I opened my mouth and closed it again. “I don’t want to get into a good school because of your name.”
“Of course you do. You’re already reaping the benefits. Why do you think you didn’t have detention yesterday after you started that food fight last week? I got you a clean slate at the school. Have fun with Mr. Green. And expense whatever you want to your card.” He strolled out of the dining room.
I honestly hadn’t thought about my detention at all. I’d been a little too preoccupied with my grief and being taken from my uncle’s funeral. And a food fight was stretching it. I’d thrown one green bean at Isabella after she’d berated me and my uncle. I didn’t even deserve detention. Isabella did. And it twisted my stomach into knots knowing that it was Isabella’s last name that had gotten me out of it.
Chapter 12
Saturday
“You really don’t have to come with me,” I told Miller when we reached the front door.
“Actually I do.”
“But you could just give me the code…”
“You know I can’t.”
I felt bad dragging him into this. But I couldn’t think about what would happen to him when I ran off. All I could focus on right now was myself and getting as far away from here as possible. My backpack was stuffed with everything I needed. I’d even snagged a few bottles of water and some granola bars from the kitchen. I wasn’t coming back.
Miller typed in the code, being careful not to let me see. And then we walked in silence down the hall and into the elevator. The elevator music played through the speaker system. For some reason it was really soothing.
“So what are the two of you doing today?” Miller asked as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Just hanging out.” Felix didn’t even know I was coming. But hopefully he was home. If I didn’t see a familiar face right now I was pretty sure I’d lose it. I knew Mr. Pruitt was trying to be nice this morning. Gifting me a phone, inviting me to his tee time, complimenting my outfit. But at the same time, he was also controlling and rude. I didn’t want to be here. I couldn’t do this.
“Sounds like fun,” Miller said.
“Mhm.” The doors opened on the 24th floor. “Are you sure you want to be an awkward third wheel?” I asked as we stepped off. I wasn’t sure anything about Miller was awkward. Which made me think I’d somehow wind up being the awkward third wheel with him and Felix. This was going to be a disaster.
“You won’t even notice that I’m there. That’s the whole point.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll notice that you’re there.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up.
I wasn’t giving him a compliment. I just meant that if he was staring at me and Felix it was going to be weird. But his smile made me smile. We stopped outside of apartment C and I knocked on the door that looked exactly like the Pruitt’s apartment door. After a few seconds I knocked again. Please, Felix. Please, please, please. If he wasn’t home I wasn’t sure what I would do. The thought of being dragged back to the Pruitts place was horrifying. Felix was my ticket to freedom. But first he had to show up.
“Can I use your phone?” I asked.
“Didn’t Mr. Pruitt give you one this morning?”
Oh right. I pulled it out of one of the pouches in my backpack and tapped out a text to Felix.
The door opened a few seconds later. “Sorry about that, newb,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t usually get many visitors. How are you doing…”
I launched myself into his arms before he could finish his thought. God it was so nice to be hugged after walking around the Pruitts haunted house for the last day. I’d started to believe in ghosts for goodness’ sake. And the chill that wouldn’t leave my skin dissipated in his arms.
“Uh…hey, man,” Felix said, his arms wrapping more securely around me. “Can I help you?”
I pulled myself out of Felix’s embrace. “This is Miller. I believe you met him last night when you stopped by?”
“Yeah.” When no one said anything for a beat, Felix added, “but that doesn’t explain why he’s here now.”
“Miller has to follow me around all day because Mr. Pruitt is insane.”
Felix looked back and forth between us when Miller didn’t even offer a hello. “What do you mean follow you around?”
“He’s my bodyguard or something like that.”
Miller nodded.
“Well thanks for dropping her off,” Felix said.
Miller shook his head. “If she’s coming in, so am I.”
“Oooookay. Well, come in then I guess.”
Miller walked past him and looked around the foyer like he thought there were explosives and guns about to go off. He peered behind a few pieces of framed art and looked under a console table.
“What the hell is this?” Felix whispered.
“I’m sorry. I only just found out that he’d be accompanying me during all my outings.” I watched Miller look behind another painting. He’d been so normal last night. And now he was acting like a guard dog. Was he sniffing that vase for a bomb?
“All your outings?” Felix asked.
“There’s a whole list of rules about who I’m allowed to hang out with. Luckily you made the cut, because it doesn’t seem like Mr. Pruitt is ever going to let me hang out with Kennedy again. He has some grudge against people that aren’t in his zip code or something. Which is why I need to ask you a favor,” I said, lowering my voice.
“What do you need?”
“Can you distract Miller for me for a few minutes so I can make a run for it?” Actually, I wasn’t sure if I’d need Felix for this. Miller seemed plenty distracted all by himself. Seriously, what was he looking for?
Felix looked over at Miller and then back at me. “Where are you going to go? Why don’t you just stay here?”
“I’m supposed to be back for dinner with Mr. Pruitt tonight. Miller wouldn’t let me stay here, he’d drag me out of here when the time came. He already dragged me away from the funeral. I have to get away from him in order to pull this off. I’m going to go to Kennedy’s. I’m pretty sure Mr. Pruitt would never follow me there. He’s repulsed by it.”