She seemed surprised that I was talking to her. “You’re welcome, miss.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t meet you the other day on my tour. I’m Brooklyn. What’s your name?”
She glanced at Matt nervously. “Tiffany,” she said. Her skin was so pale that I thought she might faint. But then I thought that maybe she was just never allowed to leave the apartment. Like me. Besides, the rest of her looked healthy enough. She couldn’t be much older than me, and her mousey brown hair was shining and I wondered if she had one of those magical hairbrushes too. “It’s nice to meet you,” I said.
Tiffany smiled, but it faltered when there was a noise from somewhere in the hall. It almost sounded like the heat had just kicked on, even though it wasn’t quite chilly enough for it. She scurried away as quickly as she had come.
“Why does everyone always look so shocked when I talk to them?” Justin had acted the same way earlier. I shoved a huge forkful of lettuce in my mouth.
Matt laughed.
I looked up at him and tried to swallow my food as fast as I could.
“You don’t see it, do you?” he asked.
“See what?” It took every ounce of restraint I had not to shovel more food into my mouth. I was so freaking hungry.
“They react that way because people usually ignore them. And you…you’re so nice. And kind. And sincere. It’s refreshing.”
I felt my cheeks blush.
“And beautiful,” he added.
I laughed. “I don’t think that’s why they’re shocked when I talk to them.”
“I was shocked when you talked to me.”
“No you weren’t.” But I was smiling so hard that my objection didn’t sound like much of one at all. He thought I was beautiful. He was acting like he was the lucky one in this relationship, not me. “Are we still…I know I said I wanted to break up, but…”
“Are you asking me out, Brooklyn?”
“Yes?”
He smiled. “As far as I’m concerned, we never broke up.” He reached out and grabbed my hand. “And I don’t care about what happened with Felix. I deserved it for not sticking up for you.”
“Nothing happened.” Minus the fact that I’d told him I loved him. But I was freaking high. I had no idea what I wanted. Except Matt. I knew I wanted him back. I squeezed his hand. “But nothing has really changed. You still won’t be able to stick up for me in public.”
“What if we have a secret code?”
“A code?”
“So that you’ll know I’m on your side even if I can’t say anything.”
“I’m not sure that will really help.”
“Or a signal so I know to help get you out of a situation?”
It should have been pretty clear when I needed help. But maybe a signal would assist him. And it would allow us to communicate without anyone knowing. “What about sticking out our tongues?”
He laughed. “People will think we’re sick. How about you bite your lip.”
“Like this?” I bit my bottom lip and I swore he groaned.
“Yeah. Like that.” He did the same and I realized why he groaned.
Something about the way his teeth dug into his lip made me wish he was doing it to me. My lips. My skin. Anything. He could bite me anywhere he wanted. “You don’t think it’s too suggestive?”
He smiled. “You might be right. How about we rub the tip of our nose with our index finger?”
“That works for me.”
Matt ran his thumb along my palm, sending shivers down my spine. His touch was a lot better than a signal. But the signal would have to do in public.
“Stop the hand holding for a moment,” Mr. Pruitt said as he walked into the room with a huge pile of papers.
I pulled my hand out of Matt’s and stared at the papers as Mr. Pruitt plopped two stacks down in front of me. So the noise that scared Tiffany away earlier wasn’t the heat coming on. It was the printer whirring to life. “What are these?”
Mr. Pruitt snapped his fingers and Tiffany rushed out with his salad. “These,” he said as he placed his napkin on his lap, “are a relationship agreement for the two of you. As well as the list of rules for the household for you, Brooklyn. Matt already signed the guest rules years ago. But I’ll need his signature on the relationship agreement. And your signature on both of them.”
“A relationship agreement?” Why did Mr. Pruitt have any say in my relationships?
“The two of you are in a relationship, are you not?” Mr. Pruitt asked and started to eat his salad.
Matt looked at me and then back at the document. He looked so uncomfortable.
What could we possibly say here? Mr. Pruitt had already seen us together. He might let something slip to Isabella. Signing a freaking document seemed like a bad idea. And I knew Matt loved me. I didn’t need his signature on some kind of weird relationship document. “Actually, Matt and I are taking it slow. We’d rather not let anyone know about our relationship just yet.”
Mr. Pruitt wiped at the corner of his mouth. “Is that true?” he asked and turned his head to Matt. “You’d rather keep your relationship a secret?”
Matt looked up from the document. “We’re just not ready to share it yet.” Something about the way he said it made me sad. I was ready to share it.
“Are you embarrassed about dating someone from the wrong side of the tracks?” Mr. Pruitt asked.
“No. That’s not…”
“Brooklyn is a Pruitt now. And I expect you to treat her like a Pruitt. Sign the papers or you can leave.”
I didn’t even know if Mr. Pruitt realized he was standing up for me. It was all I tried to say on Friday when Matt and I broke up. I just wanted Matt to acknowledge that I wasn’t invisible at school. But none of this was his fault. I don’t know if it was Kennedy’s pep-talk about being brave, or the weed in my system, but I was suddenly tired of all the secrets. “Matt and I have to be a secret because Isabella is blackmailing him.”
“Brooklyn…” Matt started, but I kept talking.
“She’s trying to make both of our lives a living hell.”
Mr. Pruitt nodded like he wasn’t at all surprised by my words. But his eyes were focused on Matt. “And what is she blackmailing you over?”