“Your mother is right,” Dad said.
I stifled the urge to roll my eyes at him. Now we were in for a fight. Tolliver was never going to let that slip of the tongue go, but pissing off Satan was never a good idea.
“Yes,” Tolliver said. “She is. You’re a moron who’s letting a dipshit lead you around by the balls.”
Dad’s mouth fell open in shock. I wasn’t sure why, he had asked for it after all. Tolliver was a traditional child of divorced parents and Mom had never bridged from Wicked Stepmother to Mother where he was concerned. “Tolliver!”
“See? See?” my mother screeched. The woman sounded like a barn owl when she got worked up. “That demon has poisoned him against me.”
“Actually,” Hope said, and turned to look at my mother. “She’s right.”
“Who?” My father looked between all of us, wide-eyed as an owl himself.
“Tolliver’s mom.”
“Excuse me?” Mom said.
“Mom, with all the respect I can muster, you’re a fucking moron. I mean it. You’re so stupid that I often wonder how you manage to survive on your own. It should be a criminal offense to be as dippy as you are. The police should raid your coven and throw all of you into an institution where they will let you macramé all day so the rest of us aren’t contaminated by your utter inanity.”
Tolliver and I turned to look at each other, stunned. Someone had woken up on a bitchy side of the bed this morning.
“Look, I love you both,” Hope said, “but this blended family bullshit should have been done years ago. It’s been thirty-five years and you’ve just now gotten over yourselves enough to realize that we might have some buy-in to this family? You know what? Fuck you. Fuck both of you.”
I dug my elbow into her ribs. “Hope.”
“No!” Hope stood and pointed her finger at our parents. “Somebody needs to say something, and I’ve officially hit the point where I’ve had enough.
“You,” she said, and turned to our mother, “all you’ve ever bothered to do is play hot and cold with him. You’ve been so self-involved, and you have such a low self-esteem, the only way you feel good about yourself is to make him jealous and keep him trailing after you because you are so threatened by the possibility he may choose another demoness over you. And this Wicca thing you’re into is crap. If you’re related to a bunch of Ancient British Druids, I’m related to Cleopatra. You’re not communing with nature spirits when you dance around naked in the woods, making an ass out of yourself. You’re a bunch of sad, pathetic, middle-aged women whose husbands went on to greener pastures. And that stupid group isn’t about communing with anything but your wounded pride. The only ‘Feminine Power’ you have is to sit around and shove chocolates down your throats whining about the man who did you wrong.”
Mom’s chin trembled and her eyes filled with tears. “That’s not true.”
“Hopewell,” my father said, his voice glacial.
She spun to focus her wrath on him. “And you. Do you know what our lives are like because of you? Do you know how screwed up we are because of you?”
“That’s not fair.”
“Bullshit. The two of you never could get your shit together. You couldn’t be together, you couldn’t be apart, and all you did was fight. None of us has any idea what normal is. Our father, the Devil, was so preoccupied with chasing our mother he couldn’t bother trying to help us make sense of the types of freaks we are. Do you know who had to teach Faith how to control her wings or where to buy tampons? It wasn’t you and Mom, was it? No, it was me. Because you were too busy being wrapped up in the grand epic saga that is Roisin and the Devil.”
“Hope, we really don’t need to discuss my tampon—”
“And do you know who had to teach me, Daddy Dearest? It wasn’t you, was it? No, no, you were too busy chasing away Mom’s newest boyfriend, so Tolliver had to step up.”
My father’s voice faltered. “That’s not true.”
Tolliver shifted nervously. “I wasn’t involved in the tampon thing.”
Dad’s eyes traveled between the three of us, stricken by the realization Hope might be right.
“The point is, we’re fucked up because of you. Do you know I married a moron because I thought he was what I deserved? Or that I really thought I could manipulate him into loving me? I clung to him so hard, trying to make him love me, that he can’t stand to even be around me. He fell up just to get away from my neediness. And maybe if you hadn’t been so self-involved you would have realized that before my marriage imploded under the weight of your epic saga. Or before Tolliver had to make himself a girlfriend. And you’re worried about us making your relationship easier? Well here’s a news flash: it’s not all about you.”
“I didn’t make myself a girlfriend. We’re just more open to the possibility of things between us now that Lisa’s no longer mortal.”
“And Faith wouldn’t be so afraid of being hurt and rejected that she doesn’t let anyone into her life. Do you know this is the first date she’s had since the breakup with Dan?”
“Dan? Who’s Dan?” My father studied me. “I don’t think I ever met a Dan. When did you date a guy named Dan?”
In the name of all Evil. This had to come up now?
“Yeah.” Hope laughed. “What’s that tell you?”
“Hope,” I said, my voice so low it was almost a whisper. “This really isn’t the time. You’re upset and saying things you don’t mean.”
“Whatever, Faith. It’s time they know.” Her eyes flickered red when she pinned her fury back on my parents. “She doesn’t want you to know she dated Dan for five years in Chicago. Five years. They were engaged. Did you know that? You wouldn’t know because she was terrified of introducing him to the rest of us. The only reason I knew was that I went to Chicago on a business trip and found them together. She was so ashamed of what we are, she told him she was an orphan.”
My father gawked, pain evident in his face. “Faith, is this true?”
“It’s compli—”
“It’s not complicated,” Hope yelled. She threw her hands up and groaned. “Forget it. There’s no point even trying with the two of you. I’m out of here.”
“Hope!” Dad grabbed for her and she brushed him off before storming out the front door.
The sound of her shoes pounding against the stairs reverberated through the room. I winced. Maybe we should have gotten them carpeted? Not that it would have changed the shotgun sound of the door slamming on her apartment.
My father sank heavily into the easy chair and rested his head in his hands, shaking his head. “What just happened?”
Mom sat on the love seat, gaping like a large, overly made-up trout. “I just can’t understand the nerve of that girl! Blaming us for her problems.”
“Mom,” I said, my voice weary. My fingertips massaged my forehead. “Shut up. Just, for once in your life, shut up already. While you’re somewhat ahead.”
“But—”
“Roisin?” my father said, his voice full of defeat. “Shut up.”
Tolliver motioned toward the door. “I’m going, too.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “Dad?”
“Uh-huh? You got something you need to add? Some other way I screwed up your life and destroyed your happiness I didn’t know about before? Any other boyfriends I may have accidentally outed you in front of? Any other times you’ve had to start over and rebuild your entire life because of me?”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, and squeezed his shoulder.
“For what? Wanting to have a normal life? Needing your mother and I to have some sort of clue? Needing us to take some sort of fucking interest?”
“That’s not fair.”
“Your sister’s right. She may not be fair, but she’s right,” he said. “I’m sorry I screwed up your life so bad. Go get ready for your date. He’ll be here any minute.”
“I can cancel.”
“No, you’ve given up enough of your life for your moth
er and me. You should go to lunch. I’ll even stop time outside the apartment so you’ve got a few extra minutes to wash your face.”
“Thanks.” I pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and hurried out of the living room, leaving my mother sulking. At least I had somewhere to go. I didn’t think I could bear to make him go back to his hotel room while he was this upset, but the tension was stifling.
What had possessed Hope? Yeah, I understood what she was saying. It wasn’t like I didn’t resent my parents for what had happened with Dan. There’s no easy way to deal with the fact the man you’re supposed to marry in less than a month is huddling in a corner and weeping at the sight of you, begging you not to kill him.
I never realized that era in my life had affected Hope so much, though. She’d never mentioned it before. But then again, neither had I.
I washed my face and hurried into the bedroom to change into a nicer outfit. After scanning my pathetically boring wardrobe, I found a black wrap dress that complemented my figure. A quick glance down confirmed that my legs were shaved. Rifling through my underwear drawer uncovered a bra and panties that somewhat matched. Especially since, at this point, I was almost willing to go home with someone—anyone—just so I didn’t have to deal with the fallout from Hope’s outburst later tonight.
The subtle shift of time starting back up crackled as I was ran a hairbrush through my mess of frizzy blonde curls. I set down the brush and opened my contact case, retrieving the left one and peeling back my eyelid. I knew I should have taken five extra minutes to get ready this morning. But stupid me thought it would just be a day to hang out around the house in my clunky, black-framed glasses. Just as the contact slipped into place, there was a knock on the front door and I jerked, poking myself in the eye.
I wiped my eye with a square of toilet paper and slid in the other contact. “One min—”
My father’s voice resonated over the sound of the door clicking open. “Who are you?”
“I’m Matt. I’m here to take Faith to lunch.”
“That’s nice. Why don’t you come in and we’ll talk while Faith finishes getting ready?”
No. I silently begged my parents to act at least somewhat normal around Matt. Like that would happen.
“Sure,” Matt said.
“Sorry, I held Faith up asking her for a restaurant recommendation, and now she’s running a bit behind. Why don’t you come on in? Do you want something to drink?”
Oh, fuck. Now came the Come to Jesus talk with Matt. Not good. Satan’s Come to Jesus was a nasty affair to begin with, and considering the bombs Hope had dropped on him, I expected this to combust. I might as well start looking for new cities to move to.
I scurried into the living room, still adjusting my dress, and stopped at the sight of my father sitting across from Matt, acting cordial, while my mom slammed dishes into the sink.
“Hi,” I said, putting on my Everything is Completely Normal Here smile.
My dad, who I’m sure appeared completely normal to my innocent date, rose from his seat. “There you are, sweetheart. I just told your friend, Matt, I held you up.”
“Thanks.” I kept up the act and turned to Matt, who sat on my couch in a pair of khakis and a white button-down. Judging by his expression, I figured this hadn’t been the worst Meet the Parents he’d been to.
I chose a red wrap from the closet and swathed it around me. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah.” As if he’d been dying for me to ask, he rose and stuck his hand out for my father to shake. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bettincourt.”
“Morningstar.”
“My apologies, sir.” His throat bobbed when he swallowed, and I swear he paled just a bit. Matt was right—he was not the type who could handle meeting the parents on a first date.
“Faith uses her mother’s last name,” my father said, reaching into his pocket for his wallet. “Here, do you need any money for a taxi or—”
“I’m fine, Dad. Thanks.” I patted him on the shoulder and took Matt’s hand, dragging him out of the apartment.
When we stood safely outside, he said, “That wasn’t awkward at all.”
“Yeah, you sort of walked in at the tail-end of a fight between my parents and my sister. My brother and I got caught in the middle.”
“Ouch.” He offered me his arm, and walked me down the stairs. “I heard the yelling and someone running up the stairs, so I gave you all a few minutes.”
“Things are too intense, and I can’t deal with all of them right now.”
“That’s got to be really rough, what with your entire family coming to visit and all of them fighting. Especially in your place. That makes it hard to escape.”
“Tell me about it,” I said.
We reached the first floor, stepped out of the building, and entered the parking lot. I glanced upward and noticed black clouds amassing. Apparently, Dad wasn’t handling Hope’s tantrum well. At least it hadn’t started to rain. That was good. Surprising, but good.
“I can imagine it’s even worse,” Matt said, opening the passenger door for me, “when one of your parents is the Devil.”
With that, he shut the door while I sat gaping at him. As if he hadn’t just dropped a nuclear bombshell, he strolled to his side of the car and climbed inside. He stuck the key in the ignition and turned it over, then shot me a devious grin. “What? You thought I didn’t know?”
Chapter Twelve
Words failed me the entire trip. I sat there, silently freaking out about what he’d just said. How the Hell did he know? More importantly, what did he know? Or what did he think he knew? Oh shit, who had he told? He got us a table, ordered drinks, and listened to the specials while I tried to regain my composure.
Sighing, he put down the menu and stared at me. “So? You don’t have anything to say?”
My mind replayed the events of the last couple of days, hell months, pinning down every red flag I should’ve caught: his freaky amplified touch, for one. I cleared my throat, frowned, and decided playing it cool was out of the question. So was lying. “So, you’re telling me you know my father is the Devil?”
“Didn’t I say so in the car?” He relaxed in his chair, smirking.
“I spent the entire ride here processing that so it made sense. The problem is, it doesn’t make sense, so you’re going to have to break this down for me. You’re telling me you—a mortal—know my father is the Prince of Darkness? And you’re okay with that?”
The waitress chose the most inopportune moment to take our orders.
Matt waited until she moved out of earshot before answering. “No, what I said is I know your father is the Devil and I’m okay with it.”
“That’s exactly what I said. You know—wait, are you saying you’re not mortal?”
His lips quirked into a conceited smile. “Give the lady a gold star. She’s figured it out.”
“But you give off energy,” I said “You feel all sparky, so that means you aren’t a nephilim. What are you? Some sort of fairy? A vampire? What?”
Matt laughed. “Fairies? Vampires? You don’t really believe in those, do you?”
“Well, I don’t know what to believe in now, do I? You’re not a demon, or an angel, or any sort of nephilim because my gifts don’t work on them and they work on you.”
“So you can read my thoughts? See my life when our hands touch?”
“No, well, I haven’t really tried because it’s a nuisance to go through the day without shielding myself, but you give off the same energy humans do. So you’re not a nephilim, and you’re not human, so what are you?”
“Maybe you should tell me. Try to read my mind.”
“What?”
“Go ahead, poke around in my brain.”
“But—”
“Go on, I promise not to think anything too dirty while you’re poking around.”
“Okay, but remember, this was your idea.”
I shut my eyes and let my mind relax, releasing my tight mental re
straints. Voices from the Southside Works neighborhood flooded into my head: kids playing in the fountain across the street, people in their cars, clerks in the retail stores surrounding the square, all of them holding conversations inside my head. I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on finding Matt’s voice in the commotion, weeding through the voices one by one. But he wasn’t among them.
Frowning, and a little more than irritated, I opened my eyes.
He smirked. “See anything useful? My entire life story, perhaps? Why don’t you try focusing harder?”
I’d show him something hard. I grabbed his hand and squeezed, surprised that it was rougher than I had expected from someone who sat behind a desk every day. Large and warm, it was the perfect size to hold mine, and even though a tiny spark of life shot between us, I didn’t sense anything else. Touching his hand filled my mind with snowy static, like a TV between stations.
When we broke the connection, I studied him, flabbergasted. “How do you do that?”
“That’s part of how I block my brain,” Matt said. “It’s more convenient for me if other immortals can’t find me, so I’ve found a way to be completely disregarded when they’re near. If I appear human they barely realize I exist.”
My face heated and I clenched my fists in my lap. “I don’t forget humans exist.”
“But they aren’t likely to raise your suspicions, either.”
“No, but why are you concerned about raising suspicions? I mean, surely, as demonic offspring you know my father would have welcomed you home.”
“Except—”
“You’re not demonic. Are you?”
He shifted nervously. “Not precisely, no. But, I’m not one of them, either.”
“One of them? One of whom?”
“I’m not like the rest of my family.”
“Your family? What do you mean your family?”
“Surely you’ve heard about us? The fearsome angelic army bent on the ultimate destruction of your kind?” He clenched his hands together on the table and I struggled not to reach out and grab one.
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