted a big kiss on Stevie's cheek and then hugged her father tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"Oh, I've missed you too, sweetheart." He held onto his daughter, who might have been sixteen, but was already almost towering over him. He found it weird that Sara was this tall, he wasn't really and Stevie most certainly wasn't either. 

"I had no idea you were coming!" 

By the time, Stevie had left the two to catch up, she went upstairs to her bedroom to change. Lindsey and Sara went to take a seat. "I hadn't planned to, but I thought I could drive your mother home as well as spend some time with you. I hope you weren't busy?"

"Dad, I will always find time for you and you know it."

"That's my girl!" He beamed proudly. 

"Always have been, always will be. Just don't tell mom, she can get pretty sensitive about it." She joked and Lindsey agreed. 

"So, tell me then. How's school?"

"Boring."

"It can't be!" Lindsey rolled his eyes, remembering how he disliked high school all too well. "As long as you keep up the good grades."

"I'm not doing too bad. If mom's not complaining, then I know I'm alright. Actually, we have this new teacher, he's really young, way too young to waste his life in school in my opinion, but he has started a drama class and I went to check it out. I really liked it to be honest."

"I'm pretty sure you get private drama classes everyday though." 

"That's not a nice way to talk about the mother of your child, Lindsey." Stevie joined them in the living room and sat down. 

"But see, you know you're always being over dramatic."

"Yeah yeah, you've been telling me that for years, it's getting old." 

Lindsey didn't want to say anything, but he felt something not being right. He knew Stevie was tired and so was he, but she was also rather cold with him. He tried to ignore it for the next hour or so and concentrated on listening to Sara and her thoughts jumping from one thing to another every minute.

Stevie looked at the clock on the wall, it was getting late. "Sara, it's past 11pm, you have school in the morning. I think it's time for you to go get ready for bed."

"Mom, dad doesn't come here every day!"

"I'm not going to argue with you."

"But, mom..."

"No, sweetheart." Lindsey interrupted. "Your mother is right. You should go now, but what do you say I take you away for the weekend?"

"Yes! Of course!" She threw her arms around him excited. "I would love that!"

"Great, we'll talk about this more if you be a good girl now."

"Gee, I'm sixteen! I'm not a child anymore." Sara hugged Lindsey once more and went to say goodnight to Stevie. 

When they were finally left alone Lindsey shifted closer to Stevie and put his arm around her and pulled her closer. "Hey..."

"Hey." She didn't fight against the need to lay her head on his shoulder. 

"Can I ask without us getting into a fight?"

"Try." It was so unlike her to answer with not even a sentence, he was used to her rambling. 

"I told you I want to be with you."

"I remember."

"We haven't talked more about it afterwards and you've been really cold and distant with me. Did I do something I'm not aware of?"

"You didn't do anything, Lindsey, no..."

"Then what's up? You're having second thoughts?" 

"Lindsey, I... yes, you told me you're divorcing Kristen, but I need proof. I need to know you're serious. I can't get my heart involved in this mess again and have it broken once again. I believe you love me and so do I. But until you file for divorce... we are not going to talk about us. There is no us." She only half lied. She couldn't tell Lindsey about Andrew, but she wasn't going to break up with him right now, in case Lindsey was just playing with her feelings. 

"Stevie, answer me honestly. Is this all? All you need is for me to just send Kristen the divorce papers?"

"To just send Kristen the divorce papers?" She pulled away and looked at him in disbelief. "Do you hear yourself?"

"Well..."

"This is what the whole thing is about, Lindsey. I made it clear there will be no us unless you leave her for good."

"But I have told you I will."

"Yes, Lindsey. Exactly that! I have lost count of just how many times you have already said that to me."

"Don't you start."

"Why not? It's true." She shrugged. 

"Stevie, you have to believe me..."

"Why, Lindsey? I don't know what it is about this woman, but just as many times you tried leaving her, she drew you back in. All those years ago you told me she was expecting your son, you said you'd stay with me no matter what, but all of a sudden you decided you had to be with her. After Will was born, you said, once he's a little older, you're breaking things off. Oh, and what happens? She gets pregnant again! Then you marry her, then you have another baby with her. And all that is happening while you come every other night over to my house, play with your firstborn daughter, then fuck me senseless and go back to her. Why would this time be any different?"

He was surprised she was strangly calm, the tone of her voice wasn't raised and she wasn't about to start crying. It worried him. "Steph, I understand that...'

She laughed bitterly. "Do you think that whenever I'm pissed off, you will calm me Steph and it will all magically go away? I think... if you ever told Kristen you were leaving her before, she probably begged you to stay, but let's be honest, she's getting tired of your bullshit, isn't she? So, this is why you're so sure this time it's going to be different, but you haven't done anything about divorcing her just because you're still waiting for her to change her mind. Is that it? Did I get right?"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. What had gotten into her? He had opened his heart for her and she stomped all over it. He shook his head sadly standing up. He couldn't think of anything else to say when looking down at her. "Fuck you, Stevie." And left.