Flawed Creatures

Intermission -28-

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

I'm not now nor have I ever been a sex addict. That sentence must have replayed within her brain at least a dozen times as Cara stared toward her girlfriend. That night on the beach when Ellie blurted it out she hadn't initially believed it. Even when Ellie further explained something just seemed off, but Cara chose to believe the other girl was telling her the truth. Because if she wasn't what else could it possibly be? Why else would a teenager who made it abundantly clear she didn't have an attraction toward anyone--male or female--have a prescription for birth control pills?

That unexpected sentence took another stroll through Cara's mind. So if she wasn't a sex addict after all then why did she take birth control? They weren't vitamins so what was the point of popping one of those tiny pills on a daily basis when she wasn't sexually active?

A dull ache spread across her forehead while a ragged breath pushed from her mouth. "Ellie, what do you...what does that mean?"

Standing just a few feet away Ellie constantly shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I'm not addicted to sex."

"Are you saying that in an attempt to get me to sleep with you?"

"I'm saying it because it's the truth. I'm tired of this lie. I'm tired of your being anxious when you see me talking with someone and you assume we're making plans to have sex."

"That's only happened once--with Scott." Cara was reminded of that day every time she passed by his locker and spotted the dent she caused by punching it.

"I'm not a sex addict, Cara."

"Then what are you?" the seated girl softly inquired. Fear seeped in. She discovered herself afraid over what would come next. Though Cara didn't have a clue what Ellie was thinking and what Ellie would say she had a strong feeling they wouldn't be exiting the pool house on a happy note. Some part of her would rather believe Ellie was lying about not being a sex addict because the alternative... Cara wanted to swallow that entire glass of wine.

Ellie opened and shut her mouth several times before finally being able to arrange the mess of letters within her head into words, which she used her vocal cords to transmit to Cara. "I want to take a break."

Though she managed a calm albeit befuddled exterior panic had free reign of her insides. "From what?" Cara's voice remained soft. "Us?"

"This." Ellie pointed first at Cara then herself. "This talk we're having. I would like to call an intermission."

"What do you mean?"

Returning to the couch Ellie sat beside her and reached for her hand. "Realize I owe you an explanation, but it's Christmas Eve so I don't wish to dive into this particular topic right now. So I'm asking you if it's at all possible we could have an intermission until Thursday at least. In other words, for the next couple days let's pretend the events that have just taken place in this pool house, my revelation don't exist."

"Ellie," sighing, she turned her girlfriend's hand over and using her index finger gently began to trace the lines of her palm, "you think that's healthy? To just sweep it under the rug?"

"Only an intermission. We'll talk about...that, but not right now. Please."

Gazing into beseeching eyes Cara knew she would comply although common sense attempted knocking on her door. She wondered how she was supposed to pretend for two days that Ellie didn't confess to fabricating a sexual addiction. Somehow she would have to. Perhaps smoking a holiday joint would take the edge off.