When I pulled into our driveway, however, I was shocked to see Ava’s car. What was she doing home so early? Where would I tell her I had been? Would she believe me if I told her I had to get out for a while because I was driving myself crazy with nervousness? One thing was for sure, I couldn’t appear frightened about her being there and catching me away.
“Ava?” I called as I entered.
“I’m in here,” she called back from the living room.
She was sitting in Daddy’s chair.
“Why are you home so early? I thought you said it was important for you not to miss those classes.”
“That’s what I told you,” she said. “Sit.” She nodded at the sofa across from her.
I sat.
“I can’t believe that for one moment, one tiny second, you believed you could put one over on me, Lorelei. I’m the expert when it comes to gold-quality lies. How could you forget that I have the instincts? You’re good, but you’re not in my class yet. For your sake, I hope you will be soon, but as I told you a while ago, and as Daddy believed, you appear to lack some of that necessary instinct. We don’t survive without it,” she concluded.
I started to speak, but she put up her hand.
“Let’s get quickly past your look of innocence, your amazed protestations, and your farcically asking me what I am talking about. Let’s get right to the truth, huh? Daddy and Mrs. Fennel will be here soon.”
I stared at her for a moment. The sharpness in her voice and the heat in her eyes were normally terrifying for me, but for some reason, I didn’t feel as vulnerable and weak as I usually did when she was in a rage. I wasn’t going to burst into tears and beg for her forgiveness. I wasn’t going to plead for her to help me. And I could see by the way her eyes twitched that she saw something stronger in me as well.
“What did you do, Ava, follow me?”
“Of course, I did. I waited, knowing you were going to go to him. You were in that house quite a while. Enjoy it?”
“Matter of fact, yes, I did, very much.”
“Well, I’m glad, because that will be the first and the last time you enjoy him,” she snapped, leaning forward.
“Don’t threaten me, Ava,” I threw back at her.
She surprised me with a wide smile and then a short laugh.
“Threaten you? I’m not threatening you, you fool. I’m threatening him.”
A thin sheet of ice slid down my back.
“I’m not going to guard the door or follow you around to be sure you don’t go to him.”
“Daddy won’t let—”
“Daddy. D
on’t you dare mention Daddy to me. What you have done during the day and a half he and Mrs. Fennel have been gone would probably knock him off his feet, and you know how hard it is to do that,” she said.
“And I’m sure you’re going to enjoy telling him everything,” I said, but it sounded more like me feeling sorry for myself than anything else.
“I would, yes, but if you cooperate, I won’t.”
“What do you mean, cooperate?”
“I know you’re pretty smart, Lorelei. Daddy’s probably right to think of you as one of his most intelligent daughters, so don’t pretend you don’t understand what I mean, what I want. It’s perfect timing, actually. Daddy is ready for a feeding. We talked about this possibility.”
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. In the end, it’s a simple decision to make, isn’t it? Daddy or him?”
I tried to swallow, but my throat felt as if it had turned to stone.