Elite (Empire High, #2)(24)

“I’m proud of you,” she said, cutting me off. “God, I was so freaking mad at him for just watching when Isabella poured milk on you.”

I should have known she’d have my back. I didn’t need Matt. I had her.

“Screw Matthew Caldwell,” she said.

Yeah. Screw Matthew Caldwell. I said goodbye and gave Miller’s phone back. For just a second, my fingers brushed against his palm.

He cleared his throat and shoved his phone back in his pocket. “Do you want me to have some ice cream sent up to your room?”

He got me. A recent breakup meant eating a huge bowl of ice cream in your room and crying. But that wasn’t what I wanted. I didn’t want to be alone. But I also knew how inappropriate it would be to ask if I could eat ice cream with him. He’d already let me borrow his phone. So instead of saying anything at all, I just nodded.

“Have a good night, Brooklyn.” He gave me one last smile and walked back toward the kitchen.

I hugged my arms around myself to help prevent the chill in the air. A good night? That wasn’t possible. I watched him disappear down the hall. I was pretty sure I was already going mad in this house. Because all I could think about was how Miller’s arms looked just as strong as Matt’s. I didn’t know how to sleep alone anymore. I’d quickly grown used to falling asleep in Matt’s arms. But running to Miller wasn’t the answer. He worked here. He wasn’t my friend. And I was sure he didn’t want to hang out with a high schooler on a Friday night.

I knew all that. I knew it, and yet…I hurried after him.





Chapter 10


Friday

The kitchen was empty, so I pushed into the staff kitchen. Miller was leaning against the counter laughing at something the chef had just said. But his laughter faded away when he saw me. The chef turned around to see what he was staring at.

“I’ll be right up with some options, sweetie,” she said.

“Actually, is it okay if I just eat it in here?”

She looked at Miller and then back at me. “I guess that would be alright. What do you prefer, mint chocolate chip or…” she tugged open the freezer and pulled out two containers “…there’s also raspberry with chocolate chips.”

I wasn’t paying attention to the options because I was focused on the fact that each ice cream container had a little label with Miller’s name. “Oh, I don’t want to steal anyone’s ice cream. Don’t the Pruitts have some?”

She laughed. “No. The Pruitts don’t eat ice cream.”

“Are they lactose intolerant or something?” I was glad I didn’t inherit that. I wasn’t sure which was worse…never eating cheese or inheriting the evil gene. Probably the evil thing. But it was close.

“More of a vanity thing,” she said. “So, which flavor will it be?”

I looked over at Miller. “That’s okay. I’ll just…” I looked over my shoulder at the door. I really, really didn’t want to leave.

“It’s fine,” Miller said. “I got this, Barbara.” He grabbed the containers from her.

“Very well.” She untied her apron and hung it on a hook. “There was a show I wanted to catch so I’m going to scurry off. Have a great rest of your night, you two.”

“Which flavor?” he asked once Barbara disappeared out of the kitchen.

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You didn’t have to offer me your ice cream.”

“I could tell you needed it.” He pulled out two bowls and I couldn’t even try to hide my smile. “So…mint chocolate chip or raspberry chocolate chip?”

“Mint. Thanks for sharing.” He didn’t reply, he just got to work scooping out two bowlfuls. I sat down at the table in the middle of the room and watched him. I could add the fact that he liked ice cream with chocolate chips to the few things I knew about him. He was also generous. And kind for letting me use his phone. He could have been doing a million other things tonight, but he was giving that all up to hang out with a practical stranger just because he’d overheard a conversation about my breakup. It was really sweet.

He placed a heaping bowl of ice cream down in front of me and sat down across from me. The look of pure indulgence on his face when he took a bite was kind of adorable. I remembered when a bowl of ice cream could make me that happy too. I took a bite and smiled. Maybe it still could. I just needed to remember how to embrace that feeling. Seeing his smiling face made it seem possible.

“How old are you?” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“Older than you.” He resumed eating, like that was a suitable answer. But before I could question it, he beat me with a question of his own. “So what didn’t he do?” Miller asked.

I swallowed down my bite of ice cream. “What?”

“You said you broke up because of what he didn’t do.” He lifted up a huge spoonful of ice cream. “Your ex,” he added when I didn’t respond.

“Oh. Um…”

“I figured since you came in here that you needed someone to talk to. But we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

I shook my head. “I just didn’t want to be alone.”

His jaw tensed. “Look, Brooklyn…I’m not even supposed to be talking to you. Let alone sitting here with you. I should probably go.” But he made no movement to get up.