Page 39 of Vying Girls

‘Not if I can help it,’ I quip.

Her eyes turn curious, flitting over our blanketed bodies. I heat under her gaze. There’s no denying her interest. I know she wants this, so why is she holding back?

‘Join us if you like.’

She returns her eyes to mine, but still says nothing. I sense the war going on in her, wishing I could understand it.

Grasping the corner of the blanket, I pull it away from me. ‘Please?’

I see it the moment her face sets. It’s like shutters coming down, the sparkle dulling in her eyes. She turns away, pulls open the door and leaves as quick as she came.

Elly lifts her head. ‘Excuse me? Did Haz just say no to sex?’

I sigh, rubbing into her with my cheek for comfort. ‘She always says no.’

‘Huh?’

‘To sex, I mean. Like, she just won’t.’

‘Seriously? But I thought you were fucking her, like this whole time. You’ve been…whatevering for weeks.’

‘Whateveringis right. I don’t get it either. She’s been all over me since Halloween, but now…nothing.’

‘What the fuck?’

‘Yeah. She doesn’t talk to you about anything? To do with me, I mean.’

‘No. I was kinda, I dunno, letting you two figure things out. Like she is with us. Just assumed you guys were sleeping together.’

I hum, having nothing else to add to that.

Then a different thought strikes to me.

‘Is this weird? Talking about me and her with you?’

Elly purses her lips. ‘No. I mean, I want to whack her for messing you around, but.’

‘I don’t get the feeling that’s what she’s doing though. I think it’s—well—ugh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s karma. All those times I told you no.’

‘It’s not karma, babe.’ Elly chuckles. ‘And you didn’t tell me no, just not yet.’

‘Mm.’ I circle my open palm on her stomach.

There are no moreno’snow.No morejust yet’s.We’ve fully given ourselves. I remember again her noises and howshe responded so eagerly to my touch. Maybe pleasuring a woman isn’t so hard. I just thought, I dunno, we’re just more complicated than guys. Then I feel bad for all the guys I’ve been with. Maybe they always wanted more from me.

Whatever.

Don’t want to sleep with anybody but the girls under this roof. Well, two of them. My stomach drops as I think of Nic. The bombshell she dropped on me. Still feels surreal. I hear her rooting around upstairs. Probably just stopped for a change of clothes before pissing back off to her tent.

We’ve still not talked. If I didn’t feel like jelly right now, I’d be barging up there to do just that.

I release a breath, bringing myself back to the moment. It’s been a gorgeous evening, I don’t want to ruin it.

‘Was it okay?’ I ask, shamelessly needing the validation. ‘I’ll get better, obvi. Practice makes perfect and all that.’

‘You were already perfect, Tilds. But I’m down for practising whenever.’

‘Suppose we’ve got weeks to catch up on, haven’t we?’