Empire High Betrayal

by Ivy Smoak

  He must have seen the bloody footprints, because he yelled, “Someone call an ambulance!”

  “No.” I wiggled out of his grip. “Isabella can’t know. She’ll kill Kennedy. She’ll kill her if she knows I’m still here.”

  “Isabella’s not going to hurt anyone,” he said. He turned his attention to James. “Why would you let her run around like this?” He pulled off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

  “I’m sorry,” James said.

  “I said call an ambulance!” my dad snapped at the man staring at us from the front desk.

  “She has Kennedy,” I said. “I can’t go to a hospital. She can’t know I’m here. She’ll know.”

  “Mr. Pruitt,” James said. “Brooklyn said Isabella had a gun. And a bomb.”

  “I’m taking care of it,” replied my dad.

  Donnelley ran into the lobby too. “There you guys are.”

  I took a step back. “Stay away from me! He’s in on it! He’s in on it.” I leaned over. “I can’t breathe.”

  “She’s having a panic attack,” James said.

  “Donnelley, you’re scaring her.” My dad stepped in front of me, blocking Donnelley from my view. “You’re okay, sweetheart. I’m here. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

  “Let me help,” Donnelley said.

  “You’ve done enough,” Mr. Pruitt said. “I’ll deal with you later.”

  “But…”

  “Go home right now if you want to be breathing in the morning.” The kind voice he’d used with me was completely gone.

  “The ambulance is ten minutes away,” the man at the front desk said.

  A few students started filtering out of the ballroom to see what all the commotion was about. All their eyes were on me.

  “She can’t know that I’m here,” I said. “They’ll tell her. She’ll kill Kennedy.”

  “You’re okay, sweetheart. You’re okay now.”

  “She can’t.” I was gasping for air.

  “Okay.” Mr. Pruitt lifted me up in his arms. “I’ll get you out of here.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket and handed it to James. “Call number three on my speed dial.”

  I closed my eyes tight. I just wanted to be invisible again.

  “You’re okay now, princess,” my dad said.

  Princess. It was his nickname for Isabella. For his legitimate daughter. And for some reason, him using it for me made me feel so loved. Maybe I didn’t want to be invisible to him. I could get used to having a dad. As long as number three on his speed dial wasn’t something terrible.

  Chapter 4

  Saturday

  The elevator doors dinged open. My dad carried me into his secret apartment. The only other time I’d been here had been when I first learned that I was a Pruitt. I’d spent the entire night completely terrified. But it didn’t seem scary this time. I’d choose to be here any day over his actual apartment. The naked walls and sterile feel of everything was comforting as long as Isabella wasn’t allowed in here. Maybe he’d just let me stay.

  “Where are we?” James asked.

  “Somewhere safe,” replied my dad.

  I kept waiting for him to tell James to get lost, but he didn’t. And I was a little relieved James was still here. The whole car ride over, James had held my hand and told me to breathe while my dad drove like a mad man. Just breathe. I wasn’t sure why James had come with us. He should have been fixing things with Rachel, not worrying about me.

  My dad carried me down the hall and into the bathroom.

  “James, will you stay with her? I need to make a few calls.” He’d already talked to whoever was number three on his speed dial. But I hadn’t been able to make out any of their conversation on the ride over here, because I’d been gasping for air.

  “Yeah,” James said. “No problem.”

  My dad set me down on my feet and I cringed.

  “It’s going to be okay,” my dad said and lightly touched my cheek. “Just keep taking deep breaths like James said. I’ll take care of everything.” His hand fell from my cheek.

  “You mean Kennedy? You’ll make sure she’s okay?” I asked.

  “I won’t let anything happen to your friend. You have my word.”

  I trusted his word. I just didn’t trust that Isabella hadn’t already done something terrible. He pulled out his phone and left James and me alone in the bathroom.

  James reached into the shower to turn it on.

  “Can I have a minute?” I said. My voice was barely a whisper. The last thing I needed was for James to actually see me naked. I was already mortified enough.

  “Of course.” James walked to the door. “I’ll be right outside. Call for me if you need anything.”

  I nodded and he disappeared out the door, leaving it open a crack.

  I didn’t wait for the water to warm up. I just needed this day off of me. I pushed my dad’s suit jacket off my shoulders and walked into the water with my bra and panties still on. I pressed my back against the wall and let myself cry. The water burned the scratches on my knee and the gash on the back of my ankle. And the bottoms of my feet. I whimpered and slid down the wall until my butt hit the cold tiled floor.

  I didn’t know if Kennedy was okay. I didn’t know if Isabella knew I was still in the city. I didn’t know how my dad had found me. I didn’t even know if I was okay. Everything hurt. My muscles ached. The water in my cuts burned. I put my hand over my mouth to stifle my sobs. How the hell did I wind up here?

  Just breathe. Of all the things that hurt, my chest ached the most. I wasn’t sure if it was my lungs or my heart. I just felt broken. I let the water cascade down on top of me, washing away my tears. The water ran red with blood down the drain. I hugged my knees to my chest and let myself cry.

  I heard a noise and looked up.

  James climbed into the shower fully clothed and sat down next to me. He was even wearing his shiny dress shoes. His arm brushed against mine. “You’re okay, Brooklyn.”

  “Why are you helping me?”

  He smiled, not at all phased by the water falling on us. “I think I already made it clear that I like you.”

  “You’re in love with Rachel.”

  He sighed and leaned his head back against the tile wall. He didn’t have to say it. I knew what he was thinking. That maybe she didn’t love him.

  “And maybe I still feel bad about what happened at lunch when Isabella told everyone you were related to Jim. It was your secret to share if you wanted to. I had no right to tell Isabella. Especially since I knew she’d tell the whole school.” He looked over at me. “I swear I didn’t know about your mom. Not that that’s an excuse. I shouldn’t have threatened you.”

  “You already apologized for that.”

  “It doesn’t mean I stopped feeling bad about it. I feel like shit.” He laughed. “I always feel like shit.” He hit his head against the tile wall again and sighed.

  “Well, I think you’ve more than made up for it.” I laughed, but it sounded strange in my throat. “You don’t have to sit here with me. You should go back to the hotel and try to fix things with Rachel. She’s probably furious with you.”

  He shrugged, his arm brushing against mine again. “That can wait. My friend needs me.”

  I looked over at him. “Friend?”

  “Yeah, I guess. Since you won’t kiss me.” He smiled at me. “Besides, it just so happens I have an opening for some new friends.”

  Matt and Mason. Thinking about the Caldwells and Hunters fighting just made my chest ache even more.

  He reached up and grabbed a bar of soap. “Do friends soap each other up naked in the shower?” He raised his left eyebrow.

  I laughed for real this time. “No they do not.” I grabbed the soap from him and looked down at my scratched knees. This was going to be painful.

  “Maybe they soap each other up clothed then.” He took the bar of soap back from me. “Take a deep breath, this is going to hurt.”

  I
pressed my lips together and he ran a soapy hand across my knee. For some reason it wasn’t so bad when he did it for me. He ran the soap down my legs. The bottoms of my feet stung the worst.

  “You’re okay,” he whispered. I barely heard his words over the falling water. “You’re okay.”

  It had been a long time since I had felt so cared for. Probably not since the last time I was sick when my mom was still healthy. She used to let me rest my head on her lap as she combed her fingers through my hair. I was glad we were in the shower so that my tears mixed with the water. She used to sing to me. And I could barely remember what her voice sounded like. How could I forget her voice? How could my mind be missing such an important piece of information? It was like she was drifting farther away every day.

  “All clean,” James said. “Unless you want me to get your upper half.” He raised his eyebrow again.

  I laughed. “I think I can handle that.” I took the soap back and dropped my head to make sure he couldn’t see me crying. For some reason my arms were tired too. The soap felt like a brick in my hands. “Who was number three on my dad’s speed dial?”

  “Some doctor. You said you didn’t want to go to the hospital. So I think he’s having the hospital come to you.”

  That was sweet of him. And I was already emotional, so it just made me cry harder.

  James tapped the bottom of my chin so I’d look up at him. “Come here.”

  “Come where?”

  He patted his lap and then opened up his arms. His shirt was soaking wet, clinging to the muscles in his chest and arms. “Let’s be miserable together.”

  Misery did love company. But instead of crawling onto his lap, which it seemed like he wanted, I rested my head against his shoulder. He pulled me closer. And we sat like that until the water ran cold. Him just holding me.

  ***

  I pulled on the pair of pajama bottoms and a tank top that my dad must have left for me. They fit me perfectly. The pajamas were fuzzy and warm and comforting. There were cute little squirrels on them. My mom had loved squirrels. We used to name the ones in our yard. Had she always loved them? Did my dad know that about her too? Was that why he brought me these?

  A knock at the door made me jump. “Yes?” I knew I was safe here, but I still pictured Isabella on the other side of the door with a gun.

  My dad opened the door. He smiled at my pajamas. “I’m glad they fit. Is there anything else you need?”

  I wrapped my arms around myself. I wasn’t sure what would make me feel better. But I had a million questions. Was Kennedy okay? Was James still here? Where the hell was Miller?

  But before I said anything, Dr. Wilson appeared at the door.

  “Dr. Wilson’s here to check out your injuries,” my dad said. “Do you mind if he comes in?”

  I shook my head.

  “You should be sitting down,” Dr. Wilson said as he walked into the room. “I heard you had quite the night.”

  You could say that. I sat down on the edge of my bed. For some reason, I felt uneasy around him. The last time I’d seen him, I’d been terrified. But my dad came into the room too and sat down on the bed next to me. Him being here too was reassuring.

  “The bottom of her feet are cut up pretty badly,” my dad said. “There’s another cut on the back of her ankle and her knees were badly scratched. Is she going to be alright?”

  “Let’s take a look.” Dr. Wilson pulled some things out of his bag.

  “And James mentioned that she was having a panic attack. He said she couldn’t catch her breath. Is that common for someone her age?”

  Normally, I would have been horrified by someone talking about my health. But I was exhausted. And something about the way my dad did it made me feel cared for. He knew I was still shaken. I needed him here.

  Dr. Wilson put his stethoscope against my chest. “Take a deep breath for me, Brooklyn.”

  I followed his instructions.

  “And another.”

  I took another deep breath, glad that my lungs seemed to be working again.

  “Do you have panic attacks often?” Dr. Wilson asked.

  I shook my head. Not until today. I was pretty sure I’d had one while I was dancing with Rob, when I was worried Isabella might be planning on killing me. And then again in the lobby when I was worried about Kennedy. I guess Isabella had a way of making me freak out. “No. Just today.”

  Dr. Wilson nodded. “Have you been under a lot of stress recently?”

  “Isabella tried to have her killed,” my dad said.

  “Ah. Well, that would do it.”

  I laughed because I didn’t know what else to do. Dr. Wilson didn’t have much of a reaction to the statement though. Why wasn’t he horrified? I swallowed hard. Oh. Because he was my dad’s doctor. He probably dealt with things like this all the time. Maybe even things like this that had happened because of Isabella.

  He pulled the stethoscope down around his neck. “Your heart is racing right now. Are you nervous that I’m here?”

  “No, I’m worried.” I turned to my dad. “I’m worried about Kennedy. Have you found her?”

  “She’s safe. When Donnelley brought Isabella and Kennedy home, he pulled me aside right away and told me what happened. Isabella gave Kennedy a pretty strong sedative, and I was hoping she’d wake up before we had this conversation. Last I heard, she’s still unresponsive. But she’ll wake up soon.”

  Dr. Wilson nodded. “I was just with her before I came here. I’m sure she’ll wake up in a few hours.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly even more tired. Kennedy was okay. She was safe.

  My dad patted my knee, keeping his hand there to comfort me. “Right now all you need to know is that Miller is guarding her room. She’s perfectly safe. And I promise to tell you as soon as she wakes up.”

  I tried to hide how relieved I was. Miller was safe. I’d been worried about him too, but I couldn’t ask my dad about him without raising suspicion. “And Isabella?”

  “I’ll deal with her myself.” My dad looked back at Dr. Wilson, as if that was the end of the discussion.

  Deal with her how?

  “Is there anything we can do to make the panic attacks go away?” my dad asked.

  “I’d rather start with preventative measures. Maybe you can start keeping a journal when you have panic attacks? Find out what’s leading you to…”

  “It’s Isabella,” I said. “I can’t breathe when I think about what she’s planning. I’m scared all the time.”

  My dad looked so defeated. “But we’ll keep a journal just in case. Yes, princess?”

  I nodded. I didn’t want him to look so sad. And when he called me that, my chest ached a little less. “Yeah. I can do that.”

  “Good, good.” Dr. Wilson pulled out some bandages from his bag. “I’m going to get you all fixed up.” He looked at the cut on the back of my ankle. “Actually that might need stitches. Let me take a better look.”

  My dad held my hand as I got my stitches. And when I got my tetanus shot, he didn’t mind at all when I squeezed his hand so tight that it must have hurt.

  “That should do it,” Dr. Wilson said as he placed the last bandage along the sole of my foot. “Try to take it easy the next few days. No stress.”

  “That won’t be a problem,” my dad said. “She’ll be staying here for the foreseeable future.”

  The foreseeable future? What did he mean by that? I had school on Monday.

  “Very well. Make sure to keep that journal, Brooklyn. I’ll see myself out.” Dr. Wilson’s shoes echoed in the empty hall.

  “Does it still hurt?” my dad asked.

  I wasn’t sure what he was talking about specifically. My cuts? My heart?

  But then he reached down and inspected the bandage on the back of my ankle.

  I knew what he needed to hear. And I knew it would help if he heard the truth. “Everything hurts a little less now than it did before.”

  He nodded, but he did
n’t look reassured. “I thought I could protect you.” He lifted his hand away from my bandage and ran it down his face. “I never meant to put you in danger. You were safer without me.”

  I’d never seen him like this. He was always so put together. But tonight? He just seemed…human. I liked this side of him a whole lot better. “I’m glad you found out about me.” I was just getting used to him. And I was a little sorry it had taken me so long. He was a good person. I could tell.

  He cleared his throat and stood up. “You need to get some rest. And I have a few more things I need to take care of.”

  “You’re not leaving, are you?”

  He smiled down at me. “No, I’m not leaving.” He pulled the comforter back on the bed, holding it up for me to climb under.

  Was he tucking me in? I wasn’t a kid anymore, but it warmed my heart. I had a weird feeling that despite having a daughter already, he didn’t really know what he was doing. I lay down and he pulled the covers over me. I was reminded of my mom again, tucking me in when I was little. Only he was way more awkward about it. Is it normal to literally tuck the sides in around my body? He was wrapping me up like a sausage. But the fact that he had no idea what he was doing just made it that much sweeter.

  “Is there anything else you need?” he asked. “Anything at all? Are you hungry? Or…”

  “Is James still here?” I wanted to thank him for everything.

  He lowered his eyebrows slightly. “No, I sent him home.”

  That was probably a good thing. James needed to be focusing on his relationship with Rachel.

  “Do you want him to come back?” he asked. “I can have someone go pick him up. Just say the word.”

  I shook my head. “No.” I didn’t need James right now. “But could you maybe get Matt?” I needed him. I just needed him to hold me like he had the nights after my uncle passed away. I needed his comfort. I wanted him back.

  My dad nodded. “I’ll make sure he comes.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on my forehead. Instead of walking away, he pushed a loose strand of hair out of my face. His fingers slowly ran through my hair.

  Even though the pads of his fingers were rough, where my mom’s had been soft, it still reminded me of her. I blinked fast, holding back my tears. Had she done this to him too? Comforted him when he was feeling scared or down? “Dad?”