Housemates

Chapter 116

Mia flopped onto her back and lay beside Ellie, looking up at the ceiling. She gasping, sprawled, as if to let as much of her skin cool as possible.

“Should we talk about yesterday?” she said.

Ellie didn’t answer for a moment. She lay as she was, as Mia had left her, completely spread out too. She was damp, hot and sticky from their sex, and was watching the ceiling as well. She didn’t move, she didn’t sit up, she just lay there breathing.

“We don’t have to,” she said in the end.

“We can.”

Ellie shrugged.

“I don’t know what that means,” Mia said.

“I know,” Ellie said. “I don’t either.”

Mia seemed to be thinking. She seemed all serious, for once, suddenly not teasing. “Are you okay?” she said. “With this? With everything we’re doing?”

Ellie nodded.

“You like it?” Mia said, pressing.

“Yep,” Ellie said. “It’s fun.”

“Not just that,” Mia said. “I mean, good, I’m glad, but not just that.”

“Okay,” Ellie said. “So…?”

“How we are,” Mia said. “Friends, but only friends. The part about nothing more.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?” Mia said. “Because there’s been a few times it felt like things were becoming different.”

“With us?” Ellie said.

Mia nodded.

“Like what,” Ellie said.

“I’m not sure. Looking at each other weirdly. Saying nice things…”

“You’re upset because I say nice things while I fuck you?”

“Not exactly,” Mia said, grinning. “Not just that.”

“And again, so…?”

“Whatever yesterday was, I suppose. It seemed more of a big deal than it should have been, if we’re only friends.”

“Because we had a fight?”

“If you want to call it that.”

Ellie thought for a while. “I do,” she said. “I think. And I fight with my friends all the time. Even ones I’m not fucking.”

“All the same,” Mia said. “If something’s changing…”

Ellie shook her head. “It’s not.”

“I told you how I was,” Mia said. “I told you what I wanted.” She sounded defensive, almost upset. Ellie looked at her for a moment, wondering what was wrong

“I know,” Ellie said. “You did.”

“So you’ll tell me if you want something different now?”

Ellie thought about that. “Why? I mean, what happens if I do?”

“I don’t know,” Mia said.

Ellie turned her face sideways and looked at Mia. They were both still on their backs, neither really looking at the other. Not as much as Ellie thought people usually would, talking.

“So what happens?” Ellie said.

“Maybe nothing,” Mia said. “Probably nothing.

“So why ask me that?”