That was a good point for a drunk person to make. “I’m sorry.”
“I made one mistake, Brooklyn. I should have told James right away, but I was being stupid. Isabella got under my skin. But that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to be happy. That doesn’t mean you aren’t my forever. You are my forever. I know you are.”
Of course he was allowed to be happy. And of course he was allowed to make mistakes. I’d certainly made a ton of them.
“I want to make a deal.” He stuck out his hand for me. “No more secrets between us. Ask me anything,” he said. “And I’ll answer it.” He grabbed my hand and shook it before I could decide.
“Okay, Matt.”
“You didn’t ask a question.”
I’d already asked him all the questions I needed to. And I believed him. Rachel was clearly a mess, not that I was one to talk. Her relationship with James had to be toxic because James was toxic. And who knows. Maybe James was right. Maybe Rachel had thrown herself at Matt because all she cared about was money. And she was scared James was going to renounce his inheritance.
“Ask me anything,” Matt said again.
“Why do you call Isabella Wizzy? What does it mean?”
He started laughing. “Wizzy?” He laughed even harder. “Oh you’re going to like this. And she’d probably kill me for telling anyone. Actually, I think Mr. Pruitt’s telling the truth. I don’t think she can actually kill us.”
“I hope so.”
“Yeah, me too.” He went to go put all his weight on me again, but I pressed my hand against his chest to stop him. He was going to knock me over.
“So what does Wizzy mean?”
He giggled. “Isabella peed in our pool during Mason’s 12th birthday party.” He put his hand over his mouth to help stifle the laughter. It didn’t help and now I was laughing too.
“But how would you even know that she did? It’s not like she pooped in the pool.”
“We have that urine-indicator dye. It turned bright purple all around her. You should have seen her face. She tried to swim away and the purple followed her.”
“Is that seriously a thing?”
“Yes!” He giggled. “Wizzy didn’t know it existed either.” He looked at me so seriously. “But now she does.”
Wizzy because she whizzed in the pool. That was amazing. And maybe that information would somehow be useful whenever Isabella decided to torture me next. I looked over my shoulder at Kennedy and Isabella dancing.
“Hey.” Matt turned my face back toward him. “Are we okay? I swear I don’t have any other secrets.”
I swallowed hard. Maybe he didn’t. But I did. I stared into his eyes. He was drunk. He might not remember this. But I needed to tell him anyway. “When we weren’t talking…I kind of started hanging out with someone else.”
“Felix is dumb. Don’t date him.” He stuck out his tongue.
I laughed. “Not Felix.”
“James is dumb too. He’s the worst. He’s not my friend anymore.”
“Yeah.” Matt was breaking my heart. He looked so sad when he said James wasn’t his friend. “But it wasn’t him either.”
Matt made a farting noise with his mouth.
“Put that away, I’m trying to talk to you.” I tapped on his tongue, which just made him lick my hand. “Matt!”
“Brooklyn!” he said in a high-pitched voice that probably matched my own.
I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing. Which just made him laugh too. Which somehow ended up with him pressing his lips to mine. For just a second we stood like that. Remembering what it felt like to be us. But then he proceeded to make the farting noise again against my mouth.
“Hey.” Mason wrapped his arms around Matt’s shoulders, pulling him away from me. “I think I should get you home before you start doing something embarrassing like making farting noises against your girlfriend’s mouth.” He winked at me.
“But I was just talking to Brooklyn. I need another minute.”
“Trust me,” Mason said. “You’ve probably done enough talking. Let’s get you home.”
Matt nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, Brooklyn. Don’t sleep with someone dumb tonight. I love you.”
I laughed. “I love you too.” The words fell out of me. I meant them. I did. I just wasn’t sure why my chest ached when I said them.
Matt smiled at me over his shoulder as Mason walked him toward the ballroom doors. “You are not my dirty little secret!” he sang as Mason opened the door. Mason elbowed him in the ribs to make him stop which just made both of them laugh.
I wanted to go after them. I wanted to go to sleep in Matt’s arms and tell him everything I’d done wrong. All the mistakes I’d made. I wanted a fresh start.
But Kennedy bumped into me, almost toppling us both over. I grabbed her to steady her on her feet. Mason would take care of Matt. And I needed to get Kennedy home. But where the hell was Miller?
Chapter 36
Saturday
“I’m sleepy,” Kennedy said with a huge yawn. But she continued twirling in a circle. It looked like she was going to fall over.
“I know.” I grabbed her around the waist to try to support her. “I think we should call it a night. Let’s go find Miller so he can take us back to the Pruitts’.” I looked over toward the doors. Seriously, had he gone on a walk or something? I thought he’d be right back.
“You can catch a ride with me, chicas,” Isabella said. “Kennedy taught me that fun word.”
Kennedy laughed. “The elephants are coming!”
“The elephants are coming!” Isabella yelled back.
What the hell do they keep going on about elephants for? It didn’t make any sense. The elephants weren’t even our mascot. I hated that Kennedy had an inside joke with Isabella. The thought of the two of them being friends made me feel sick to my stomach.
“I was just heading out anyway,” Isabella said. “I pronounce this dance officially dead. Let’s all go home and hang out there instead.”
Hang out? As in the three of us? That sounded like my worst nightmare. Isabella had her own friends. Why was she trying to steal mine?
“Yes!” Kennedy said and stumbled forward.