Housemates

Chapter 67

Mia was looking at Ellie, and seemed to be thinking. As if she was wondering whether to ask why they were out in the hallway.

“Ask,” Ellie said, to make it easy for her.

“You’re sure?” Mia said.

Ellie nodded.

“I don’t have to ask anything,” Mia said. “We can just go inside and never mention it again.”

“Not yet.”

Mia thought. “Or go wherever? Somewhere else?”

“Maybe,” Ellie said. “Or you could ask.”

“I can ask. So what’s up?”

“Nothing,” Ellie said, and then didn’t know why she’d said that. Especially after telling Mia to ask.

Ellie felt very odd. She wanted to be truthful. She wanted to be honest. She wanted to not to be so confusing, and so confused, all the time.

It just wasn’t actually happening.

Mia seemed to understand, though. She waited for a moment, and then said. “But something’s up. So what?”

“Maybe there’s something,” Ellie said.

“Okay,” Mia said, and waited a little longer, and then said, “So should you tell me what?”

“Probably,” Ellie said, and didn’t.

“You don’t have to,” Mia said.

Ellie thought.

Mia was just standing there, looking at Ellie, apparently not minding waiting. Apparently happy with whatever Ellie did.

Mia’s patience was sometimes quite surprising.

“We don’t have to if you’d rather not,” Mia said.

“I’ll tell you.”

“No, I mean we don’t have to. If you’ve started feeling strange about it.”

Ellie was confused. “Have to what?”

“We really can do something else. Anything. Just whatever.”

Ellie didn’t understand. “Do what instead of doing what?” she said.

“We don’t have to have sex,” Mia said, like Ellie was being difficult.

“No,” Ellie said. “What? Of course we are…”

Mia was looking at Ellie as if she was confused now too.

“Dude,” Ellie said. “Of course we’re having sex. What are you talking about?”

“Oh,” Mia said.

“Unless you don’t want to,” Ellie said, suddenly worried.

Mia started to grin. “I do.”

“Well I do too,” Ellie said. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

Mia nodded. “Good.”

“And also, um again?” Ellie said. “Because you kind of ask me that a lot.”

“Do I?”

Ellie nodded, and Mia shrugged, and they kept looking at each other.

“I want to have sex,” Ellie said. “Of course I want to have sex.” She glanced down at herself, so Mia knew what she meant. “I didn’t do this just to talk.”

Mia smiled.

“It’s Tasha,” Ellie said. “That’s all. I was kind of weird last night, and now I’m a bit, um…”