Chapter 4: Hotels are full

EVE

Eve opens up the door of her apartment and takes off her shoes at the door. She puts down her phone at the table after booking a ticket to America for tomorrow. Eyeing at the mess she abandoned when she decides to stay away from her flat, she breaths in the disappointment and purses her lips to scowl. Eve begins to fix the chaos in her room and plans to pack up all her thing before her flight at noon.

A sound of flowing water from the bathroom caught Eve's attention. She turns the knob and finds it locked which scares Eve knowing there is a stranger at her home. Trying to locate something she can use to fend off the intruder, Eve grabs the bottle of wine she left beside her bed and hold it by the neck, and waits outside to surprise the intruder.

Minutes pass by, Eve changes her clothes and pours the old wine into her glass. Takes a cup of noodles at the cupboard, pours hot water on it, and starts to put food in her mouth. She opens the television and tries to find a movie to watch when the bathroom door opens and sprouts out a blonde woman wrapped in a white towel while she scrambles to get the bottle of wine.

"Villanelle?" Eve asks, stunned by the knowledge that the woman is there at her flat.

"Yes?" Villanelle answers, with her one brow up. Denying the intrusion she did at Eve's house.

"What are you doing here?" Eve inquires. She does not expect the woman after they tell each other goodbye.

"Hotels are full," Villanelle replies vaguely. Eve's apartment is the only place she can feel safe tonight after the onslaught at the hotel where she's staying

Eve lays down the bottle and slumps back to the chair. She grabs her cup of noodles close and goes back on eating while the woman wanders around the apartment to get some clothes to wear. The sight of Villanelle's naked body unexpectedly felt uncomfortable for Eve that she can't stare directly at the woman without blushing.

"I'm hungry. Do you have any food here?" Villanelle asks taking a sip from the glass of wine at the table and spitting it back as she tastes the crude flavor.

Eve goes to the cupboard and reaches for a cup of noodles. Settling it down in front of Villanelle who glares revoltingly at the food that she is offering. "You should eat something healthy, Eve," Villanelle remarks.

Eve feels infuriated by the comment and yet somehow the endearment that comes with it deems acceptable. The plaster on Villanelle's left arm caught her eyes. It concerns her but does not dare to ask. Instead, she reaches for her phone to order a pizza so Villanelle can have something to chew on while she goes to the bathroom to take a shower.

When Eve comes back, Villanelle is already dressed wearing her oversized grey shirt and blue cotton shorts while flipping thru the channels. The woman is biting a piece of pizza in her mouth like a kid, looking adorable sitting on the floor comfortably. Eve took a piece of pizza at the box and quietly joins Villanelle. The sight of the young woman wearing her casual clothes gives Eve an exceptionally intriguing sentiment. Heart racing. Palms sweating. She's like a kid again, having a crush on one of her classmates.

Finally, Villanelle stops changing channels and chooses to watch Love me if you dare. An old french film about two people who put themselves through a series of dares. They come across relatively young and have been friends ever since but when they got older their emotions shifts dramatically. They fell in love but were frightened to admit it until they agreed not to see each other after ten years.

"The movie is bad," Villanelle says pursing her lips as they contemplate the ending. She turns the television off after protesting.

The movie was relatively good.

Eve recognizes the contradiction that Villanelle seeks to express. The film strikes a certain truth about them. Two souls binding and scouring to find purpose while the world compels them to stay away from each other. It's a cliche but it's the fact. And now they are at the point of the movie where they need to be apart.

For how long can they both live without each other?

Villanelle goes straight to bed after eating. Eve stands up from the floor and glances at the woman laying stationary under the sheets.

"Are we going to sleeping together?"

"Do you want to sleep on the floor?"

"No. Do you?"

"I'm already in bed, Eve."

Eve lays herself beside Villanelle. Facing the opposite side she closes her eyes and forces herself to rest. Remembering the bandage on the woman's left arm wakes her up, she's curious to ask for the details that Villanelle attempts to hide.

"How did you get the wound on your arm?"

"I had a job to kill a man but he got hold of a scissor and stabs me."

"Be careful next time."

"Eve, are you leaving?"

"Yes."

"Be careful out there."

"Thank you."

Eve closes her eyes and endures the silence of the night to ease the tension that's been gripping her. Villanelle is only a few inches away and there is a chance to hold her but Eve stays inert in her position. She's not going to anticipate sex simply because they are on the same bed.

In the darkness of the room, Eve sense the other side of the bed move with a hand sliding to her hip and grabbing her body close. Villanelle captures her in a tight embrace with the woman's arms on her chest. The sound of Villanelle's breath on her ear is oddly pleasing. Delightful. Satisfying.

Can we stay like this forever?

Eve falls asleep soundly holding Villanelle's arms wrapped around her body. They slept through the night in bed cuddling.

VILLANELLE

The sound of a vibrating phone on the bedside table wakes Villanelle up early in the morning. She gazes at Eve comfortably tuck in her arms like a baby. Peacefully sleeping.

She's so cute.

She gives the woman a quick kiss on the forehead before standing up from the bed. A surprising message comes up when she unlocks her phone. It read:

Carolyn:

Let's talk somewhere private. Meet me at the park.