I Can't Stop

Part 30

The past couple of weeks hadn't been easy for Stevie. She hadn't tried to reach out to Lindsey, wanting to give him some space, but he hadn't called once either, which upset her. Don was silent too. Stevie mostly kept to herself, the only human contact she had now was with Alice, who got over the talk they had quite quickly or at least it seemed like she did. 

What Lindsey said, before leaving, stuck with Stevie. He was right, he shouldn't be a result of other people's actions, she should want him the way he wanted her. The truth was, Stevie was torn, she had no clue as to what she truly wanted. She thought she did, when she was with Lindsey, away from home, away from reality. It felt like nothing could ruin their fantasy, their dream this time, but... Stevie couldn't just up and leave Don either. They'd shared so much in the years they'd spent together. And she still loved him, she truly did. It would have been so much easier if Don hadn't changed at all since they first met. Back then, he simply charmed her with his status, his fame and luxury, but as the time passed, Don became a whole different man - a family man. He turned into a husband every woman wished for and a father every woman wished for their kids. A part of Stevie wanted to just run into Lindsey's open arms, the other kept telling her that maybe things between them were fine for the time being. What if they got back together and they got transferred back to the times, when they could barely stand each other. While the love was there between Stevie and Lindsey, they had always had problems, some of which might have still been there to the present day.

"Hey, mo- you're packing? Where are you going?" Alice asked, coming into her parents' bedroom.

"I'm going to see your father." Stevie said, closing her suitcase to zip it up. "We haven't talked at all since he left and I think we really should."

"Well, dad asks about you, when we speak on the phone." Alice told her mother, seeing her face light up a bit. "Even if you two argued, he still cares about you, mom. I think, it's great that you're going to visit him."

"I hope he thinks so too." Stevie sighed, running a hand through her hair as she stood up straight. 

Karen took Stevie to the airport a short while later. Even though she wasn't just Stevie's assistant, they had become friends over the years, Karen didn't really want to get involved, so Lori was going to accompany Stevie on the trip to Miami.

Stevie was nervous during the whole flight. She didn't speak much with Lori, but her once sister-in-law tried her best to keep Stevie calm, reassuring her that Don was going to be happy to see her. 

The last thing Stevie wanted to do was ruin the concert. She was anxious to see Don, but she chose to wait for him at the same hotel the band was staying at. She called his assistant to get the details and then waited in her own hotel room along with Lori for Don to return.

"I think you got a text message." Lori said, showing to Stevie's phone lying on the bed. "Do you know, how to open it?" She smirked and Stevie rolled her eyes.

"It's Don's assistant. They're back." Stevie said in a shaky voice. 

"You're going to be okay." Lori smiled as Stevie was ready to head out the door.

Stevie needed a minute to compose herself. Don's room was on the same floor, yet she took her time to approach it and knock on the door. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her knuckles against the wood and hesitated for a second, before shaking herself mentally and knocking at last. 

A moment later, Stevie and Don were face to face. Slowly, a smile grew on her face, while he seemed utterly surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to surprise you, I've missed you." They lingered, standing in front of each other. "May I come in? Or are you hiding someone in there?"Stevie made a nervous joke.

"Wha- no, of course not." Don shook his head, stepping aside to let her come in. "I'm definitely surprised."

"I came to say that I'm sorry, for everything, Don." Stevie couldn't think of a reason to dance around the subject. "I know that I've made a huge mistake and I hurt you, but I love you. I'm begging you to forgive me." Stevie said, closing the distance between them. "I want to fix things between us." She added, reaching for his hands, hanging by his sides, hoping he wasn't going to push her away.