“Well, Mr. Pruitt…” Donnelley’s voice trailed off when someone cleared their throat behind us.
I turned to see a much older version of Matt staring at us. And he didn’t look very pleased.
“Dad,” Matt said. “This is my girlfriend Brooklyn. Brooklyn, this is my dad.”
Even if I wasn’t hurt, I wasn’t sure I would have stood up. Because Matt’s father didn’t exactly look happy to see me. “Hi.” My voice sounded so small.
“You told me her last name was Sanders,” Mr. Caldwell said, not acknowledging me at all.
“Yeah,” Matt said. “Brooklyn Sanders.”
He shook his head. “Then what is one of Richard’s watchdogs doing sitting in my kitchen?” He gestured toward Donnelley.
“Max!” Mrs. Caldwell said.
He held up his hand. “Brooklyn, I’m very sorry, but we are going to have to politely decline our previous offer of you staying here. My very charming wife and son have misled me. Please have your bodyguard show you out.” He stepped to the side, dismissing me.
“Dad, Brooklyn is a Sanders. She…”
“Sanders? Really? You didn’t think I’d find out who she really was? You don’t think I heard the rumors of that asshole having an illegitimate daughter? It doesn’t matter what her last name is, she has Pruitt blood in her veins.” He turned to his wife. “Did you know about this?”
“Yes, but…”
“I won’t have a Pruitt sleeping in our house. Or let his thugs stick their noses in my security system. Do you want to get us all killed?!”
“Maxwell!” Mrs. Caldwell yelled and stood up. “Enough.” She walked over to him and grabbed his arm. “We’ll discuss this in private. Not in front of the kids.”
“I want her out of here,” he said. “By the time I come back.”
Mrs. Caldwell pulled him out of the kitchen back into the sinister portion of the house where he’d come from.
Donnelley cleared his throat. “I’m going to go check in with Miller. I’ll be right back.” He walked away before any of us even had a chance to protest.
“Cheers,” Mason said and held up a cup of hot chocolate. “Welcome to the family, Brooklyn.”
Matt groaned and leaned his head back on his chair. “Why does Dad have to be such a dick?”
“You didn’t tell him I was a Pruitt?” I tried to search his face. I’d thought he was embarrassed of me when I was a nobody. But being a Pruitt somehow seemed worse.
“You’re not a Pruitt,” he said, lifting his head. “You’re a Sanders, baby.”
I wasn’t entirely certain that was true. I was pretty sure my dad had changed my last name without my permission.
“Don’t leave me hanging,” Mason said, his cup still outstretched. “I’ve always thought having a little sister would be fun. You’re already taking the heat off my back.” He laughed and tapped his mug against the one in front of me, even though I hadn’t lifted it up.
“This isn’t funny,” Matt said. “Dad can’t make her leave. You saw what Mr. Pruitt does to people that go against him in some way. Brooklyn can’t live with that nutcase.”
“My dad would never hurt me,” I said. I trusted him as much as I trusted Matt.
“Maybe not. But Isabella tried to freaking kill you last night. You’re not going back to their apartment.”
I didn’t want to cause a mess with Matt and his family. But even though I wasn’t scared of my dad, I was still scared of Isabella. He was right, I couldn’t go back. Not until the new security was in place. And even then, I’d have a lot of questions about it before I’d ever feel safe there again. Again? I shook my head. I’d never felt safe there.
“Dad’s not going to kick her out,” Mason said. “Not if Mom doesn’t want him to. Let’s circle back to the rumors. Did you really run around homecoming completely naked?”
“What?” Matt and I both said at the same time.
“No,” I added. “That’s not…”
“And did you really dress up like a prostitute and go into James’ hotel room?”
Oh fuck. “No. Well…yes.” God. I could feel Matt’s heated gaze. “No to the prostitute thing. But I did go to James for help.” I turned to Matt. “He slipped me his keycard last night. I was never going to use it. Ever. But when Isabella abandoned me in my freaking underwear, the keycard was the only thing I had. I didn’t have any money or my phone or clothes. It was my only choice. I would have come to you but your house was so far away. Trust me, I definitely would have preferred your help. You know that.”
Matt reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
He looked so hurt for letting me down. Hadn’t he just heard what I said? It was just a proximity issue. It wasn’t his fault.
Mason laughed. “Wait, so let me get this straight. You showed up to James’ room in your underwear?”
“Well, I kind of made a makeshift dress out of a map.”
He smiled. “So you showed up naked to his room. And then what happened?”
Actually, sharing this part might cheer Matt up. “I walked in on him and Rachel.”
Mason spit out his sip of hot chocolate. “Really? Having sex?”
“No, she was…um…giving him…you know…”
“Head?” He cocked his eyebrow up. “You can say it you know. Oral. Sucking his cock. Blowing…”
“Cut it out, Mason,” Matt said.
My face had to be bright red. “Yeah, that.” I didn’t want to say it out loud. I’d never even done it before. “Everyone completely freaked out and I ended up running through the lobby. But I was in my underwear. I’m pretty sure only a handful of students saw me.” How had the rumors spread so quickly?
“This is amazing,” Mason said. “What did James do when he saw you come in his room?”
“He said my name. And Rachel…bit him.”
Even Matt laughed this time.
“Serves him right,” Mason said. “Fucking asshole.”