Housemates

Chapter 20

Ellie and Mia sat in the sun, on the back of the ute, and something seemed to have changed. Whatever Mia had just been doing, breathing against Ellie’s neck, she had suddenly stopped, and sat up, and moved away.

Ellie was disappointed, quite miserably so, until she realized Mia seemed to be listening.

Ellie listened too, and realized the shouting inside had stopped.

“Do you think it’s safe?” Ellie said.

“I’d give it a couple more minutes.”

Ellie nodded, and sat there for a while. Thinking about Mia, and lost opportunities, and opportunities she had imagined were lost, that had never been at all.

She wanted to be sure. “Is that why you sat up?” she said.

Mia looked at her. She seemed surprised.

“Just then,” Ellie said. “You sat up. Were you trying to hear?”

Mia shrugged. “Yeah,” she said. “Um, why?”

Ellie shook her head. “No reason.”

Mia looked at Ellie, and Ellie looked away. She stared straight ahead, and ignored Mia’s stare, but now she felt a lot better.

Better enough she wanted to start something. She wanted to be brave.

After a moment she moved her leg slightly, moved it over, so it bumped against Mia’s hand.

Mia looked down, and grinned, and then moved her fingers again. She stretched them out, to touch Ellie’s skin. She stroked at the side of Ellie’s leg, just below her shorts, sliding her fingers up and down Ellie’s bare skin.

Ellie sat there, and felt that touch, and wondered if she was brave enough yet to say how much she wanted Mia. She wanted Mia to know. She was fairly sure Mia knew, and was just teasing her, pretending not to know how turned on Ellie was, playing her games, intending to do something about it later. Ellie hoped, but wasn’t completely. Part of her wished she could just make herself say, but she didn’t seem to be able to.

She sat, and felt Mia stroke her, and after a moment she said, “That’s nice.”

Mia smiled.

Ellie watched Mia’s hand, and wondered why she was here. She’d been wondering off and on all day. She almost wondered if Mia had planned this part, had expected the constant fighting inside, and these pauses in the sun, and thought that moments like this were a good opportunity to be alone with Ellie. Ellie almost believed that, except that Mia couldn’t really think that watching a catastrophic break-up would get Ellie horny. It must be something else. Perhaps something more complicated. Ellie thought for a while, wondering what. Perhaps Mia was trying to make a point. To show Ellie that relationships were bad. That they ended like this. That being friends, and having sex, was a far better way.

Ellie wasn’t sure if Mia had actually planned that out, but watching Amanda and Rose, she was almost starting to agree.

Mia moved, quite suddenly.

She took her hand away from Ellie’s leg, then slid off the truck. It creaked as she moved, and rocked a little. She went to the cab part, and opened the door, and came back with two plastic bottles of water.

They looked cold. They had condensation on the outside. “Sorry,” she said. “I should have thought of this sooner.” She held one out to Ellie.

Ellie looked for a moment. She did want a drink, but she wanted something from Mia too. Some kind of intimacy.

“Just open one,” Ellie said. “Keep the other one for later.”

Mia looked puzzled. “We don’t have to drink it all…”

“Just do,” Ellie said. “Please.”

Because she wanted Mia’s attention again. She wanted to make Mia look at her, and notice her, and for them to be how they ought to be.

Mia went and put one bottle back, then held the other out to Ellie.

“You first,” Ellie said.

Mia opened it, and drank. She seemed a little confused.

She seemed sensual too. She tipped her head back to drink, and Ellie looked at her neck. At her neck, and at her breasts, which were apparently something more than in the way, and at her lips on the bottle, and her slightly open mouth.

Ellie was quite surprised how much she wanted her.

Mia stopped drinking, and looked at the bottle. Making sure there was enough left, Ellie thought.

She held the bottle out to Ellie.

Ellie took it and drank too. She put her lips where Mia’s had been. She swallowed water Mia had just been drinking from. That was sensual, somehow. Sharing the touch of their mouths.

It was more sensual than they’d been for a few days, except for sniffing each other.

Ellie held the bottle back to Mia, but Mia shook her head. Ellie kept it, and kept sipping.

Ellie was still sitting on the back of the ute. Mia was standing in front of Ellie, watching Ellie drink.

Mia moved closer, so she was almost touching Ellie’s legs. Then a little more, so she was between Ellie’s knees. She bumped one slightly with her hip, nudging it sideways.

“What are you doing?” Ellie said.

Mia ignored her and did it again, and Ellie realized she was trying to push herself between Ellie’s knees. Ellie moved, so she could. Mia stood between Ellie’s legs, her hands on Ellie’s thighs, just resting there, watching Ellie sip her water.

Ellie sipped slowly, watching Mia back.

After a moment she lowered the bottle.

Mia kissed her, suddenly, quickly.

Ellie was surprised enough she didn’t kiss back. She actually hadn’t expected it.

Mia looked at her, then took the bottle out of Ellie’s hand, and drank a little herself.

“Do that again,” Ellie said.

Mia shook her head.

“Please?” Ellie said.

Mia grinned. “Later.”

“I don’t get you,” Ellie said, after a moment.

Mia grinned past the bottle. “Good.”

“I mean it.”

“Me too.”

”Why? Why would you possibly want that?”

Mia shrugged, and grinned some more. “Just do.”

Ellie sat there for a while, completely confused.

After a moment, as if taking pity, Mia said, “Don’t complicate it. I like you. That should be enough.”

Ellie nodded slowly and wondered if it was.