Start Again

Part 6

"What do you think about a late night snack?" 

Stevie turned around abruptly in her chair, hearing Lindsey's voice behind her. At last, he was the one coming to her. "You know I don't eat at this hour." 

"Right, but I think us having a drink together would be a worse choice." Lindsey pointed out and Stevie smiled, nodding her head.

"You're absolutely right. Karen will be back shortly, I'll tell her, I'm leaving with you."

"If you do, she won't let you go." Lindsey teased, now standing a lot closer to Stevie. "She's overprotective."

"Please, I don't think I could survive a day without her anymore." Stevie laughed, though, it was most likely true. 

"Ste- oh, Lindsey." Karen came in, stopping as soon as she saw Lindsey. "Um, what is going on?"

"You can go back to the hotel, Karen. I'm leaving with Lindsey. I'm sure he'll have me home by midnight." Stevie joked and Lindsey checked the time on his phone.

"No, I won't." He shook his head, a subtle smile on his face.

It felt different. Stevie didn't want to get her hopes up too high, but this time it already felt different, compared to the other two. Lindsey was calmer and he seemed to want to be around her. He was kind of being playful too. Stevie feared saying the wrong thing.

A short while later, the two of them were in a rented car with Lindsey behind the wheel. They hadn't yet spoken about anything besides the show they just did and Stevie guessed that they were just sort of testing the waters with each other. 

"I can't remember the last time I ate fast food."

Lindsey smirked, before biting into his cheeseburger. "Stevie, you got a salad."

"From a fast food place." She gave him a pointed look and Lindsey couldn't help but laugh at it. 

"Whatever you say." He shrugged, grabbing a couple of fries. "I was thinking..."

"Oh, dangerous."

"Could be." He nodded, biting into his lower lip, before continuing. "Would it be too much if I asked you to come back with me to my hotel room? I just want it to be the two of us, I want to talk privately."

Carefully considering, Stevie slowly nodded her head. "Yes, okay."

Shortly, Lindsey restarted the engine of the car and they were on the way to his hotel. Naturally, they were staying at different ones. Once they arrived and Lindsey led them to the elevators, Stevie's mind was flooded with memories, most of them started out exactly like this. There was a time, when almost after every show they'd end up at his or hers, had sex and then left right after. That went on until Lindsey told her, he had gotten another woman pregnant. After that she detached herself from him. Contrary to what the fans might have thought, they didn't have any kind of relationship with each other since The Dance. Stevie simply told herself that Lindsey was finally happy. He had always wanted a family and at long last he became a father and a husband. He didn't need her, not anymore.

"I want to say, I'm sorry." Lindsey spoke up, once they entered his room. "I have my reasons to be angry, but I should have never been so mean and rude to you, Stevie. You didn't deserve to be spoken to the way I have been speaking to you recently, you didn't deserve the things I said, all the little remarks. But..." He trailed off, running his fingers through his curls. "I've been... How do I say this?" He asked rhetorically. Taking her by the hand, Lindsey guided them over to take a seat. He still held her hand in his, his eyes fixated on hers. "Steph, my life is falling apart."

Frowning, Stevie leaned in a little closer. "What do you mean by that?"

"Um..." He sighed, again, struggling for words. "Kristen filed for divorce about a month ago."

Stevie gasped at that revelation, her arms immediately embracing him. "Oh, Lindsey... Wh- What happened?"

"She's just not happy anymore." Lindsey shrugged. "She said, she should have never married me. Apparently, our kids are old enough to understand that their mom and dad can't be together anymore."

"Where is all this coming from?" Still frowning, Stevie felt herself getting angry. "Why would she willingly let you go? I have before and it's the biggest mistake I've ever made."

"You mean that?" Lindsey was a little taken aback as he tilted his chin up, staring into her eyes. "Steph?"

"I do." She answered after a moment. "Of course, I do. Seems like everyone around me can tell, I still love you, but not me." She saw his eyebrows crease and he probably had a million thoughts in his head right now, but she didn't let him dwell on them. "Is she having an affair?"

"Not that I know of." Lindsey shrugged, shaking his head. "Honestly, this is why I'm so pissed off, because my wife wants to divorce me and she hasn't really given me a reason why. Then again, I guess, if she's not happy..."

"But you've given her everything, Linds. I-I know you loved her." Stevie grew quiet, it wasn't easy talking about his feelings for another woman. 

"She says, she's finally starting to notice the age difference between us. We don't have anything in common, we don't have anything to talk about, we're just married for the sake of our kids. That's what Kristen told me."

Sighing heavily, Stevie gave Lindsey a sympathetic look. "She doesn't know what she's letting go." She told him sincerely and once again, Lindsey found himself to be speechless.