A couple of days passed and Stevie was already tired of acting. She also thought that Nicole saw right through her, although, she didn't approach her mother once to ask if something wasn't as great as it seemed. Stevie hadn't heard from Lindsey either, so she didn't bother calling him. Clearly he wanted nothing to do with her. Joe was beyond annoying, being overly affectionate, that is if Nicole was around of course. The whole situation was driving Stevie closer to her breaking point.
Since Nicole had been away for a while, she begged Stevie to go out and do some shopping, grab lunch after that. They would do this all the time, but Stevie wasn't feeling up to it. She lied about having a headache again, adding that her back was hurting too. Nicole watched her mother disappear into her bedroom, then sighing heavily she went to lie down on the couch in the living room.
Stevie had fallen asleep and was later woken up by the phone ringing. She grabbed the receiver and put it up to her ear, hoping it might be Lindsey.
"Oh, hey, Karen..."
It was her assistant calling about some appearances for the upcoming Fleetwood Mac tour. Stevie hung up, feeling disappointed and got up from the bed. She walked downstairs, finding Nicole with a bunch of photo albums spread across the living room floor.
"What are you up to?" Stevie asked, kneeling down beside her daughter.
"I can't remember the last time I looked through our family pictures. We look happy, we look like a family. Unlike how it feels now."
"Why would you say that?"
"You're not happy, mom. I hate that."
"I am, sweetheart. How couldn't I be happy, when your dad and I are resolving our issues, you're home too. It's all good."
"Don't lie to me." Nicole's words came out harsher than she had intended. "Do you love my father?"
Which one, Stevie thought to herself... "I do. It hasn't been easy, but we share some wonderful memories together."
"It's just... I don't believe it. The whole thing seems to be worse now that you've reconciled, than it did before. I want you to talk to me, mom. I know you always want to protect me, but please... I want my mom back. What happened while I was away?"
Stevie stood up on her feet and walked over to the couch to sit down. She patted the space next to her, showing Nicole to join her. She had decided herself, Joe knew, Lindsey knew and even if Joe had made threats, Nicole had to know too. There was no way Stevie could keep up with this circus.
"I want you to now that you're my everything, Nic. I love you so much. You're my only child and I had promised myself, that yes, I would always protect you from the world, I wouldn't let anything happen to you, I wouldn't let anyone hurt you. So far, I've been doing a pretty good job I think, only to realize that I myself have hurt you more than anyone else ever could."
"Mom, I don't understand... You're scaring me."
"You will soon, at least I hope." Stevie took Nicole's hand in hers and began talking. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but... When I got pregnant, your father and I were already married. I loved him a lot, I was completely and utterly in love with him. I don't need to tell you that our marriage took a left turn very quickly. He rented a house in Memphis, I stayed in Los Angeles, we barely saw each other. He did come home from time to time. I had laid off drugs and alcohol, but at that particular point I was feeling absolutely miserable, worthless, not cared for, not loved. A party was thrown to celebrate a Fleetwood Mac album, I let myself loose. I accepted every drink that was sent my way, I didn't do cocaine or that sort of drug, but we smoked a lot of put and frankly, I had no idea where I was or whom I was with by the end of it all. I thought I was taken back to my hotel by someone from the band or crew, but that wasn't the case. I woke up the next morning, in another man's bed. That was the night I conceived."
Nicole instantly snatched her hand away and to Stevie it felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her. "You're lying!"
"I'm not, baby. I'm sorry."
"Don't! No! NO!"
"I'm so sorry, but it's true, Nicole. I wish I had never lied about it, but I just... I don't know how to explain myself."
"There is no explanation! You just told me that my father isn't my father! How could you ever do this to me?! To dad?!"
"I'm sorry..." Stevie kept repeating, sobbing into the palms of her hands. "So sorry..."
"I can't believe this!" Nicole jumped to her feet, running a hand through her beautiful wavy, dark brown hair. "Do you even know who's my real father?" She asked, her words laced with disgust.
"I..." She couldn't say it, nodding her head instead.
"Tell me."
"No."
"TELL ME!"
"Nicole, no..."
"Does my dad, the man who raised me, cared for me and loved me knows?"
"He does. I told him just before you came home."
"And he still wants to be with you..."
"He doesn't! It's all a lie! He's not half the man you think he is, Nicole! He's a horrible, violent excuse of a man! He's threatened me! He said I wouldn't want to know what he could do if I told you the truth! He moved back into this house, so I couldn't ever be happy! He's forcing me to be with him, he forces himself onto me!"
All that Stevie was saying Nicole wasn't hearing. Joe had always been an angel to her and she wasn't about to believe her mother's words. "Who's my biological father?"
"Don't make me say it. You love Joe, he's always been your dad. You don't need to know."
"TELL ME WHO FUCKED YOU THAT NIGHT?!"
"LINDSEY! LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM IS YOUR FATHER!"
There. She said it. She screamed out his name and she knew she screwed up badly. She knew better than to try and hug her crying and devastated daughter. She watched her for a moment, suddenly remembering Joe's words. She couldn't be here. She couldn't be in the house once he finds out. Lindsey was in denial, Joe and Nicole hated her. There was nothing keeping Stevie where she was right now. She rushed to the bedroom, gathered her personal things and ran out the front door.
Stevie didn't even contact Karen, nobody could know where she was headed. She found herself in an airport, looking for the earliest flight, that happened to be to England. She could go to Christine! God, she needed someone like Chris right now.
She bought herself a ticket and went aside, to try and be out of people's view. She sat down, tossing her handbag onto the next seat. She understood that she was running away, but she couldn't face her reality. She was genuinely scared for her life.
When it was time to board the plane, Stevie picked her handbag not by its handle, forgetting she hadn't zipped it up, and all its contents spilled out. She cursed, kneeling down to gather everything up, only for her things to fall out of her hands again.
"Here, let me help you." A beautiful British accent reached her ears and soon she met a pair of gorgeous green eyes, when she lifted hers up.
"I'm such a mess today, I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be." The man helped her, putting everything back inside her bag. "I'm Harrison."
"Stevie." She smiled shyly at him. "Thank you, I would sure have been late to board the plane. It's leaving in a few."
"You're going to London by any chance?"
"Mhm." Stevie nodded, already walking to the gate.
"Me too." He said matter of factly. "I'll be headed over there myself soon."
"Have a nice flight then."
Harrison wished her the same and she hurried to show her ticket to the flight attendant. Stevie found her seat that she took instantly, as she had no baggage with her to put in the overhead compartment. She leaned her head against the window, tears already welling up in her eyes. She felt someone's presence behind her, taking their seat too. How silly was she to have hoped to be sitting alone.
Suddenly...
"Stevie?"
She turned her head to her right. What were the odds...
