“Brooklyn please just let me explain,” she said in a deep voice.
“I never slept with Rachel. I swear to God.”
“You can’t shut me out too.”
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. None of the Untouchables had been seen together all week. I was pretty sure their friendship had burst into flames just like Matt and my relationship. Probably around the same time that James put his fist through a window. Matt had lost everything. And I knew what that felt like.
Kennedy scrolled down. “There’s like a bajillion messages here, Brooklyn. How could you ignore all of these? Oh my God, they get even better.” She continued reading:
“I’ll do anything to get you back. Just say the word.”
“Meet me downstairs. Please.”
“Mr. Pruitt won’t let me up anymore because our relationship contract has a discrepancy. What the hell is he even talking about?”
“I’m sorry I made you look like a fool at lunch by not telling you the truth. I should have told you. But nothing happened between me and Rachel. Isabella jumped to a wild conclusion. And she was holding it over my head. You know that I’m worried about James. You know that this would hurt him. I don’t understand why you don’t believe me.”
“I’d never lie to you, Brooklyn. Never.”
“Will it help if I make a fool of myself?”
Kennedy looked up from the phone. “He made a fool of himself for you, Brooklyn. Even though he didn’t know if it would work because you were ghosting him. It’s so romantic.” She pressed the phone against her chest with a sigh.
“What did he do?” Justin asked as he started messing with my hair.
“To make me mad? Or to try to win me back?”
“I got the gist of the mad part. He hooked up with someone else while you were together.”
“No, not while we were together. Before we were together.”
Justin lowered his round brush. “So why are you mad at him exactly? He can’t undo his past.”
“Because he didn’t tell me about it.” And he hurt his friend who he swore he was trying to protect. The only thing Matt had been protecting was himself.
“Did you tell him about all of your past relationships?” He propped the brush on his hip like he was going to hit me with it.
“No. But I’ve never been in a relationship before. There was nothing to tell.”
“Oh, honey. You have a boy blowing up your inbox. And another hunk of a man staring at you with googly eyes.” He waved his hand in the direction of the door, and I assumed he was talking about Miller. “I don’t see the problem.”
I wasn’t really sure if I did anymore either.
“I’d kill to be in your shoes. All the good men are straight.” He started working on my hair again.
Maybe he was right. Not the straight thing. I honestly had no idea if that was true. But my shoes seemed pretty great right about now. I looked down at my Keds. What the hell was I doing?
Kennedy put the phone down on my lap, with another text message opened on it:
“Brooklyn, I love you. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it. I’ve never told anyone else that. I’ve never felt like this about anyone else. I don’t want to give up on us. Please talk to me. I need you.”
I pressed my lips together.
“You have to text him back,” Kennedy said. “What if he’s telling the truth? What if he didn’t sleep with Rachel? What if it’s all just a crazy big misunderstanding?”
I stared at the phone. I needed to hear Matt out. I owed him that much.
“Before you text him back,” Justin said. “What in the name of Judy Garland is a relationship contract? Is that some kind of kinky sex thing? Because if it is, I need a copy ASAP.”
“No.” I laughed. “It’s because my dad’s a crazy person and needs to know all my business.”
Kennedy gasped.
But I’d already heard what I said. It was the first time I’d ever referred to Mr. Pruitt as my dad. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I had a dad. And he acted like it too.
“Well, your father tips well,” Justin said. “So how bad could he really be?”
If good versus evil was so easily defined by a tip, my life would be so much better. But Justin did have a good point. A monster wouldn’t leave a tip at all. My dad wasn’t a monster. I looked down at the texts. Maybe the monster was me.
I quickly typed out a response to Matt. “Are you still going to homecoming?”
Matt’s response came almost immediately. “Yes, I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
Of course he jumped to that conclusion. I wasn’t going to give in to him taking me. I already had my date. Kennedy and I were going to have a fun, drama free evening. “I’ll just see you there.”
The phone buzzed. “Save a dance for me?”
“Always.” I clicked send before I could change my mind. I’d give Matt the length of one dance to explain himself.
Chapter 27
Saturday
“Wow,” Kennedy said when Justin finished my makeup and hair. “You look so amazing, Brooklyn.”
I smiled and looked over at her. “No, you look amazing.” Justin had finished her makeup first and she was flawless. The eyeliner and mascara made her eyes pop even more than usual. The hair rollers that Justin had taken out had given her updo more volume. Cupcake was going to eat his heart out.
“Thank you,” she said with a smile. “But I’m serious.” She grabbed the handheld mirror and lifted it in front of me.
I looked just like my mom. I swallowed hard. My loose curls cascaded down past my shoulders. I wasn’t used to wearing much makeup. I looked all grown up. I blinked fast, making sure my tears wouldn’t fall. Everyone always said I looked like my mom. But it was almost like I was staring at her reflection.
Justin was the most talented person I had ever met. I wanted him to do my makeup every day. I felt closer to my mom than I had in months. I didn’t know whether to cry or try to hug the mirror. But then my eyes settled on the crown on top of my head that sparkled with crystals.