Empire High Betrayal Read online

  He smiled when I called him that. “Yes?”

  “Can you sit with me until I fall asleep?”

  He sat down next to me on the bed, his fingers lazily brushing my hair again. “Of course.”

  I closed my eyes.

  It was silly, but it was almost like I could feel my mom next to me. If I focused on it hard enough, I could even smell her perfume. I started to nod off with my dad’s fingers untangling my messy hair.

  “Go to sleep, princess,” he whispered.

  If I was his princess, that meant Isabella wasn’t. I smiled to myself. I was going to take everything from her.

  Chapter 5

  Sunday

  I opened my eyes as the light streamed in through the blinds. I felt disoriented and still tired. But something had woken me. And the first thing that popped into my head was that Isabella was here.

  A door squeaked as if the hinges were rusty.

  I sat up in bed. Everything in the apartment seemed brand new. So what door could have sounded that way? My heart was pounding as I threw off the covers. I rolled out of bed and stepped down onto the floor. Ow. How could my feet possibly hurt more today?

  I cringed as I opened the door of my bedroom and peered out. The locked door at the end of the hall was wide open. It felt like my heart was beating in my throat as I tiptoed down the hall. I expected to see Isabella in the room. What I didn’t expect was to see a room packed full of furniture and clothes and knickknacks. And my dad sitting on an old couch, his hand on his forehead, the sound of him crying softly.

  Richard Pruitt was crumbling. And for some reason it made me more terrified than ever. Was he scared of the monster he created too?

  But then the smell hit me harder than it had last night. My mother’s perfume. I took a deep breath and my dad looked up.

  He turned away from me, wiping at his eyes. “Sorry,” he said and stood up. “I was just looking for a journal for you to write in like Dr. Wilson suggested.” He picked a journal up off the couch he’d been sitting on.

  “What is this?” I walked into the room. It was stuff from a lifetime ago. The couch had a hole in it and was worn from use. Outdated clothes hung on a rack. There was a crochet blanket folded on an end table. I swallowed hard. My mom loved to crochet. And her smell. It was everywhere. It was like I’d walked into the past. Where my mom was still alive. I looked up at Mr. Pruitt.

  He was looking down at the journal in his hands. I looked behind me at the completely empty, stark apartment. The stuff in here could have filled this place. It would have made it warm and homey.

  “When we were together, your mom lived here,” Mr. Pruitt said.

  “You kept all her stuff?”

  “Just the things she left behind.”

  The things she left when you paid her to have an abortion. Maybe I should have been mad at him. But how could I be when I thought I just lost every possession my mom ever had? My Keds and her favorite blue dress were in a disgusting abandoned parking lot. This room held so much of her. Pieces of her I never even knew about. I looked down at the squirrel pajamas. They were hers. That’s why they smelled like her. I blinked away my tears. “Does anyone else know about this apartment?”

  “Just a few members of our staff.”

  I reached out and touched the blanket. “So not your wife or Isabella?”

  He shook his head. “No. This was your mother’s place. I couldn’t bring them here.”

  My mom had lived here. Probably thinking she and my dad had a future. He’d said my mother didn’t know he was married. She was waiting for him. Starting their lives without realizing he’d never be hers. “Why didn’t you sell it when she left?”

  He tapped the journal against his thigh. “I thought she might come back.”

  I pressed my lips together. He still loved her. It felt comforting to know that I wasn’t the only one missing her every day. “And what about now? That she’s gone?”

  “I kind of thought you might want it.”

  He wanted me to live here? Tucked away? Hidden like he’d hidden my mother from his family? I folded my arms across my chest, suddenly cold. “Did you bring other women here? After my mom left?”

  He lowered his eyebrows. “No. Brooklyn, I loved your mom. I never made a habit of straying from my responsibilities. She was…she was it for me.” He looked down at the journal in his hands. “But I understand if you don’t want it.”

  “I want it.” Of course I wanted it. It felt like my mom was here with me.

  “Yeah?” He looked up.

  “Mhm.” I bit the inside of my lip. “Does that mean you don’t want me to come back to your home?”

  He smiled. “Our home, princess. No, that’s not what I meant at all. I’m adding extra security measures. And hiring a few new staff members.”

  My mind instantly went to Miller. Was my dad replacing people? Or just adding more members because he was worried about my safety?

  “But I’ll want you to stay here for a little while until everything’s done. If that’s okay with you?”

  I nodded.

  “It’ll just be a few days. But I need to make sure I can keep you safe before you return.” He handed me the journal that he’d been holding. “Speaking of which, make sure you keep that journal Dr. Wilson requested. Just in case we can pinpoint something else that’s causing you to stress.”

  He didn’t want it to be Isabella. But it was. I held the journal to my chest, comforted by the fact that it had belonged to my mom, even if she’d never used it. I nodded my head. “Is Kennedy awake?”

  “Yes, and she’s already back with Mrs. Alcaraz. She doesn’t remember much about last night, which is probably for the best. But she’ll be okay. I’ll have Dr. Wilson check up on her again today.”

  “And what about Matt?” I had kind of been expecting him to be here when I woke up.

  My dad put his hands in his pockets. “I sent for Matthew like you asked, but when he arrived he was so inebriated that I wouldn’t let him up here to our apartment.”

  Oh God. I forgot about how drunk he’d been at the dance.

  “Are you sure you don’t like Mason?” he asked. “I really think he’s more put together than his brother.”

  I laughed. “Yes, I’m sure.” I doubted my dad knew about Masons’ sexual escapades. Not that any of that mattered. I loved Matt. I knew it. I’d seen everything so clearly last night. Felix and Miller would always have a piece of my shattered heart. But Matt? He’d healed it. He was the one who made it easier for me to breathe. I didn’t feel like I was drowning when I was with him. He was the light I desperately needed. He made me feel alive. I needed him. I’d always needed him.

  “All right. Well, Matthew is waiting downstairs. He refused to leave even though I wouldn’t let him up.”

  That was so sweet. I knew he’d done the same thing after his fallout with James. He’d told me he was worried about him so he’d camped out outside his house. He didn’t want him to be alone. But now he was choosing me. He was putting me first.

  “Hopefully he’s not too hungover,” my dad said. “I made it clear to him that he’s never allowed to get intoxicated like that around you again. That he needs to always put you first.”

  Dad.

  “I think he got the message since I wouldn’t let him up. If you’d like I can make an amendment to the relationship contract that states…”

  “That’s definitely not necessary.” That conversation sounded embarrassing enough. And really Matt was only drunk because I’d made him wait all night for a dance. He’d just been staring at me dancing with tons of other people. I’d never seen Matt drunk before. And honestly, it had been endearing. In his drunkenness, he’d finally given me some answers I needed.

  “Alright, princess. But let me know if he gets out of line again and we can circle back to it. Are you hungry? I’m a terrible cook, but I think I can manage to make some eggs. Does that sound okay?”

  “That sounds great.”


  “How about you get back into bed and I’ll bring them to you? You really should still be resting.”

  “Do you mind if I stay in here?”

  He gave me a sad smile. “Of course. This couch is actually pretty comfortable.”

  I sat down on it and took a deep breath. “It smells like her.”

  My dad lifted up a bottle of perfume off a dresser. “It’s her perfume.” He handed it to me.

  I had no idea what perfume my mom had worn. It was like a little bottle of her. It was the greatest gift he could possibly give me. I spritzed some on my arm and almost cried. It smelled like she was hugging me.

  “I didn’t know that she still wore it,” my dad said.

  I looked up at him. “Yeah. I never knew what it was, but she always smelled like this.”

  He nodded, but he looked so sad. “I bought it for her.”

  I stared up at him. I wished my mom had told me about him. I wished she’d followed her heart. She had clearly still loved him. And he loved her too. Thinking about how they never crossed paths again broke my heart. Especially because I was the reason that they had a falling out.

  He cleared his throat. “Eggs. Well, probably burnt eggs. They’ll be right up.” He chuckled at his own joke and then left me alone in the room.

  I took a deep breath of the perfume. My mom had been here. She’d sat on this very couch. I ran my fingers along the worn fabric. She’d lived here before she had me. Before she got pregnant and moved in with my uncle. Before she ran away to Delaware. Why didn’t she want me to know about this part of her life? I looked around the room at all her abandoned memories. She’d given it all up for me. Why?

  “Brooklyn?”

  I looked up at Matt in the doorway. It was like he didn’t realize we were in a time capsule. His bloodshot eyes were focused solely on me. His hair was pushed up in every direction. He looked terrible.

  “I’m so sorry.” His voice was hoarse. “I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there to protect you. I’m so fucking sorry.” He stood there like he didn’t know what to do. When all I wanted was for him to hold me. He put his fist against his mouth like he was holding back tears.

  “It wasn’t your fault.”

  He winced. “I was freaking drunk and you needed me. I’m never there when you need me.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “It’s not.” He sat down next to me and stared at me with all the hurt in the world in his eyes. “I keep letting you down.”

  “You’re here now.” I hated seeing him upset. Especially over this. None of what happened last night was his fault. Just Isabella’s.

  “Tell me where it hurts.” He was looking at the bandages on my feet. “Tell me everything that happened. Tell me I can make it better.” His Adam’s apple rose and then fell.

  Matt had put me through hell. And I think maybe I had put him through hell too. But us torturing each other ended today. I was just glad he was here. I was glad he was choosing me back. Out loud. Not hidden anymore. Not like my dad had treated my mom.

  I climbed onto his lap. “Can you just hold me?” I rested my head against his chest and breathed in his familiar scent. It mixed in the air with my mom’s perfume and made me feel so content. I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

  I knew I needed to tell him about the past week. About Miller. Even about James. But not right now. I just wanted one minute where I didn’t feel awful. And when he held me, I no longer felt like I was sinking. I was all in with him. I just hoped he felt the same way after he knew the truth.

  “I’m going to fucking kill her,” Matt said.

  I believed him. I should have been scared of his words. But I wasn’t. The threat was comforting. He finally had my back. I just wasn’t sure I deserved it now.

  “If she even breathes your name, she’s dead.” He held me tighter.

  I hoped it was a promise. Because even though I felt safe in his arms, I wasn’t sure I’d ever truly feel safe as long as Isabella was still breathing.

  Chapter 6

  Sunday

  Despite my dad’s reservations, he and Matt were getting along well. The three of us were watching the Giants game together. Matt and I were curled up on the couch and Mr. Pruitt had pulled out my mom’s old couch so that there was enough seating. It looked weird for my dad to be sitting on it when he was usually so formal. The floral couch also looked weird against all the pristine white. The first thing that I’d do once I moved in was paint all the walls yellow. My mom would have liked that. And I wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d been yellow in the first place.

  Matt grabbed another slice of pizza. My dad had burned the eggs terribly, but luckily pizza was a perfect back up. Everything about this afternoon just felt…normal.

  Except the fact that it wasn’t real. This wasn’t my dad’s real home. I wasn’t his real family. And Matt didn’t know that I’d kissed Miller. The perfection of this afternoon was just a façade. But I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

  “Touchdown!” my dad yelled and high-fived me and Matt.

  I smiled and rested my head on Matt’s shoulder. Today reminded me of the time Matt met my uncle. We’d all watched a movie together. It had just felt…right. For just a moment everything had been perfect. Right before my whole world had shattered again.

  “Are you okay?” Matt whispered.

  “Just tired.” I wanted to freeze time. I wanted to stay in this safe little bubble forever.

  My dad’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out. “I should take this. I’ll be right back.” He got up off the couch.

  “Here, you should lie down,” Matt said. He shifted on the couch and I lay down, resting my head on his lap. But instead of looking at the TV, I stared up at him.

  He traced the dark circles under my eyes. Or maybe he was thinking about how he hadn’t been there to wipe my tears away last night. Because the expression on his face was pained.

  “I love you,” I said.

  He smiled, but it looked forced. “I love you too.” He ran his hand down the side of my neck. “I don’t want you to have to go back to their apartment. I know he’s your dad,” he whispered. “But I don’t trust him. I don’t trust them.”

  My stomach churned. All the Pruitts are toxic. That’s what he’d said before. Is that what he saw now when he looked at me?

  “Come live with me,” he said.

  Whoa, what? “I can’t move in with you.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well, first of all you still live with your parents.”

  “My mom already loves you.”

  I laughed. “She doesn’t even know me.”

  “She knows that I love you.” His fingers traced my collarbone. “She knows you make me happy.”

  “I haven’t been making you happy recently.”

  He ran his thumb along my bottom lip. “It’s my own fault that I’ve been unhappy. I didn’t put you first. But I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “You said it was because you knew I was strong.”

  “You are strong. You’re the strongest person I know.” His hand settled on my cheek. “But I don’t remember saying that.”

  I laughed. “You said it last night when you were drunk.”

  He laughed. “Well at least I was honest. What else did I say?”

  “Oh all sorts of things.” I looked up into his chocolaty brown eyes. “You also told me you were secretly in love with Rob.”

  “What?!”

  I laughed. “I’m just kidding.” I couldn’t resist messing with him. I reached up and ran my hand along the scruff on his jawline. I liked it. He was usually cleanly shaven.

  He shook his head. “What did I really say?”

  “You said you loved me. You said you were sorry. You explained what really happened with Rachel. You kept saying I was yours.”

  “You are mine.” He lowered his eyebrows as he studied my face. “You’re mine, Brooklyn.”

  I nodded. “You had a whole list of reasons why you love
d me. I really liked that list.”

  “Hmm. I think I remember a few of those things.”

  “Just a few?”

  “A million things is kind of hard to remember.”

  I felt my cheeks blush. “You also really wanted to sing to me again. And you kept making farting noises with your mouth.”

  “Well that’s another lie. I definitely didn’t make farting noises with my mouth in front of you when I was trying to win you back.”

  “No, all of that was true.”

  He laughed. “Well, I guess it worked.”

  I smiled up at him. “It did.” I shifted my head and felt him beneath me. I locked eyes with him. “You also said if I wanted to, I could take advantage of you and you wouldn’t press charges.”

  He laughed again. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

  “It’s probably because of all those naughty dreams you have of me. And all those cold showers you have to take because of me.” I could feel the heat in his gaze at my words.

  “Well, that’s true.” His fingers played with the strap of my tank top.

  “Yeah?”

  “You drive me crazy, Brooklyn. Whenever we’re not together, I’m thinking of you.”

  My stomach churned. I needed to tell him about Miller. I’d tried to tell him last night, but Mason interrupted us. “We also promised that there wouldn’t be any more secrets between us,” I said.

  “That sounds like a good plan.” He looked over at my dad talking in the kitchen. “Full disclosure…I’m pretty sure Mr. Pruitt hates me.”

  “I think it takes him a little while to warm up to people.”

  “That’s one way to put it.”

  I laughed. “He’s just protective of me.”

  “Pretty sure he just hates me. Last night is fuzzy, but I think he said something about how I should go home and send Mason.” He shook his head.

  Now I knew what it was like to have an overprotective father. “I don’t want to be with your brother. I want to be with you.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But I need to tell you something.”