Page 41 of Base Block

I thought about that. “I don’t know where to draw the line,” I admitted. “I don’t know what’s—what’s wrong?”

Callum had jumped a little. “That’s a sore spot.”

I was more careful. “Better?” I asked, and he made the mmmm sound again. “I don’t know anything about money,” I continued. “I never had any and I never thought about saving what I got, except one time I was keeping a stash in my makeup bag.”

“What happened to it?”

“Millie found it and she told Damian that I was stealing from him. It was a whole thing.” I sighed, remembering the fallout. “I like the bank accounts better.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. His voice was deeper and the word had been soft. “I love those accounts.”

I kept massaging until I knew that he’d fallen asleep, and then past that point, too. I went to my room and briefly checked what was happening with all the videos, the funny one of nacho cheese-me and then our response. The number of views on each of them was shocking, as was the number of comments. Some people were being mean but most were laughing along with us, and the mean stuff was easy to ignore. I’d heard much worse in the past and I’d gotten over that, so strangers trying to insult me meant nothing.

When they insulted Callum, though? I had a hard time holding back but I forced myself not to respond. They were just ignorant. I’d have enjoyed watching the guy who made remarks about poor pass protection get out on the field and try it himself, the asshole.

I fell asleep but something woke me. It wasn’t a dream this time but maybe a noise in the distance that made me sit up straight in the bed. It was quiet in the condo and I could hear Callum breathing, because I’d left his door ajar enough to be able to listen to him. Was that what I’d heard? Had he talked in his sleep?

I got up and walked through the rooms, listening, but there was nothing to hear.

“Rainey.”

I spun, hands out for protection. “Oh, shoot, did I wake you?” I asked Callum as I lowered them.

“No, something else did.” He went to the door and checked it, but the lock that he thought was flimsy held up against his rattling. “Are you ok?”

I nodded. “Do you need me to go with you, though? I could rub your back again, until you fall asleep. You need to sleep.”

“Uh, sure. Yeah, that would be good.”

I went into his bedroom and the night stayed quiet.

Chapter 9

Heidi leaned back and absently scratched her stomach, where there was a definite roundness now. It was like she was hiding a small melon under her shirt—Damian had always liked to get exotic fruit and I compared her pregnancy belly to a cherimoya. “I don’t understand,” she said as she scratched.

“Let me try to clarify,” Anara told her. “They are not having sexual intercourse. His penis does not penetrate—”

“Please stop,” she cut in, holding up her hand. “I know that it’s important to use the proper terms for everything but I’m already feeling nauseated today. Let’s not mention those two P-words until I’m better. Let’s avoid the I-word, too,” she added.

“I don’t want to talk about it anyway, no matter what words we use,” I announced as I went to get some crackers for her. But it wasn’t possible to drop this topic.

“Demitrious and I are having penetrative—sorry, we’re having actual sex only four times a week right now,” Anara said. “But that number doesn’t include oral. Outside of the football season, we’re a lot busier.” She paused. “Is someone playing the trumpet next door?”

“It sounds like a cornet to me. If I’m not throwing up, George and I are doing it plenty,” Heidi mentioned. “Stupid emesis.”

“Well, good for you both,” I congratulated them. “Hip, hip, hooray. Not everyone wants all that.”

They looked confused. “Yes, they do,” Anara said. “Every woman would want to have intercourse—sorry. Every woman would want to do it with Demitrious.”

She launched into a story about her boyfriend that really did sound impressive. It was enough that Heidi asked for a glass of water to go with the crackers. When I gave it to her, she reported that she was feeling better and then returned the topic to me.

“What you’re saying is that you and Callum made a mutual decision to be asexual. And that’s fine!” she assured me. “You’re roommates, not a couple.”

“Roommates who are physically affectionate and confusing to others,” Anara added, and Heidi frowned at her.

“Whatever makes you happy,” she told me.

“We didn’t exactly make any decisions,” I answered, and squirmed in my chair. There were several reasons that I’d lied over the years, and one of them was that lies were easier. This particular bit of truth-telling made me very uncomfortable. “We didn’t discuss anything, we just don’t do it.”