Page 86 of Dream House
“I’ll clean up afterward.” Pen raises a hand like she’s taking an oath. “I promise.”
“I’ll help,” Livy tacks on. For a heartbeat, the two women lock eyes and something staticky passes between them.
“Good to know,” Stella mutters, still unable to take her eyes off the pile. She’s frowning like she’s trying to picture Pen’s intentions.
I wave behind Pen’s back, getting Stella’s attention.
Don’t question it,I mouth. I already have, and it won’t do any good. Three trips up and down to Pen’s attic, and I still don't understand how this is going to work.
Stella must find something in my expression amusing because I watch her fight a smile. A real smile. I haven’t gotten one of those from her in a couple of weeks. This one makes my stomach flip.
She looks back at Pen. “You’re the artist. I trust you.”
Pen bounces on her toes and does a sorority clap. “It’s going to be so much fun.” Then she clasps her hands together. “Okay, let’s divide and conquer.”
Just shy of actually barking orders, Pen directs Maisy and Tyler to the craft table and prototypes one pentagram wreath. It’s obvious she’s given this some thought because the tasks require Tyler to manipulate twine and wire and use the scissors and glue gun. Maisy’s job is to decorate the wreaths with little foam broomsticks, bats, and fall leaves. Tyler frowns suspiciously at Pen throughout the demo, but instead of refusing, he just grunts once and gets to work with his niece.
“It’s a shame that Nina’s still at work,” Stella says, smiling at her family. “I bet she’d enjoy this.”
Pen waves a dismissive hand. “Maisy and Tyler will make a nice wreath for her door. Don’t you worry.”
At this, Tyler perks up.
“Now—” Pen beckons Stella and me over to the corner. “You two will be cutting out the crows using this template. You can borrow my Xacto knives.”
She waves two terrifying-looking blades and grabs the giant foam board crow. He’s all white, but that doesn’t make him any less scary. His beak opens in a wild caw, and the feathers on the back of his neck stand out in menace like he’s just left the set of a Hitchcock movie.
With a deft hand, Pen shears off about three feet of black paper. She lays it on the floor, places the white crow on top, kneels down, and wields her craft knife like she’s Edward Scissorhands.
“One of you can cut out the outline and the other can do the detail work,” she explains as a gleaming bird eye emerges from the paper and light peeks under one wing to give the shape contrast. “Or you can work together, doing both at the same time.”
I glance at Stella. She looks just as intimidated as I feel. Neither of us responds.
Pentsks.“Don’t be a couple of toadstools.”
Toadstools?
“Gimme a knife.” I say, holding out my hand. With a satisfied smile, Pen hands one to me and the other to Stella. Then she abandons us to the crows. Of course, Pen heads over to Livy for the big centerpiece, but who cares.
I’m paired with Stella. I just wish she looked more excited about it.
Instead of meeting my gaze, she glares at the Xacto knife in her hand. “I’m a lot better with a pair of scissors.”
“We got this,” I say, kneeling down and setting Pen’s perfect black crow to the side.
I’m pretty sure Stella deliberates about bailing for a solid five seconds, and then she rips a piece of paper and sets it down.
I know I’m the reason she doesn’t want to dive in, and I regret that, but I’m glad for the chance to talk to her.
Pen pairs her phone with a Bluetooth speaker she sets on the window sill, and the room fills with some kind of harp music. Weird, but not bad.
I give the crow’s outline my undivided attention for less than a minute. I’m aware of Stella’s body beside me. The shape of her thighs as she kneels in those skinny jeans.
Yes, she’s gorgeous. But she’s so much more than that.
And I have missed her.
It sounds stupid to say it. We live in the same house.
