Shameless

Losing Control

A magazine was slapped down in front of him, making him spill coffee all over. “Your taste has changed” he laughed as he saw the unmistakable tabloid format. “Page 12” was the terse reply. Doing as he was told, he curiously opened the paper, immediately greeted by the large headline 'Nicksmas Party!’. “Well that’s an embarrassing pun, even for a tabloid” he groaned, looking at Kristen confused, trying to elicit some response, some hint as to what he was supposed to see. She simply just stared back. “The party. We were both there?” he tried, further looking for a hint in her face as to what was wrong. She gave nothing away, and he could do nothing but look back down. There were a few pictures:  He could only guess they had been snapped by other guests on their phones, and a little blurb. The pictures showed various people having fun, most included Stevie hamming it up per usual. There was one of him and Stevie however that drew his attention. They were pictured under the mistletoe, eyes closed, lips gently entwined, heads slightly tilted. A hint of a smile were visible on the corners of both pair of lips. He automatically sucked in air, eyes reading the caption 'Nicks and Buckingham getting cozy under the mistletoe’. He looked up. “Ok, I’ll admit that doesn’t look good, but it was an innocent kiss under the mistletoe. Tradition and all. Picture makes it look a lot worse” He tried a disarming smile, but was only met with more silence. “Seriously, we were surrounded by other people. She kissed Don Henley not five minutes earlier” “Keeping track of who she’s kissing Lindsey?” “Well, no… I just…mistletoe”  he trailed off. “It’s not just the picture Lindsey”.  He turned his attention back to the page, and read the blurb. Mostly it was a list of everyone attending, in guise of a story. He saw his name among those bolded 'The entire Mac was present, including former lover Lindsey Buckingham. A famously tumultuous pair, they seemed to be getting along swimmingly, sharing a kiss under the mistletoe, and, as some have informed us, even what could  be mistaken for an extended intimate cuddle rather than a dance later in the evening. Sources close to the band tell us they’re currently getting along very, very well. We’re sure Buckingham’s wife, who was present, don’t mind. Her presence certainly didn’t seem to derail the ex lovers’. 'Very, very, well’ he reread, muttering to himself. Yeah, you didn’t need a degree in tabloid to understand what they were implying. Still, this was totally salvageable.

“Honey, you know this is just…” “Bullshit” “Exactly! Taking things out of context, exaggerating, implying things that they have no basis for” “No! You are full of bullshit Lindsey! I know how these magazines work, still, can you actually look me in the eye and tell me you’re not a little bit relieved that this is all they wrote?” “I don’t follow…” “You. And. Stevie” she more or less spat out. Lindsey, not knowing exactly where she was going, kept quiet. “Eternal doomed lovers, isn’t that so?” her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You know that’s just for show, it’s part of the whole image” “Oh fuck off Lindsey! I’m so sick of hearing of your oh so convenient image. I’ve been able to excuse a lot behind your image, but the two of you are making it fucking impossible lately” She paused, as she seemed to look around for what to say next, or maybe the courage to say it, before she continued  “Is your image why you kissed her at a private party?” “I told you! Mistletoe, completely innocent” “You know, it would be so easy to believe you. And the dance?” tears were forming  “She asked. You even agreed. You know we need to make an extra effort to get along, so any activity that doesn’t involve talking really…” He regretted his words as soon as they came out, a little too late as the continued implications were pretty obvious. “Wow, didn’t think you were going to make this so easy Lindsey. Guess that once and for all explains the two of you disappearing for over twenty fucking minutes, returning with her perfume all over you” words barely out, she broke down. Lindsey could hardly breathe, at a complete loss of words. “Honey…” “Don’t! Don’t honey me, don’t try to explain, just…don’t. Just tell me, were you trying to get caught? Is this your fucked up way of getting me to end our marriage cause you’re to big of a goddamned chicken to actually make a choice?” “What? No!” “I am your wife, you are my husband.” “I know!” “Do you? Really? Cause lately, you’ve made it really hard to believe you do, or at least that you care. And it’s not just me” last part pointed at the tabloid between them. “I don’t know what you want me to say” was all he meekly got out. “I don’t want you to say anything. I’m not expecting miracles.  But I need you to remember that you are a married man. And I need you to make it easier for me to believe that you remember. That you love me. You’re my husband. Act like it” she finished meaningfully, before leaving the room, leaving Lindsey alone with his thoughts.

*Thank you so much for reading! Updates are slow this christmas, but I wanted to get at least one, even if it was a short one, part up. Enjoy the rest of the holidays!*