Page 131 of Dream House
“The Eight of Cups,” she says, like the meaning should be obvious.
I scowl. “And?”
Pen drops her hand, shaking her head. “I-I-I don’t know what to think?”
“You don’t know what it means?” I ask, disbelieving.
She shakes her head again, this time with more contemplation. “No, I know what the card symbolizes. But—”
“What does it symbolize?”
Pen looks at me, and dammit if I don’t see sympathy. “It’s the disappointment card.”
“Fuck.”
“Hold on,” Pen says, showing me her palms. “There’s something else.”
“What?” But I already know Lark is going to disappoint me. He’s going to break my heart.
Shit.Has he already broken my heart because I already have feelings for him? Is it over before it even started?
“Dammit! I’m already disappointed,” I shout.
“Hold on,” Pen pleads. “It could mean something else.”
“How?” I practically explode.
She gives me a scolding look. “Cool it, Stella. Don’t yell in my sanctuary.”
I tuck my chin. “Sorry.”
Pen wheels around, grabs a spritzer bottle from the bookshelf behind her and starts misting the air. Notes of lavender, vanilla, and sage atomize around us. I blink my eyes and cough as droplets tickle my nose.
She puts the mister back, turns again to me, and takes a steadying breath. “The day I met Lark—when he first set foot in this house—I asked him if he’d ever had a reading,” she says, surprising me with the news. I one hundred percent know that Lark has never had a reading. The thought is almost laughable.
“I told him then that he had an Eight of Cups vibe. Dissatisfaction and restlessness practically oozed from his aura.” Her lashes bat with extra drama. Then she points to the card. “If there’s any card in that deck that I would have identified with him, it’s that one.”
“Okay?” I say, skeptically. “I’m not sure how that makes this any better.”
Her mouth quirks as if to saythat’s why you need me.“I drew your Present card and the Eight of Cupsjumped out of the deck,”she stresses, “andlanded in your lap.”
“Yeah.” I nod with bitterness. “Disappointment and dissatisfactionlanded in my lap.”
Pen pauses. “It could be that,” she concedes, but then she pins me hard with her wide eyes. “And then it could also mean that at thisturning point in your lifeLark Bienvenuehas landed in your lap.”
I side-eye her. “So you’re saying the cardisLark. But Lark might notbethe card?”
Her smile brightens. “Exactly!”
I blink. Then blink again. “Am I nuts if I say that actually makes sense?”
“Stella!” Pen exclaims. “I’m so proud of you!”
Her praise feels good for about two seconds. And then I take everything in.
“So basically, I’m meant to be with Lark or he’s meant to break my heart. Is that what I’m getting?”
Her smile freezes, then cracks. “Yeah…”
