Page 22 of The Penalty

Right, she’s got her process. I can feel that. I’m the same on the ice.

My eyes still follow the rapid movement of her pencil hungrily, eager to see what she’s going to create.

Each layer brings about another level of detail. The bear’s eyes start to shine with hunger, and his ears are perked in interest.

She scratches out a few lines, fills in a few more, and brushes at the eraser crumbs, darkening the eyes and the outline one last time. Then she lifts her pencil, tucking her lower lip between her teeth. The whole process takes way less time than I expected.

“Well.” She closes her eyes as if she’s scared to see my expression, but if she looked, all she’d see was wonder.

I reach out to touch it, pulling away before I make contact. He looks so real, standing on his hind legs. I almost expect to feel the shaggy fur under my fingertips when I touch it. But I resist the ridiculous urge. The ice skates are the best part. A skating bear should be comical, but the way she’s drawn it, the life in his eyes. It’s perfect.

“It’s amazing, but why a bear?”

“That’s the first thing that came to mind when I thought of you, Dev.”

“A bear? Really?”

“Yeah. You’re all massive and a little frowny, but I think you’re soft and cuddly underneath.”

“I’m not.”

“Maybe not, but that’s what I see.”

“Thank you. Nobody’s ever...” Created something like this for me. It doesn’t feel right. I don’t deserve this.

“What...”

A sharp knock on the door saves me from any further inquiry, and a polite voice lets us know room service has arrived.

Chapter 7

Dirty Dreams Come True

Cece

Why is there asingle sock in the kitchen? I swipe it off the floor and continue to search every empty nook and corner. Rushing around panic cleaning may not be the best way to live my life, but you think I’d be used to it by now. I don’t know where all this stuff came from. All I brought with me to my new house were my two suitcases and an overly large purse. Plus, all the swag I bought at the con last week.

Remembering it puts an automatic smile on my face, and a giddy, bubbly sensation in my chest. Dev. What a weekend. You’d think meeting some of my favorite artists and actors would have been the best part, but no. It was my fling with his athletic body, and the general calm he brought to my chaos. I’ve picked up my phone a hundred times since we parted ways, some random thought passing through my mind, demanding I send it to him. But that would be impossible. Why did I suggestnot exchanging info? There’s no way I could have gotten into trouble sending him the occasional text.

I shake my head. Doesn’t matter. That was the decision I made. Now I can deal with it. I’m sure it won’t be long before he’s the star of my dirty dreams and nothing more. That perfect body laid out in my bed the next morning before I had to drag myself away to meet my ride. I wanted to wake him up for one last kiss, but he looked so comfortable lying there naked and peaceful, snoring softly on the white sheets. It was better that way. I might not have left the hotel room if I’d stayed.

I’ve got more time sensitive problems. Like picking up the assortment of clothes that have appeared on every available surface. Crimson panties are dangling over the brass table lamp that’s currently chilling on the cream carpet. Mom would try to make a disappointed face if she knew how I’ve been living for the past two weeks. Sleeping on an air mattress like a couch surfer. But she’s not capable of too many facial expressions any more thanks to the endless units of Botox.

It’s been kind of fun. Roaming the place all by myself. The silence and lack of company is making me a little stir crazy. I’m excited for my new roomies to move in this weekend. We’ve been chatting on video calls to get to know each other better before we have to all move in together, and I think this will be fantastic. They’re going to be a fresh change from the friends I moved in with at my former school. Nothing but rich kids and hangers on back there. No wonder I ended up bored and getting into trouble. My new roommates are creatives like me.

But I’ve got a lot of work ahead to set up this empty house. Thank goodness I enlisted my brother into helping. Volunteered, voluntold. What’s the difference when you’re family? He’s only bringing one of the hockey guys with him, but it’s his best friend, Lucy. All I know about him is that they’ve been tight since first year and he’s Beau’s defense partner on the team. I don’t think he trusts any of the other guys around me. Ridiculous. I’m a grown ass woman capable of making my own decisions. Sure, some of them are shady at best, but he’s made his fair share of mistakes too. We’re all just fallible human beings struggling to figure ourselves out.

Still, I know he’ll flip a lid if he sees the mess, and they’re going to be here in ten minutes to meet the moving truck. I snag the undies off the lamp, jamming them into my red bag. After stuffing the last armload of clothes away and plopping my ass on top of it so I can force the zipper to close, I’m out of breath.

I finger comb the limp strands of hair out of the way and search the bathroom for an elastic. No deal. The bulging suitcase is taunting me. No way I’m going to unleash that beast. It’d swallow me whole before it vomited its entire contents back out all over the room. No time. Just gonna have to deal with slightly sweaty locks trying to blind me.

My fingers snag on a hole in my rattiest black leggings. I haven’t done any laundry since I got here, so now I’m down to the dregs of my wardrobe. Even the shirt is an old, faded concert tee with holes under the pits. I blow out a breath. It’sthis or my cutest LBD and that is hardly appropriate attire for my official move in day.

The worst part is Beau always dresses sharply. Even today I’m sure he’ll have on a polo shirt or at the very least some high-ticket athleisure. But it’s fine. I’m not trying to impress him, or his hockey friend. He won’t judge me for it, but it’s a constant reminder of why I’ll never meet my family’s standards of perfection.

I snag an empty pizza box off the kitchen counter, glance around and duck out the back door, chucking the thing on the back porch on top of the big blue bin.Mental note: buy a small one for the house before my roommates arrive.

The cheery chime of the doorbell has me skidding across the house. I run a hand through my untidy mess of hair one lasttime before swinging it open with a huge smile plastered on my face.

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