See Yourself Out

The kitchen clock ticked too loudly for a house this big.

Each second that passed made the air feel heavier, pressing against my chest until it hurt to breathe. Stella was near the island, her hands trembling as if she was holding on to the edge of something that was already slipping away.

“What did you say?” Her voice was small, strangled—like she wasn’t sure the words she’d heard were real.

I p