Chapter 23 – Conflict resolution

Two days later when Lily got to her office in the morning, an unusual sight awaited. On top of her desk was a bouquet of white lilies. She freaked out; flowers weren't good in her current relationship status. Instead of coming up with all the reasons for those flowers to be there, she, being her cool, practical self, decided to read the card.

I'm sorry. I'm going crazy without you. Miss you a lot.

Yours,

Don

She sank into her chair, not knowing how to feel. She was surprised, to say the least. Flack wasn't one to apologize or express his feelings openly and he'd done both in fifteen words. Lily couldn't help but consider the possibility that he really loved her. So she did what any other curious, investigative woman would do: call him. After two rings his husky voice could be heard.

'Hey, Don, it's Lily,' she stammered.

'Hi.'

'Umm, I wanted to – thank you for the flowers,' she blushed. Why was she acting like a teenager?

'You're welcome,' after saying those words he wanted to smack himself. He should have said something along the lines of: 'come back with me', 'give me another chance', 'glad the flowers worked'; anything, something.

'So I was thinking maybe – maybe we could catch up?'

'Sure, I'd like that,' he inwardly patted himself in the back. 'My shift ends early. How about meeting after you get out of work?'

She agreed and they designated a place. Nine hours later, Lily got into the coffee shop where Flack was already waiting.

'I think it may be raining,' she said completely drenched.

'You think?' he smiled, it was a flood out there. 'Why don't we go to your place? I don't want you blaming me for getting sick.'

They ordered and left.

'I'm parked round the corner.'

'You brought the ark? How thoughtful of you,' she hated rain and it made her more sarcastic.

Once in her apartment she took a shower and changed, trying to keep warm and avoid getting sick. Lily sat next to Flack on the couch and took a sip of her now lukewarm coffee.

'How's life been?' he asked after clearing his throat.

'Same ol', same ol'. You?'

'Lots of crazy hours and cases; the usual.'

They were silent for a while.

'So, umm … I really missed you, y'know?' his voice was soft and his eyes were focused on his hands.

'I missed you too,' she ran a hand down his cheek.

'I wanna fix it.'

'You're going to need some duct tape to do that, honey,' she smiled and squeezed his arm.

'No flowers, no dinner, just duct tape? 'Cause I think I got some in the car,' he joked.

'No flowers, no dinner. But maybe a good kiss would make things easier.'

Flack leaned in and trapped her lips with his. It was deep and long and exactly what they needed to be sure they were doing the right thing.

'Something like that?' he asked after they had parted.

'No, that was a lame kiss,' she smiled mischievously, challenging him.

'Oh, yeah? How about this one?' he put her in his lap and kissed her passionately until their need for oxygen became stronger than needing to be together.

'That was definitely better,' she said panting and getting off his lap. 'I can't believe you dumped me for that rich girl.'

'I broke up with you and then met Devon. And you're rich too.'

'Not true. After looking at her dad's bank account, mine's like spare change.'

'You were with Hawkes,' he said. 'I work with him. It wasn't easy seeing him and knowing you shared a bed.'

'Talking about that, I missed you,' her hand went from his chest to his belt buckle.

'So you only want me for the hot, mind-blowing sex?' he asked, his eyes darkening. She bit her lip. 'I'm not offended by it, in fact, I'll oblige.'

Flack carried Lily in his arms to the bedroom, kissing her neck along the way. She had definitely missed him. That guy got her moaning and hot in 0.3 seconds. His hands were magical on her skin.

He'd missed her too. They had a special connection that went beyond the physical thing. Not that the sex wasn't amazing. That woman could arouse him with a bat of her eyelashes.

They rediscovered themselves after a long hiatus. After finishing they lay in bed with a sheet covering their naked bodies. Lily's head was on his chest, one of her arms round his waist while Flack played with her hair.

'Why didn't you tell me you'd been a cop?' he asked softly, voicing the question that had been gnawing at him.

'What are you talking about?'

'Don't play dumb, I know you were on the force.'

'Danny's got a big mouth, I see.'

'He didn't say anything. I can't believe you told him and not me,' he sounded hurt.

'If you knew why I kept quiet …'

'I overheard your conversation with Stella,' Flack interrupted.

'You did?! I can't believe it! It was a private conversation, you had no right to do that,' she was angry and ashamed and feeling a bit guilty.

'I don't wanna fight with you, I just wanna know why you trusted her and not me,' his tone was icy.

'I trust you Don, with my life. But you're proud to be a cop and if I told you I'd given up after a mishap your opinion of me would have changed. I was afraid you'd hate me. And Stella, well, she went through some tough stuff; I felt that a connection with her. Not to mention you're a man and there are some things you wouldn't understand,' Lily was a bit relieved now that there weren't any more secrets between them.

'I wouldn't call getting raped, stabbed and left to die a mishap and it'd never color my opinion of you. I think you're really strong for going on with your life. I get your connection with Stella, but I'm a cop and I deal with victims all the time; I would have tried to understand.'

'That's exactly the point: I'm not a victim! I took an assignment knowing that a lot of things could go wrong. It was a choice I made and those were the consequences.'

'That still doesn't mean it was your fault,' his tone was soft as he ran a hand down her cheek.

'It's the past, you already know about it; let's move on.'

'Have ya, moved on? 'Cause it was a long time ago and you never told anyone. No one knows but Stell and me and the way you cried tells me you haven't really gotten over it.'

'It wasn't easy, alright? A part of me will never move on but the other part has already put it behind me.'

Flack kissed the top of her head and slid his fingers up and down the scar on her left hip a couple of times. He would have done anything to remove it.

'I want you to talk about it,' he said.

'What for?'

'You need to let it go, Lil.'

'You already heard the story and it's one of those things you'd rather not tell more times than what's necessary,' she fidgeted a bit.

'Indulge me,' Flack whispered.

'What happened in Boston made me feel powerless and stupid. Working as a cop I'd dealt with some rape victims and you know, you empathize with them but you think: 'that's not going to happen to me. I'm so much stronger than that, I'm safer.' You're not. You're as helpless as them.'

'You were at a disadvantage, there were two of them and they were stronger than you.'

'But I had the training. Most women aren't trained in self-defense or hand-to-hand; I was and I still couldn't stop it.'

'There was nothing you could have done …'

'Maybe not. It hurt a lot, you know? Not only the lack of control or power but the physical pain. I knew that the calmer I was, the less it was going to hurt and yet I couldn't do it. I just had to struggle and fight,' Lily had snuggled closer to him, needing his warmth.

'That's 'cause you're a fighter, you've always been one,' he was proud of her.

'I don't think it actually helped but I wouldn't have had it any other way.'

'How did you do to go on with life?'

'Don't know, it was something progressive. For the first six months the idea of a man kissing or touching me was disgusting and made me panic. Then it was baby steps until I felt at ease again. You know what I like most about having sex with you?'

'My hot body and my amazing skills?' he joked.

'That too. But it's that despite being tall and big and strong, you're gentle and sweet. You don't want to hurt me and try your best to please me. It's like there's also a good thing about sex. You've showed me that.'

'I'd never hurt you – or any woman,' Flack kissed the top of her head. 'And I'm glad you're not uncomfortable with me.'

'How could I? Remember the first time we slept together, what you asked me?' he blushed.

Their clothes were strewn across the living room floor and they were on the bed, naked and getting to know each other. Their hands were trying to grasp and squeeze as much as they could, their mouths wanting to explore every inch of skin.

Flack rubbed against her, teasing her while Lily moaned. He slipped inside her and she gasped. He quickly got out of her with a worried look.

'Did I hurt you?' he asked, afraid of the possibility.

'What? No,' Lily kissed him, trying to continue.

'Promise you'll tell me if I do,' Flack was serious, his blue eyes staring right through her brown ones.

Lily turned him over and got on top, taking charge of the situation.

'You're so sweet,' she kissed him.

'Don't make fun of me,' he pouted.

'I wasn't! And don't be such a boy.'

'Why? What you gonna do?'

'You know how this works, Donny; naughty boys don't get anything,' her index finger traced patterns on his chest.

'Thought you liked naughty,' his voice was low and husky as he got on top of her.

'Is that a proposal, detective Flack?' she licked her upper lip.

'Maybe,' he kissed her chest and made his way down.

* * *

'You look happy!' said Emily after her friend entered the restaurant.

'I am,' Lily grinned.

'Spill the beans already!'

'I got back with Don.'

'Wow, congratulations! How did it happen?'

'He sort of apologized and we fixed it and ended up sleeping together.'

'I'm just curious honey, but how can you 'sort of apologize'? Either you do or you don't,' Emily was interested.

'He sent some flowers with a note.'

'And what did you do?'

'I called him and we met and then we went to my apartment and … did I mention we slept together?'

'Yeah, I think you did,' Emily smiled.

'Good. Because I can't believe it,' she sighed.

'Why not?'

'Because we're back together and I thought it wouldn't happen. I think it's for good now; I told him things he didn't know and we were honest with each other.'

'That's good. I'm happy for you, Lil,' Emily smiled earnestly.

'Thanks Em,' she grinned widely.

'You really are ecstatic! That's great. Good thing he came to his senses and took the first step.'

'I think it would have been a matter of time, but yes. I was going crazy without him,' Lily confessed.

'You're a sickly sweet couple again, aren't you?' Emily scrunched up her nose in mock disgust.

'I resent that! We were never sickly sweet.'

'Maybe not the usual so-corny-I-want-to-shoot-somebody-after-watching-you-guys but you had some heavy P..'

'What are you talking about?! We rarely kissed in public.'

'But you were always holding hands or with your arms around each other; that's lovey-dovey,' stated the psychologist confidently.

'I do have the need to touch him every time we're in the same room …'

'And he feels the same way.'

'You think?'

'I know. The body language is obvious; he's always near you and touching you, even if it's just your arms brushing. He wants to kill every guy that's in a half a mile radius and he looks at you as if you were the most beautiful and sacred thing on this planet.'

'He doesn't!' Lily blushed.

'He worships you, sweetheart.'

'No, you're just saying it to make me uncomfortable.'

'He's completely whipped. I'm sure if you told him to jump off a cliff, he'd do it.'

'Don's not like that. He's got his own opinions and sometimes we don't agree on things. But he sees past it, just like I do and it enables us to be happy and in love.'

'So you love him?' Emily pierced her friend with her gaze.

'I do. With every microscopic cell in my body. He's the one, Emily; the love of my life,' Lily looked a bit scared although she was sure of what she was saying. Don Flack was what some people would call – but not her because she hated the term – her soul mate. There was nothing more wonderful or scary than knowing you'd found the right person for you. That one person who completed you. The person with whom everything made sense.

So they finally got together again (even if only for a while). You know the drill: comments, suggestions, questions, etc. in a review.