Beautiful When You Don't Try

Chapter 70

"You're mad at me." Meg stated plainly as she and Kim sat on the assistant's couch, watching TV. Neither looked at the other.

"I'm not mad at you."

"You're something that isn't necessarily happy."

"That's a bit more accurate."

Meg paused. Kim was leading her in the conversation again. Though she normally loved it, this was one of those topics she would rather just cut to the chase on. She didn't like having Kim upset at her. It was one of the worst feelings in the world to her. "If you're not mad at me, what are you?"

"I haven't quite figured that one out." Kim stated, running her fingers through her own hair. "When I do, you'll be the first to know."

The apprentice sighed and broke her fixation on the TV, resting her head back on the sofa and looking at the ceiling. "It's about what happened in the office with Lauren, isn't it?"

"If you already know, then why ask?"

"Because I'm trying to have a conversation with you about it." Meg snapped slightly, the women's eyes finally meeting in a long silence. "I'm sorry." Kim didn't say anything and after another second of silence turned her attention back to the TV. "Will you please talk to me about it?"

"What exactly are you wanting me to talk about? The only involvement I had in the situation is I was standing there."

"But you obviously have an opinion on it if you are something other than happy with me at the moment."

Kim turned the TV off and set the remote down on the sofa between them before she turned to face her girlfriend. "Where you always so hard on her?" Meg dropped her head back against the couch again. "Don't you think you were a little over the top?"

"Yes."

The younger woman faltered. She wasn't expecting Meg to admit it quite so quickly. "Oh."

"It's just... I know how Lauren works. She either attacks things head on or she runs from them, ignoring the pain she's causing herself. There are certain things she needs to be pushed with." She explained with her frustrations with the brunette rising in her voice. "She hates being pushed and won't deal with it for long so you have to get it all out at once... but I let my frustrations with the asshole seep over to my frustration with her."

"It's her call though."

Meg shook her head from side to side on the back of the couch. "I mean, yes, it is, but it's one of those calls she needs help making. She knows what she needs and wants to do, but she so scared of it for whatever reason, that she convinces herself that she doesn't need or want to do it. Over the years, especially when she was learning about herself, I had to push. I guess I just got so use to doing it that I don't stop to think about how much I push."

There was a silence that gripped the room and caused Meg to turn her head to look at Kim.

"Why are you smiling?"

The younger woman's shoulders started to shake with her light laughter. "You are so cute sometimes. Here you are, probably beating yourself up internally since Lauren stormed out of the office, but you're so mad at yourself that you can't even bring it up. So instead, you wait until the opportune time to ask if I'm mad at you so you can discuss it and vent out your frustrations with yourself."

"Are you always so good at reading people?"

Kim shrugged. "Depends on the person. You, I've got pegged. But if this whole thing is bothering you that badly, just apologize to her tomorrow. I know you believe it is your place as her best friend to push her when she needs it, but maybe you should back off until you're able to tell when she actually needs it, not just when you think she does."