Housemates

Chapter 29

They drove to the house of another of Mia’s friends, where Rose was going to be staying and storing her things.

Ellie had assumed they would all unpack, and then Ellie and Mia would leave, but once they were there, while Rose and Mia were off together unlocking the house’s front door, they began talking quietly. Quietly and terribly seriously.

Watching them, Ellie had a horrible feeling her plans were about to change.

Rose went inside, and Mia came back to the ute.

“I’m sorry,” Mia said.

“Don’t say that.”

“I am. I truly am. Tasha isn’t here yet, and Rose doesn’t want to be alone, and I feel awful running off and leaving her…”

Ellie looked at Mia for a moment, and didn’t have the heart to argue.

“It’s fine,” Ellie said. “I can get a taxi home.”

“I’ll drop you off.”

“Nah, not if she…”

“Fuck that,” Mia said quietly. “She’ll be fine for half an hour. She understands. I’ll drop you home and come back.”

Ellie nodded slowly, wondering quite how desperate Mia felt, if she was being that firm about it.

“I should say goodbye,” Ellie said.

Mia nodded. “She’s coming back out.”

Rose did, and Mia said, “I’ll drop Ellie off and come back and help you unpack,” and

Rose looked so grateful that Ellie knew they were doing the right thing.

Ellie and Mia got back into the ute, and Mia drove away. Mia seemed distracted. She was going a little too fast one minute, then suddenly too slow, and once she seemed to only notice a red traffic light at the very last moment.

As if she couldn’t concentrate on driving because she was too aware of Ellie. As if this was frustrating for Mia too.

Ellie liked that idea. She stayed quiet so Mia could concentrate on being frustrated.

Because they weren’t speaking, Ellie started thinking too. Not about frustration. She started wondering again about Mia and Rose, and wasn’t quite able to stop herself. Rose was the only friend of Mia’s that Ellie had met, Ellie thought. The only woman, anyway. It was probably perfectly natural to be curious.

“Hey,” Ellie said after a while. “So I just wondered. Did you ever sleep with Rose?”

“Why?” Mia said.

“I just wondered. Did you?”

“Nope.”

“Oh.”

“Should I have?”

Ellie shrugged. “You two seem close.”

“She’s a friend.”

“I’m a friend. And you’ve slept with me.”

Mia started to grin. “No I haven’t,” Mia said. “I told you. When I fuck you, you’ll know.”

Ellie wanted to blush. She suddenly felt silly. She turned, and stared out the side window.

“You’re jealous,” Mia said.

“I’m not.”

“You are. Completely.”

“Maybe,” Ellie said, uncomfortable. “So what if I am?”