Killer's Kiss Read Online Free PDF Page B

hid. She cleared her throat. “Oh, come on, Karina. You know I’m Delia’s best friend. We’re all friends, right? I think we need to talk about what happened in the gym the other day.”
    Delia watched Karina laugh. “Oh, that! I lost it for a moment. No big deal.”
    â€œNo big deal?” Britty’s voice rose. “You almost strangled Delia!”
    Delia felt a chill run up her back as she studied Karina’s serene expression. She doesn’t even care if she hurt me, Delia realized. Does she even remember what happened?
    â€œYou need to talk to somebody , Karina,” Britty urged her. “It doesn’t have to be me. Maybe then you would realize you’re not acting …” Britty hesitated. “You’d realize …”
    â€œRealize what?” Karina asked impatiently. “That Delia isn’t willing to face reality?”
    Delia gasped.
    Britty glanced nervously toward the lab room. “Karina—” she began.
    â€œTell your best friend Delia something for me,” Karina said softly, so softly Delia could barely hear her. “Tell her she’ll never win the Conklin. I guarantee it. And she won’t get Vincent away from me either.”
    Delia’s stomach flipped over. It was bad enough hearing Karina say that when she went nuts in the gym.
    But now she sounded so much like the regular Karina. Normal and confident.
    Except that her words were still crazy. She still thought that she and Vincent were a couple.
    Delia closed her eyes, fighting against the icy feeling creeping into her stomach. She swallowed hard.
    If Karina thought she and Vincent were a couple, what would she do to keep him?
    â€œDid you hear me, Delia?” Karina called loudly.
    Delia’s eyes flew open.
    â€œI know you’re standing there listening,” Karina called. “Listen all you want. Do you really want to hear something?”
    Her voice grew shrill, angry. “I’ll give you something to listen to, Delia. I’ll do anything. Do you hear me? I’ll do anything to keep you from winning!”
    â™¦ ♦ ♦
    Will I be able to fall asleep? Delia wondered.
    Or will I lie awake all night thinking about the talent competition tomorrow?
    Maybe I should get out of bed and tune my guitar again.
    She sat up.
    No. I’ve tuned it twice. It wasn’t out of tune to begin with.
    Maybe I should rehearse a little more. Go over my song.
    No. I practically know it backward and forward.
    Delia let her head slump back onto the pillow. She shut her eyes tightly.
    Sleep. Sleep.
    I’ll never win the talent competition if I yawn in the middle of my song.
    She rolled onto her side. Her legs were tangled in the bedsheet.
    I wonder what Karina is doing right now, Delia thought. I wonder if she is staring up at the ceiling, as awake as I am. Worrying about tomorrow.
    No way. She’s probably been asleep for an hour.
    She probably went right to sleep because she knew I’d be wide awake!
    Crazy thoughts …
    Don’t go paranoid, Delia scolded herself.
    She shut her eyes again and forced herself to think about popcorn. Soft, fluffy popcorn—piles and piles of it—floating down from the sky, covering the ground like snow.
    Popcorn. So soft. So silent …
    It always worked.
    A few minutes later she drifted into a light sleep.
    Some time later, she blinked herself awake. And jerked her head up from the warm pillow.
    What was that sound?
    A scraping sound.
    Delia turned to the doorway, instantly alert.
    A scraping sound. Followed by a cough.
    â€œWho’s there?” she called out, her voice choked with sleep.
    A footstep. But no reply.
    In the gray light from the open bedroom door, Delia saw a dark form move toward her.
    â€œWho is it?”
    No reply.
    Delia started to sit up.
    But before she could move, a hand covered her mouth and nose. Squeezed her cheeks. Pressed down, keeping her from crying out.
    Delia