Page 99 of Death is My BFF
“Faith,” my father began in his furious voice, “I thought you said you didn’t see David tonight?”
I struggled to formulate another excuse.
“She didn’t, sir,” David answered smoothly. “I saw her a few days ago. My father and I have ongoing business with a corporate building in Pleasant Valley, so I happened to be in the area for a late meeting. When she didn’t reply to my texts, I figured I’d swing by and make sure everything was okay.”
Dad narrowed his eyes. I thanked the Lord he was suspicious of this ridiculously phony story. I mean really, why would he have a business meeting late at night, conveniently by our home? There was no way my father was buying this bull—
“You into football, David?” Dad asked.
What?
“I’m a huge Bears fan, sir.”
“The Bears suck,” my dad, a lifelong Giants fan, blurted out from habit. Any non-Giants fan would have gotten the same response from him.
“I lived in Chicago for a while. I know it’s a been a cruel form of torture to follow them lately, but this is our year. Faith mentioned you two watch sports together. Giants fan?”
“Unfortunately, yes,” Dad said sullenly. “Don’t get me started.”
“They’re doing worse than the Jets this season,” David said.
I could notbelievethis was happening!
“I’m safe at home!” I shouted, drawing David’s dishonest eyes back to me. “Healthy as an ox. You can leave now. Bye. Good night. Drive safe. Don’t let the front door hit you in the butt on your way out.” I started to shut the door, when I felt a hurl of wind push against it.
David’s mouth twitched a little as I resisted the wind.
“You left this in my car.” He raised a tight fist and opened it. I shuffled a step backward, my fingers tightening on the doorjamb.
A religious cross dangled from his long fingers.My communioncross. The necklace I’d thrown at Death in the fun house in an attempt to thwart his efforts. Poof, went the tiniest sliver of doubt left in my mind that David wasn’t Death.
It still hadn’t made any logical sense why he would put on such a well-thought-out façade around me. But the look David gave me as I saw the necklace confirmed the truth. His eyes flashed with a frightening rage that sent a clear message.You’re dead.
“You shouldn’t have,” I said tautly. “M’kay, bye.” I tried with all my strength to shut the door again, but it wouldn’t budge.
When I made no move to take the necklace from David, or invite him in, Mom reached out and took the necklace. “Aw, her communion cross! She wears this all the time. You must have been missing it, Faith. David, honey, it was so sweet of you to stop by and check on our daughter. What a gentleman.” She put her hand to her heart and then ushered him in. “Come in! Stay for a little bit!”
“Yeah, man, at least until this storm lets up,” Dad the Traitor said. I must have missed the part where he promoted David from
“starboy” to “yeah, man.”
David chuckled. “Oh, I don’t want to inconvenience you. It’s the dead of night.”
I fought laboriously not to explode.
“I do have alotof homework,” I said, directing the statement at my mother, who was in total fangirl mode over David. “A mountain of it. So many tests and quizzes and projects due tomorrow! We should do this another time!”
It was pointless. Neither of my parents were listening. In fact, they appeared enraptured by David’s presence, held under his influence.
“You’re not an inconvenience at all!” Mom replied cheerfully, ignoring my protests. “Come on in, David, you must be freezing.”
She ventured into the kitchen. “Would you like a cupcake and coffee?”
“You had me at cupcake.” Our eyes connected as David stepped into my home. The door clicked closed behind him without a touch.
He took his sweet time raking his eyes over my pajamas. A string of expletives trailed through my mind as I desperately tried to think of a way out of this.
“It’s so cute how both of you love cupcakes,” Mom was ranting on in the background, while Dad worked the TV for the news channel. “Faith has loved cupcakes since she was a little girl with her little toy oven . . . ”