Love's Complicated// Flee

Chapter Seven

The following Monday morning, Faye had found herself in Claire's office. Claire had called a last minute meeting with her to discuss the updates she'd emailed over the past few days or so.

"It's going great, it's going really well. In fact, I think it's almost done," Faye told her confidently

"No, no it's not," Claire replied, "yes, now there is some conflict in Amber's life but it's not handled right."

"Oh? Is she too aggressive now?" the blonde asked

"Let me read you something from the dictionary," Claire stated as she picked up the giant black book from the table beside her. Opening the page to where it had been bookmarked, she began reading, "Conflict - to come into collision or disagreement. A struggle or in opposition. A clash."

Claire slammed the dictionary closed, causing Faye to jump. Placing it back on the table, she continued, "there's no clash. Everything happens in her head. She doesn't do anything."

Nodding her head in understanding, Faye mumbled, "she will. I'm not gonna let you down. I can rewrite as much as you want."

"Yes, you will," Claire told her

Accepting that she would have to start all over again, Faye simply nodded once more, a forced smile gracing her face.

-----

When the early evening rolled around, Faye made her way to her conflict management class. Upon arriving, she said hello to Grace and Melanie, before hanging her coat up to begin the session.

"Hey, Faye, I'm giving your book another try, just like I do with people," Lee called from the couch behind the door

She looked over to see his face buried deep into her book, and gave him a confused look, "um... thanks?"

Once everyone had arrived, Megan set a task of discussing a source of conflict from the past week. She paired H and Faye up, sitting them back to back on stools that were positioned in the centre of the circle. Sitting down in hers, Faye's eyes locked straight into those chocolate eyes she had begun to know so well over the past week. After a lingering moment, she allowed her eyes to drop to her lap as H began explaining his conflict.

"I guess my customers bring me conflict," he shrugged, "just because I do one thing wrong. You know I've had seven write ups in the past week."

"Okay, good H, now Faye, what about you," Megan asked

"I don't have any conflict," Faye sighed "and according to my publisher, neither does my book. Or at least, not the right kind of conflict anyway."

"Okay, well what about the father daughter relationship in your first book? That was about your life wasn't it?" Megan continued

"Well yes, but Scarlett was completely different to how I am in real life. I would never want to disappoint my father," Faye shrugged

"Now is that because you have an easy breezy relationship with your father, or because you want to avoid conflict?" the older woman asked knowingly

"We have a fairly breezy relationship," the blonde replied

"Do you mind if I just-"

Receiving a nod from Megan, Lee continued, "I'm re-reading your first book, as you know, and once you get past the victorian plot, you can tell it was written with a lot of heart. But now you want to re-write your conflict to pander to your publisher?"

He looked intently into her eyes, as if searching for the answer himself. After a moment, Faye responded, "I'm not pandering and that's not even what pandering means; I don't actually agree with what she's saying. And by the way, please remember that you don't actually know me."

"But I know I'm not a doormat for a publisher or a father," he told her, still not breaking their eye contact.

Carefully tapping H on the shoulder to give him a sign to sit back in his seat, Megan decided to move onto Lee, "you know, most men have a difficult relationship with their father"

"Well I'm not most men," Lee shrugged

Hearing scoffing from his classmates, he turned to look at the other members of the group, "what?"

"Please, I've heard your show" H laughed

"And what about it?"

"Your dad is like, a well respected political journalist and you're just an entertainer," Grace added, joining in

"I'm also a political journalist thank you very much," Lee replied

"Okay quick, everyone give me a source of your conflict," Megan announced, pointing at Lee.

"Bullies," he said, smiling smugly at the other group members.

Melanie pointed to everyone in the room.

"Her," Daniel stated, hitting Grace's arm

"Him," Grace countered, hitting him back harder.

"Great, now we're going to play conflict snakes and ladders!" Megan explained excitedly, receiving a groan from the group.

When everyone had moved over to the designated area, Lee approached Faye, who was still perched on her stool.

"Hey, I'm sorry about what I said during the last session. I didn't mean to upset you" he told her quietly

"Really, it's fine," she reassured him, "you're just a know it all"

Lee shrugged slightly, "I just call them as I see them"

"Maybe you need glasses," Faye retorted

"There are some things I can see clearly."

Leaving her on the stool, he made his way over to everyone else on the other side of the room, as she sat; a million thoughts whizzing around her brain.