He’s here. It’s like I can feel his shining shoe step onto the pretentious grounds of the Academy of Six.
Dear old daddy has come for a visit.
Fuck me.
Heaven blurs into the room so fast her glossy hair fans around her when she halts suddenly, leaning in a mock casual pose. Her breaths are even, her heartbeat is as frozen cold as ever. But it’s the littlest telling sign in her sharp features that tells me my father is near.
Red lips are pursed so hard together I can hear the harshness of her teeth grinding. The lazy folding of her arms is all tense angles instead of careless relaxation. Even her bright blue eyes are slitting glares that alert me to the predator I can now sense striding soundlessly toward my dorm room door.
He’s early.
I mean, isn’t he always? Shouldn’t I know by now to be prepared in time?
Parent’s day. It really is too bad sunlight can’t burn me to a crisp and kill me now. I could choke on a clove of garlic, steak myself through my useless heart, manage to chop off my head and he’d still expect me to sit diligently through this semester’s fatherly lecture, decapitated head in hand.
Malek is the only other person here to watch me suffer, and he surprisingly sits up from his bed as if he might help me in my misery.
Not that anyone can truly help me where my father is concerned.
His fine black coat sways through the door and I already feel the press of his disappointment on my shoulders. I feel sick but I smile through the twisting reaction of my stomach.
“Father,” I beam, straightening my wrinkled white button down.
His lips curl at the sight of the shirt I slept in. I would have changed but I’ve barely seen Izzy since we went camping two days ago. Every time I spot her she rushes off. I know I said anxiety and fear are slow building within me, but they are fucking alive and well right now.
How could she just ditch us after that? The weekend was perfect. Kind of.
I shouldn't have fucked her.
Jesus why did I do that? She was hurting and instead of comforting her, I joined her in a heartbreaking threesome.
Heartbreaking threesome: Words I never thought I’d say.
I didn’t get to talk about Shade’s shadiness because she snuck off before dawn and maybe that’s for the better right now. But why’d she sneak out on us?
Onme.
And... why isn’t she here right now. I said—fuck I said I wanted her to meet my mom. Why did I say that? My family is not the meet and greet type.
What if I fucked this up between us?
Why am I always such a fuckup?
“Saint. You do realize the point of a uniform is—” My father’s dull tone is cut off by a shattering sound of squealing happiness.
“Saint! My Sweet Saint!” My mother’s bubbly face is as happy as I always remember. Her dark hair is tucked away beneath a white nun’s coif. She’s covered primly but there’s no denying she’s naturally beautiful. Even as she ages by the hour while my father stays eternally flawless.
“Matilda, I—I didn’t expect you this morning,” my father says, adjusting his silk tie. Those long fingers of his linger there at the front of his suit and I can’t explain the strange, formal relationship they’ve always had. I almost think he feels guilty for what he did to such a purely innocent woman.
Almost.
Phoenix peers in from the doorway and I just know he rushed my mother here as fast as un-humanly possible just to cock block my father out of being an asshole to me.
He’s sweet like that.
When the demon’s lips tilt with a knowing smirk and he winks at me, I remember why we’re best friends. Sure his cock’s a bonus but deep down—really really deep fucking down—he’s selfless to those he loves.
With messy hair and narrowed eyes Malek watches us all with held silence.
