Empire High Betrayal

“I swear, Miss Pruitt, if you don’t get out of this treehouse right now, I’ll tell your father that you can’t be trusted here.”

Miss Pruitt. I hated that he was calling me that. Even more than I hated the idea of having to leave the safety of Matt’s house. “I’m sorry,” I said to James and Rob. “I have to go.” Seeing Miller’s bruised face made tears well in my eyes. And the anger in his voice? I deserved it. But it still hurt me. I tried to scramble out of the treehouse before the tears started to fall.

This time James and Rob didn’t stop me with proposals or jokes or food. But James did put his hand on my shoulder right before I climbed down.

“Are you going to be okay with him?” he asked.

“Yeah. He’s my security guard.” I tried to wipe away my tears.

“Okay.” James searched my face like he was trying to figure out why I was crying.

I hoped he didn’t see the real reason.

“Well…call me if you need anything.”

I didn’t have James’ number. Which was for the best. I climbed down the little ladder. Miller was already walking through the Hunters’ perfectly manicured gardens.

“Wait!” I called.

Miller didn’t stop.

I tried to run after him but my feet hurt. Ow. “Miller!”

He just kept going.

Fuck. I pushed through a fence and tried to run again. Each step was worse than the one before. I stopped and pulled my foot out of my slipper. There was blood on the bottom of the bandage. “Miller,” I said, but he was already through some hedges into the neighbor’s lawn.

I took another step. I bit the inside of my lip as I made my way past a massive pool house. But as the back of Miller’s head grew farther and farther away, it felt like there was no point. I wasn’t going to catch up to him. And clearly he didn’t want to talk to me. Just reprimand me.

I sat down under a willow tree and let myself cry. Not for my stupid feet. But for my own stupidity. I hadn’t thought about putting Miller’s career in jeopardy by going with Rob. I had only been focused on fixing Matt’s friendships. But not thinking about Miller was selfish. He’d been there for me when I needed him. And by the look of his face, he needed me now. Instead of seeking him out, I just made his day a million times more stressful by disappearing.

I pulled my knees into my chest. I couldn’t seem to get anything right recently. I just kept hurting people over and over again. Before I lost my uncle, I thought I was finally getting my life under control again. But when he died, it was like everything crumbled around me. And I was so tired of hurting all the time. And doing the hurting.

I wasn’t sure how long I sat there crying before I heard Miller clear his throat.

I looked up at his bruised face. I wanted to hug him and somehow make it better. Instead, I hugged my knees closer to my chest. “I’m so sorry.”

“Are you kidding me?”

I started crying harder. Those words were inadequate. And we both knew it. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“You never meant to hurt me?” his voice was harsh. “So dancing with all those guys at homecoming was supposed to make me feel good?”

“Miller…”

“I thought you cared about me.”

“I do care about you.”

“This isn’t caring.” He gestured back and forth between us. “This is you rubbing your new relationship in my face when I’m the only one in your life actually trying to protect you.”

The only one in my life trying to protect me? What did he mean by that? “But my dad…”

“Your dad?” He put “dad” in air quotes. “Who the fuck do you think did this to my face? I let you out of my sight for a few minutes and he had someone beat the shit out of me.”

I swallowed hard. I thought that might have been what happened. “I’m so sorry,” I said again, because I didn’t know what else to say.

“Are you, Brooklyn? Because you haven’t asked me anything about what happened that night. I woke up in a supply closet after your crazy fucking sister injected me with some sedative. I was scared out of my mind when I woke up. Not for myself. Scared for you. And meanwhile you were just fine dancing the night away with Matt.”

“Fine? I wasn’t fine. Isabella abandoned me in the city in just my underwear! I had to run miles to find the hotel. I was terrified. I am terrified.” The tears started back up. “I’m still not fine. And I wanted to talk to you right away. But you called me Miss Pruitt…”

“I have to be professional around Donnelley. And everyone else. If Mr. Pruitt finds out I was the one you were sneaking around with… Look what he already did to me, Brooklyn. He’ll fucking kill me.”

“I thought you were calling me Miss Pruitt because you were mad.”

“Of course I’m mad!” He looked up at the sky for a second and took a deep breath. “Fuck,” he groaned. “I really cared about you, kid.” He lowered his head and locked eyes with me.

Kid. His nickname felt like a knife in the chest. “And I meant what I said…I still care about you.”

“Then what the hell is on your hand?” he asked.

I looked down at the diamond on my ring finger. How could I explain this to him? I cared about him. But love? I loved Matt. I only loved him. “I’m sorry, Miller. I…”

“Don’t. I don’t need to know why you chose him. I don’t need the whole it’s me not you speech. I’m not an idiot.” He ran his hand down his face. “If you want to be part of this world, that’s fine. But I’m not going to let myself get killed because of you. I’m done.”

Done? I cringed and pulled myself to my feet. “What do you mean done?”

“I can’t be your security guard. I can’t watch you every day with him. Don’t make me do that, Brooklyn.”

I blinked fast, forcing my tears not to start again. I couldn’t make him stay. But I hated that he had to go. “Okay.”

He reached out and touched the side of my face. “I’m sorry.”

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