Empire High Betrayal Page 20

  Matt winced. “I know you didn’t. Come here.” He pulled me back into his arms.

  “She’s never going to stop,” I said.

  He didn’t respond. He just held me for a few minutes in silence. Until the laughter in the hallway died away.

  “Give me your phone,” he said. “Enough is enough. You’re supposed to call your security detail if Isabella ever does something. You can’t let this one slide.”

  I didn’t want to stop Isabella with my dad’s help. That always made everything worse. I wanted to freaking fight back myself. But Matt and I had already had this conversation. He’d said I was better than Isabella. And I wanted to show him that I was. I didn’t want to stoop to her level. I didn’t want to become her. So I pulled my cell phone out of my blazer pocket and handed it to him.

  He lifted the phone to his ear. “Hey, it’s Matt. There’s been an incident with Isabella.” He tried to give me a reassuring smile. “Some inappropriate pictures. She’s upset, but no, I’ve got it covered.” He looked over at me and pulled the phone away from his ear. “Do you want to go home for the day?”

  I shook my head. I refused to let Isabella drive me away from school. Her games weren’t going to make me leave.

  “No, she’s okay,” Matt said.

  I noticed that there was a hole in one of the knees of my tights. Crap. That didn’t look good when there were jokes going around about me being on my knees.

  “Thanks,” Matt said and hung up the phone. “They said they’d pull her out of school for the rest of the day. Not sure what will happen after that.”

  “Okay.”

  I watched Matt loosen his tie. He pulled off his blazer and rolled up the sleeves of his uniform dress shirt.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I’m going to go get my varsity jacket for you to wear the rest of the day so people know that you’re mine and only mine. Do you want me to grab anything else from your locker?”

  That wasn’t what he was about to do. Well, maybe it was. But it didn’t look like the only thing he was planning. I grabbed his arm. “I don’t want you to fight my battle for me.”

  He lowered his eyebrows. “It’s our battle, Brooklyn. We’re a team. And no one - no one - talks about my fiancé like that.”

  “If you want me to be the bigger person, you have to be too.”

  “The things they were saying…” his voice trailed off.

  Yeah, I’d heard it too. I’d seen it written. And now literally everyone at Empire High had seen me in my underwear. Holding James’ hand. Isabella was trying to make it seem like I was with James so that Matt would dump me. But Matt had said we were fine. So I should have been able to drop it and move on. Maybe it was the Pruitt blood in my veins. Or the fact that I had a mobster father. But all I wanted to do was make Isabella pay for this.

  Hell, I wanted to roll up my sleeves and punch Isabella in her stupid face. But Matt said that wasn’t me. And it wasn’t the Matt I fell in love with either.

  “I’ve been patient, Brooklyn. When you told me what happened between you and James. When you told me you were seeing someone else when we were fighting. I’ve been trying so hard to be understanding. But the things our classmates are saying about you? I’ve been patient with you, but I don’t need to be patient with them. No one should ever talk to you like that. And what kind of person would I be if I didn’t go out there and defend you? I can only take so much. I’m about to snap.”

  I could see that. I knew he had a temper. And I knew that my behavior had tested him. I didn’t want him to lose control because of me. I took a deep breath. “Well, your fiancée doesn’t want you to get kicked out of school.” I put my hands on his chest. “You said it yourself. Isabella’s not going to break us. And if you want me to be better than her, you have to be better than all of them too. Because I know you are.”

  He ran his hand down his face and sighed. “Fucking Isabella.”

  I laughed. “I think you meant…fuck Isabella.”

  He laughed too. “You are better.” He ran his thumbs beneath my eyes to remove the rest of my tears. “And I’m trying to be better for you too.”

  “I’m really sorry about the pictures of me and James…”

  “I don’t care about some stupid pictures. I know you’re not in love with James.”

  I smiled up at him. “No, because I’m very much in love with you.”

  The corner of his mouth ticked up.

  “How long do you think it’ll take for someone to remove all those pictures?” I asked. The thought made tears come to my eyes again. My uncle would have had to clean up that mess. He would have seen the pictures of me in my underwear and all those nasty words. The thought made me mad all over again.

  “I’m going to go talk to the principal and make sure he knows what actually happened,” Matt said. “And I actually am going to go get my jacket out of your locker for you to wear. Stay here, okay?”

  I nodded.

  He placed a kiss against my lips. “Us against the world, Brooklyn.”

  I watched him walk out of the bathroom and I leaned against one of the sinks. Us against the world.

  My phone buzzed and I pulled it out. There was a text from Rob: “So what’s the going rate, Sanders?”

  I groaned and texted him back. “Bite me.”

  “Oh, I’m planning on it. And we both know I don’t need to pay you for it.”

  I rolled my eyes and set my phone down. Rob was funny, but I wasn’t ready to laugh about this yet. Not when there were literally thousands of pictures out in that hall advertising my prostitution services. I pulled my ruined tights off and threw them in the trash.

  Another text came through: “Please tell me Operation Disappearing Troll is back on?”

  I bit the inside of my lip. I was angry at Isabella. I was so freaking pissed. My phone buzzed again.

  “And if so…I really need those blueprints to the Pruitts’ apartment.”

  I actually laughed. I had no idea why our pudding prank needed blueprints, but Rob seemed to really think it did. He’d been bugging me to get them for weeks but would never say why he needed them. It was tempting to just tell him to do whatever the hell he had planned. But I wasn’t going to stoop to Isabella’s level. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. And I wouldn’t go against my promises to Matt.

  “I haven’t changed my mind,” I texted back.

  “Really? Wait, you are at school today, right? If not, my going rate joke probably landed a little flat.”

  I laughed. “I saw the pictures. But I’m not going to stoop to her level.”

  “Suit yourself, Sanders. It’s just a prank, though. It’s not like we’re going to get her half naked in front of tons of people. That would just be pure evil.” There was a winky face at the end of his text.

  I shook my head. Yes, Isabella was evil. But she’d have to do something a lot worse than this to make me break.

  Chapter 27

  Saturday

  Justin sprayed my hair with hairspray for what felt like the millionth time. I tried not to cough. Even though my hair was a little too long to pull off the perfect Sandy Halloween costume, I thought it looked pretty great. Justin walked off to pack the hairspray back into his bin.

  “What do you think?” Kennedy asked as she lifted up her genie lamp. She rubbed the side of it seductively.

  I laughed. “You seriously look just like Jasmine. Now we just need to get Rob to agree to be your Aladdin.”

  Her smile was so big. “Thank you for all this.” She looked down at her outfit.

  “I didn’t do anything. It was all Mrs. Caldwell.”

  “Yeah. But you’re her future daughter in law. It’s all about connections in this town, haven’t you heard?”

  I laughed. “What do you think of my outfit?” I asked and spun in a circle. “Is it too much?”

  “No, it’s perfect.”

  I ran my hand down my skintight leather pants. Last weekend, these had se
emed like a good idea. But now I kind of wished I’d picked one of Sandy’s girl-next-door outfits instead of this one. “Are you sure it’s not too…”

  “Prostitutey? No. And screw all them anyway. Let them talk. Everyone’s just jealous because as soon as Isabella graduates, you’re going to be the new queen of Empire High. And then no one will ever be able to say a bad word about you again.”

  I didn’t know about all that. But once Isabella, James, and Mason graduated…I couldn’t think of who was more popular than Matt. And like Kennedy said, it was all about connections in this town. By association, Kennedy and I would be at the top of the totem pole. The rumors swirling around school about me being a prostitute hadn’t completely stopped. But no one ever said anything when Matt was by my side. And he made sure to be glued to my side in the halls of Empire High. Isabella had even been surprisingly well behaved the rest of the week. I hadn’t gotten a single evil note from her.

  Besides, everyone was way more excited about the annual Caldwell Halloween party than stupid rumors. There was a buzz in the air all week long. Tonight was going to be so much fun. Decorators and caterers had been in and out of the house all morning, transforming the Caldwells’ house into the haunted mansion it was meant to be. I was so excited to see how it had all come together. Two hours ago Justin had locked us in the guest bedroom I was supposed to be using, but it felt like we’d been waiting in here forever. I was dying to explore before the party began.

  “And the last touch - the perfect heels,” Justin said. “High enough to lift your ass, but low enough to dance the night away.”

  I laughed. “You get me.”

  “It’s my job to get you.”

  “Speaking about your jobs.” I leaned down to strap on my heels. “I talked to Matt. And it’s going to be hard for us to plan a wedding for the fall because of school.”

  “Oh,” Justin said. “Right, of course. I completely understand. It was silly for me to even mention it.” He started putting all the makeup into his travel bin. I’d never seen him look so dejected before.

  I tried to repress my smile. “Which is why we decided we should get married in the winter. This winter,” I added.

  His hand froze on a curling iron.

  “Will you help us?” I asked. “I know it’s last minute, but…”

  He screamed. At the top of his lungs. And then he was lifting me up in the air and twirling me around.

  His laughter was infectious.

  “I don’t know if you’re joking,” he said as he set me back down on my feet. “But you can’t take it back now. My fragile heart would shatter into a million fabulous pieces.”

  “I’m serious. We want to do it on December 22nd. And I can’t imagine planning it without you.”

  “December 22nd? Done. But we need to hurry.” He grabbed both my hands. “I have so much to do. Wedding dress shopping this week, yes?”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you have any idea what style dress…” his voice trailed off. “Never mind. We both know you need me for this.”

  I laughed. “I absolutely do.”

  “What about the location? Do you have a place in mind? I’ll need to call them ASAP.”

  “There’s this restaurant in Central Park that Matt used to go to with his family as a kid. Right by a pond. And there’s these fairy lights that come on at night.” I pictured Matt getting down on one knee and asking me to be his girlfriend right on the bridge by the restaurant. He’d pulled out a hot dog instead of a ring. I was smiling so much it hurt. “I don’t know the name of the restaurant but Matt does…”

  “It’s done. Don’t worry about it. I’ve got this. I promise. This is the big break I’ve been waiting for. And I’ll make everything perfect, I swear to you. Every last detail. You can rely on me.”

  “I trust you.”

  He screamed again. “I need to go. I have a million things I need to do. December 22nd?” He pulled out his phone. “Oh thank goodness it’s a Saturday. Saturday weddings are the best. Anything else you girls need for tonight?” He was already pulling his makeup cases into his arms.

  “We’re good,” Kennedy said. “Go plan the wedding of my best friend’s dreams.”

  Justin did a weird salute before practically skipping out of the room.

  “I love him,” Kennedy said.

  “Me too. And if anyone can pull this off in less than two months, it’s him.”

  “I can’t believe you’ll be hitched in less than two months! Shotgun wedding,” Kennedy said with a laugh.

  My face turned red. I hadn’t told Kennedy that I’d slept with Matt. It felt…wrong to talk to her about it. Her first time had been stolen from her. And I didn’t want to tell her about how perfect Matt had been.

  “Your face is bright red. Oh my God, wait. You’re not actually pregnant…”

  “No!”

  She laughed.

  And now I had made it awkward. How was I supposed to tell her about my first time now? I’d kept it a secret for over a week.

  “Your face is still red,” she said. “Wait, have you two taken the next step?” She laughed. “I’m ridiculous. Of course you have. You’re freaking getting married! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  I sat down on the edge of my bed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to tell you. I feel so guilty…”

  “Guilty?” She sat down with me. “Why on earth would you feel guilty for being happy?”

  God, it felt like I’d been carrying around this weight with me forever. “When I moved to New York it was like my life was over. I was so sad all the time. Like this part of me was missing. And now all I do all day is smile…”

  “Brooklyn.” Kennedy pulled me into her side. “Your mom would have wanted you to be happy.”

  “I know. I just…” my voice trailed off. “I miss her and Uncle Jim so much. I shouldn’t be this happy without them. I still miss them so much. But Matt’s love…I don’t even know how to describe it. He just lifts me up.”

  Kennedy rested her head on my shoulder. “You’ve been through so much. There’s nothing wrong with holding on to something that makes you smile.”

  I swallowed hard. I knew that. But it felt good to hear it out loud. “And I feel awful talking about our relationship in front of you because of what Cupcake did…”

  “I’m okay,” Kennedy said. “And I never want you to keep something from me because of what he did. That’s just letting him take more away from me. I always want you to be able to tell me everything. So spill it. Tell me about your first time.”

  I filled her in on the details. And despite what she said about being okay, I saw the hurt in her eyes. I’d seen glimpses of it ever since she told me what had happened with Cupcake. Mostly she did seem okay. But I knew she was putting on a brave face.

  I remembered that time that Miller asked if I wanted for him to “take care” of Cupcake for me. I pressed my lips together. I’d talked to my dad a few times on the phone, but I hadn’t gotten the courage to flat out ask him if he was a mobster. Because honestly, I was pretty sure I already knew the truth. “You know…if you really want revenge. I can probably make something happen.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “This is going to sound really strange. But I’m pretty sure my dad’s a mobster. And if I told him that Cupcake messed with you…he’d…rough him up a little. Or something. Actually I don’t even know if I need to tell my dad. I think I could just ask Miller or Donnelley to do it.”

  She opened her mouth and closed it again. “There’s a lot to unpack there.”

  I laughed.

  “Wow, it all makes sense now,” she said.

  “What does?”

  “Why my mom couldn’t get the judge to honor Uncle Jim’s will. There was no logical reason why you shouldn’t have been living with us. I mean, we thought something sketchy was going on. But your dad really must have everyone in his pocket. And the way he always gets everything he wants. Oh and all those security guards.” She
shook her head. “He’s a freaking mobster!”

  “Oh God. He really is, isn’t he?”

  “Is he coming tonight?” asked Kennedy. “I bet he’s planning on dressing like himself and he’s going to look just like Al Pacino from The Godfather.”

  Yeah. There really wasn’t any denying it. “He’s not coming. But you’re right. I definitely see the similarities now.”

  “Your life is surreal. How does Matt feel about marrying a mobster’s daughter?”

  I shook my head. “I was a little worried at first. Matt’s made it pretty clear since we’ve met that he thinks the Pruitts are toxic. And I know he’s excited for me to not have the last name Pruitt anymore. But we fell for each other before I knew who my dad was. It doesn’t really change anything. Matt and I have been through so much already…nothing is going to break us.”

  Kennedy smiled. “You two are perfect together. Meanwhile, I’m sitting here debating whether or not I should snap my fingers and off Cupcake.”

  I laughed.

  “I’m just kidding. I’m not crazy. I don’t want any mobsters attacking Cupcake. I don’t need revenge. That’s just not me.” She laughed. “I can’t even imagine doing something like that. I’m not Isabella.”

  For some reason, her words made my stomach churn. That’s what Matt wanted. A girl who didn’t need revenge. And I was trying to be that for him. But sometimes, all I wanted to do was text Rob and tell him that the prank was back on. Just thinking about when Isabella made fun of my uncle and me made my blood boil. And the pictures of me in my underwear all over school. Or when she poured milk down the front of me. There was also the time she literally put a gun to my head. Or…God. I took a deep breath. The list was endless. And I needed to let it go. I’m not like Isabella. I’m a Sanders, not a Pruitt. I don’t need revenge.

  “Speaking of the devil herself, is Isabella actually coming tonight?” asked Kennedy. “I can’t imagine what on earth would possess Isabella to think that was a good idea.”

  “I have no idea. But knowing my luck…she’ll be here. Trying to flirt with Matt. Or doing something else terrible.”