Page 113 of Dream House
Stella’s mouth quirks to the side as she considers this advice. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll just text her.”
I roll my eyes. “Suit yourself. But you know you don’t have to be on standby to solve every crisis, right?”
Her lips part in surprise. And I get the feeling she absolutely does believe she has to be on standby. For everybody. All the time.
“I-I know that,” she stammers.
I give her a long stare. When she looks away, I take it as a win and tug her gently closer.
“Where were we?”
She lays a hand on my chest, and I remember the touch of her fingers on my bare skin last night. Stella peers at me from under her lashes in a teasing way that is nothing short of cruel.
“Well—” She glances over her shoulder at the microwave clock and then back at me. “I was about to start Maisy’s bath and you—” A manicured fingernail skims my nipple through the cotton of my shirt. I gulp. “—were about to pick up Nina.”
I check the clock. Damn. She’s right.
Ever since the run-in with Kaleb Doucet, we aren’t taking any chances. I pick up Nina from work at the end of every shift.
Heavy steps echo down the hallway off the kitchen.
Correction. Tyler and I pick up Nina from work at the end of every shift.
I let go of Stella, and we both step away from each other like two guilty teenagers.
Tyler walks in looking like he’s gone two rounds with an alley cat. His hair is sticking almost straight up, and he has bandages wrapped around the tips of three fingers.
“Whoa. You okay, man?” I gesture to his hands.
Tyler spares them hardly a glance before glaring up at me. “Ti...me… to… go.”
One look at Stella and I know she’s about to break into laughter. “Time to go,” she says to me, beaming.
As Tyler heads to the door, I give her a wicked look of my own. One that says,we’re not done.
Her fluttering lashes and blushing cheeks are a boon, but I want more.
Before I push through the swinging door to head out, I give her a mock-questioning look. “I think my AC’s still busted.”
Her eyes go wide and a hand flies to her mouth. “Oh shit,” she utters. “I meant to go to Home Depot for another one.”
I shrug. “No big deal. Sleeping down here is kinda nice.”
I push through the door. Before it swings closed behind me, I see Stella’s hand fall from her mouth to her chest. She’s flustered. And she’s excited.
And I’m the one making that happen.
Drivingwith Tyler is an exercise in awkwardness. I know he doesn’t like talking, and I get that. It also feels like he’s angling to establish some kind of dominance with me. Like I might try to make a move on Nina or something.
So our rides are short, but silent. A tense kind of silent.
But driving with TylerandNina is next level awkward. Because neither one of them speaks, but they’re constantly engaged in this eye contact game of tag. She’s staring at him when she thinks he can’t see. Then he checks her out in the side mirror, and she looks away. When she looks back, he stares down at his lap.
And it goes on like that the whole ride back.
Except today.
Because Nina isn’t quiet.
