They had hooked up three times a week for the last five weeks. Every time was just as overwhelming, exhilarating and exhausting as the last. Tara always slept over, which Daisy had informed her was not normal for friends with benefits. She had decided it didn’t matter if it was normal as long as she and Ava seemed to be enjoying themselves. Plus, they were always at it for so long that not only was Tara completely wiped of all of her energy, but it was also dark and ominous outside. She would rather not walk home that late without her wits about her. And when Ava was done with her she had no wits of any kind left in her head. She could barely speak from fatigue. Once Ava had used every ounce of passion Tara had, what she became was a pile of floppy limbs, a pair of drooping eyes and a puff of sweaty hair.

Wednesday was dragging by as she repeatedly made pumpkin spice latte after pumpkin spice latte after pumpkin spice latte. Shawn did his best to keep her entertained, but she often found her mind wandering to Ava’s long limbs and her strong grip and dark eyes and the way she always let her teeth catch Tara’s skin when she kissed it and-oh! Another drink overfilled and splattered onto the floor, just missing her feet. It was the third mess she had made that day. She didn’t want to know the number she had tallied against her since she had met Ava. Shawn said nothing but gave her a raised eyebrow look that implied he knew far too much. She blushed, shrugged, and got to work on clean-up.

Her phone screen had a single message waiting for her once she eventually got on break.

Ava: Free tomorrow?

Tara responded straight away. Sadly, she was not free.

Tara: Sorry, have plans tomorrow and all weekend. Next week?

Ava: You’re not free for a single night the rest of this week?

Tara blinked a few times as she read the short message over a few times. Why did Ava seem annoyed? It was only sex, it could wait four days.

Tara: No, I’m hanging out with my friends.

Ava: I thought I was your friend.

Tara winced. Friends with benefits is a different kind of friend and in her mind it didn’t warrant the same kind of loyalty that she had to her normal friends.

Tara: You are, and I’ve spent a lot of time with you for the last month. I have seen you more than any of my other friends. It’s just sex, it can wait.

She felt nervous tacking the last six words onto the end of her text but it felt necessary.

Ava didn’t respond.

It left her with an uneasy feeling for the rest of the day, and all through the dinner Daisy had arranged for their mutual friends. She still enjoyed their company, still chatted and cracked jokes, but she checked her phone far more often than usual. Her eyes itching to see that one name appear, just three letters was all she craved.

It did not go unnoticed by her eagle-eyed best friend and roommate.

When they slumped into their couch at the end of the night, Daisy’s green eyes were staring at her, waiting for an excuse.

Tara sighed, there was no point in keeping it bottled up.

“I sent a cranky text to Ava and she hasn’t responded all day.”

“Was the cranky text necessary?”

“I think so,” Tara mumbled.

She opened her phone and passed it to Daisy for her appraisal. Daisy scrolled quickly and cackled.

“Go Tara!”

Tara groaned, “Oh no, that’s not good.” The times Daisy usually felt it appropriate to cheer her on were when she was doing something dumb while drunk, it was not a sign of good fortune.

“I think you’re right,” Daisy advised, handing the phone back. “Don’t text her again, wait for her to come to you.”

Tara grumbled weakly but decided to follow her advice, at least for tonight.

Daisy jumped up and announced, “now, I’m cream-crackered. I shall see you in the morning, my dear.” She trotted away to her bedroom.

“Night,” Tara called after her before pulling herself up and slumping into her own room. She checked her phone at least five more times before closing her eyes in bed.

Nothing came through.

She dreamt of Ava for the second time that night. The realism had not dwindled. Every touch, every action, every orgasm felt completely and utterly real. The Ava of her dreams was rough with her, using her and pinning her to the bed forcefully. Tara wondered if her subconscious was trying to tell her something… that deep down she felt guilty for being sharp with Ava. Or that she had an odd undiscovered kink that her body wanted to explore…

When her alarm dragged her from the land of dreams, she peeled her eyes open groggily and glanced down at her body, expecting to find her fingers tucked into her underwear, proving she truly was a nymphomaniac. Instead, her hands were laying limp at her sides. No blankets covered any inch of her, all flung to the floor in the night. Her pyjamas were ruffled but still being worn by her. Light bruises curled around her wrists, thighs and waist.