Fate's Return (Twisted Fate, Book 2)

Chapter Twelve

My mom came to check on me a few hours later and told me Suzie had been calling every half hour to see if I was done 'faking it'. The last was relayed with a click of her tongue just before she handed me a tiny pink pill and some more Baby Angels.

"How did I get in my room?" I asked, handing her back my cup to set beside the television.

"Your father was home."

I pulled myself into a sitting position, amazed that the room didn't spin, and my stomach didn't protest—much. "He carried me to bed?"

She nodded and came around to the side of my bed, motioning for me to lean forward with a flick of her hand so she could fluff my pillows. "He did. He spent the night sleeping beside your bed, too."

"What? It's Sunday already?"

"No, Aly, it's Monday."

"I have school!" I pushed the covers off my legs so that I could get up, but a wave of dizziness pushed me back down. I lay back against the pillows, groaning, and covered my eyes with my arm to block the offending light from the fixture hanging from the ceiling. "Did you call the school? I have a Psych presentation worth thirty percent of my final grade today."

"You're rescheduled for Wednesday."

"Really?" I opened one eye, trying to determine if she was saying it for the sake of placating me, or if it was actually true.

"No, she's just saying that so that you don't throw up, Nerd," Suzie said, breezing into the room behind my mother. "Hey, Mrs. Frank. Mr. Frank let us in."

"Us?" I swallowed. Please, please just say Deryk or... Or no one.

"Deryk is downstairs with your dad."

I sighed and shifted to rest on my side. At least they already knew each other. My dad liked Deryk for helping me after David died, and from what I could tell, Deryk liked talking with my dad in return.

"And Brenan." Suzie smiled and pulled my desk chair closer to my bed.

"Oh, no, you did not bring Brenan here to meet my dad." I covered my face with my hands, peeking through my fingers to look at Suzie. It was obvious she was telling the truth, but she didn't seem apologetic. Sitting down, she propped her feet on the edge of my bed as though nothing was wrong.

"They're fine." She shrugged. "Deryk and your dad get along great."

"Right. But my dad knows you two A-holes set me up on a date with Brenan!"

"Oh." She looked to my mom and then the floor, her brow furrowing, but then she shrugged and smiled. Meeting my gaze, she whispered, "Sorry."

"Mom? Can you..." I nodded to the door. "Please?"

She smiled. "Sure. I'll go tell them all you're starting to feel better."

"And keep dad away from his guns!" I called after her, pulling myself up onto my elbows like that would allow my voice to carry farther, and then flopped back down, turning my head to glare at Suzie.

Was she trying to sabotage what she wanted to orchestrate before it had the chance to begin?

"What were you thinking?" I demanded when she didn't speak.

"Me?" She pointed to her chest, her mouth hanging. "I thought you were faking it until this morning when you didn't show up to pick me up for school. It's a good thing my mom was home, or I'd have been late, too."

"Well, considering I woke up a few minutes ago and found out it was Monday, that can't make me feel bad," I said, and then lowered my voice. "You know, if I could roll my eyes without feeling like barfing, I would. Why would you bring Brenan here?"