Love You Enough

Seven

Stevie just stood there, clutching the white towel to her chest as she stared at him. "Have you lost your mind?", she asked eventually, "Because it sure as hell looks like it." Angrily, she made her way past him back into the bedroom to find some clothes.

Lindsey watched her, clearly confused. "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What the fuck is wrong with you?!", she yelled back.

"Oh god, not this, again.", Lindsey said with a shake of his head and took a seat at the end of the bed.

"Not what, again?"

"I swear, you do this every time. Every single time, I manage to come a little bit closer to you, you get defensive all of a sudden and destroy everything we just built.", Lindsey said and sighed, "I don't get it. Stevie, I don't.  The past couple days were wonderful, you said it yourself. I wanted to surprise you, get you your favorite coffee and one of those vanilla éclairs I know you love so much. And what do I get in return?! I get yelled at. Wonderful, just wonderful."

Now, Stevie felt bad. She closed her eyes for a second, then sat down next to him. "Lindsey, this is too much. We're not... you and I, we're not a couple, anymore. How did you even get back in?"

"I borrowed your keycard.", Lindsey replied and held it up for her to see, "Listen, I know we're not a couple, anymore. You don't have to remind me of that every single time I do something nice for you."

Stevie wanted to cry. She really did but not in front of him. "I'm going to get changed.", she said instead, and disappeared into the bathroom for some privacy.

Why did he have to make this even harder than it already was? Didn't he notice how much she was struggling with this whole situation? This wasn't easy for her. As much as it might look like it, pushing him away was never easy. It was actually pretty hard.

She took way longer than needed, got dressed, blow-dried her hair and applied some facial creme to her skin. She then stood in front of the mirror, holding onto the sink with both hands while giving herself a much needed pep talk. "You can do this. You did this before. Just explain the situation and tell him it's over."

"Yeah, you're right. You did this before.", she heard Lindsey reply to her words from the other side of the door, "I can hear you, Stevie. Loud and clearly."

"Fuck.", she cursed.

"Yeah, I heard that, too."

Stevie shook her head, then turned to open up the door and find him sitting on the bed still. "You're not making this easy for me."

"Good.", he just said, then handed over her cup of coffee. He watched her taking a sip, the pleased expression upon her face letting him know that it was just the way she preferred it.

"I'm trying to do the right thing here, Linds. Can't you see that?"

"No. I really don't get how treating me like shit is supposed to be the right thing."

Stevie sighed, "You're married."

"So what? You're acting as if that has ever been a hurdle for you."

"That's not exactly true-"

"Mick, Derek Taylor, Sara's first husband, Rupert Hine", Lindsey started to list, "Shall I go on?"

"I'm not that person, anymore.", Stevie said angrily, her cheeks slightly flushed from him bringing up her mistakes from the past, "I'm not a drugged-up whore, anymore. And if you think I'm going to be yours, you can leave right the fuck now."

"That's- that's not what I meant.", Lindsey was quick to apologize, "That came out the wrong way. I'm sorry. It's just... Stevie, this is..."

"I know.", she whispered, her throat closing up, "I know."