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“I came over here for you”

There’s so much truth ele, breathy chuckle It’s either disbelief or relief

“What are we doing, Mills?”

She laughs again, pressing a kiss toin the exact way that I like That she’s learned that I like We’ve done this three ti sex, Reid”

And it’s that—the condescending words, yes, but also the tone, so lighthearted—that hits a dissonant gong in my head Her response is the verbal equivalent of awith shape but no volu better, maybe even “I don’t know”—that at least would invite conversation, at least show that she’s as confused and affected by all of this as I as and sated s o

“You can stay,” she says behind h my bloodstrearab a couple things, but you’re totally welcoet all needy on me, Mills”

“Oh, no fear of that,” she says, and it doesn’t feel like a joke, it feels sincere It’s as if she really doesn’t knohy it would be weird for her to take off right after we have sex, without any e out here and wait for her to coone with her, to keep her co at work myself, but she doesn’t want that or even expect it

I feel half-oblivious and half-chauvinistic for assu that recurrent sex with Millie would eventually mean more than sex to her, but I’onna head home”

My car door closes heavily and I let ainst the headrest Postsex, I feel like a well-used glove, a warm blanket, a body pillow Soft and warst

I want Millie I think I’ in love with her And she just does not see me that way at all

I text Chris

You home?

Yeah

Can I come over?

Sure

His front roo behind his couch, facing his television, fiddling with so He looks up when he hearsto open the door

I don’t even let hi to tell you solances atthe remote on the couch “Oh, boy”

“It’s about Millie” I pause, and his eyes narrow “And me,” I say

“Millie,” he says, “and you As in” His brows go up “Oh As in, you’ve been banging her?”

“Three ti a hand over my face “No, like seven times But three separate occasions—”

“Wait, wait You’re telling ht where you had sex more than two times with Millie Morris?”

“The fact that I had sex with Millie at all is what I expected to be shocking”

“What’s shocking is you’re fucking virile, son”

I groan “Chris”

“I’,” he says under his breath “We’re not in our twenties any I could reach intoaround until it made sense “But she doesn’t like me that way”

“She” He scrunches his nose and looks at me with suspicion “What?”