Empire High Betrayal(34)

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.”

For a second I just stared at him. “What are you sorry for?” I was the one that had ruined us.

“I shouldn’t have left you during the dance. This is all my fault. I’m so fucking mad at you right now. But I’m even madder at myself.” He leaned down and scooped me up into his arms. “I know you’re hurt. I’m sorry I made you run after me.”

I didn’t blame him for any of that. I was just sorry that he was quitting because of me. He needed this money for school. And despite what he said, all of this was my fault, not his. It was my fault he’d walked away from me during the dance. It was my fault he was hurting. All of this was my fault.

“Couldn’t you stay?” I asked. “And just be assigned to someone else?”

“I think I need a fresh start, kid,” he said.

Okay. I rested my head against his chest and breathed in his familiar scent. I knew I’d needed to end things between us. I just didn’t know it would make me feel like I was sinking all over again.

Miller carried me all the way back to Matt’s. He carried me through the house, up the stairs, and to what I assumed was the guest room I was supposed to be staying in. He put me down on the edge of the bed.

There were boxes scattered around the room.

“What is all this stuff?” I asked.

“Some of the new clothes Justin sent over for you. And a few things that weren’t damaged.” Miller opened up one of the boxes. “I knew you’d want these back.” He pulled out my mom’s blue dress and my Keds.

“What?” I stood up. “How?”

“I went back to get them for you. I know how much this dress and these shoes mean to you.”

Instead of taking the dress out of his hands, I threw my arms around him. “Thank you. For everything. For taking care of me when I had no one else. For being my shoulder to cry on.”