Empire High Betrayal (Empire High #3) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,34

going to be pretty hard to squash. A few students swore you even admitted it.”

God. I had admitted it. I was hoping they’d never put two and two together. “You know the worst part about that night? No one stopped to help me. The only person that was nice was James.”

“I would have been nice,” he said.

Yeah. He would have been. I put my chin back on his shoulder. Just like he’d helped me breathe during my panic attack.

We walked through another backyard that was just as lush as Matt’s. If you could even really call these expanses of property “backyards.” Each one seemed more extravagant than the last. There were statues, pool houses, beautiful gardens, and even fountains. A few fences and rich people backyards later, Rob stopped beneath a treehouse and let me slide off his back.

“Home sweet home,” he said.

I smiled. There was something adorable about him taking me to his treehouse so I could tell him all about what happened at homecoming. I never had a treehouse growing up, but I’d always wanted one. It had been a long time since I’d felt like a kid. Taking care of my mom had forced me to grow up really fast.

“Girls are allowed,” Rob said. “You can go up.”

“Well, it’s good I’m not breaking any rules,” I said with a laugh as I climbed the little ladder. But as soon as I poked my head through the hole in the treehouse’s floor, I knew I was about to break a very important rule. James was sitting in the treehouse with his usual frown. But when his eyes locked with mine, a smile stretched across his face.

Nunca. I couldn’t be here. I tried to climb back down but Rob put his hand on my ass cheek.

“What are you doing?” Rob asked. “Go up, not down.”

“I can’t.” I’d just promised Matt I wouldn’t hang out with James. I wasn’t going to break that promise.

Rob’s hands shifted on my butt.

What the hell was he doing? I felt myself tense up.

Rob laughed. “Sanders, your ass is as heavy as it is firm. Go up.” He shoved me up just as James grabbed my hands to help pull me into their treehouse.

Damn it.

“Hey,” James said with a smile. One of the rare real ones. “Are you feeling better today?”

I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but I can’t be here with you, I…I promised Matt.” It was better to be honest.

“You can’t be in my treehouse?” James said. “That seems like a strange promise.”

I laughed. “No. I can’t hang out with you at all.”

“Why? Is he scared I’ll steal you for myself?”

I guess? Or maybe he just doesn’t trust me.

Rob laughed as he climbed up and sat down beside me. “He should be more worried about me. I’m the single one. And now that I’ve touched your butt, I’m not opposed to touching more.” He put his hand on the inside of my knee.

I immediately pulled away from him. What is he doing!? I thought he liked Kennedy? I needed to get out of here.

“Actually, I’ll renounce my claim on you for the greater good,” Rob said and turned to James. “Mom seems hellbent on you marrying a Pruitt. Maybe you should just marry Sanders. What do you think, James? Marry Sanders instead of the troll?”

“You’re right, that’s not a bad idea,” James said. “How ‘bout it, Brooklyn? Shall we make it official and get hitched?”

“What?” I laughed even though he seemed pretty serious. Why did the Caldwells and Hunters just keep throwing out marriage proposals like it was no big deal? “No.”

“Why? I’ve already seen you in your underwear, and I liked what I saw. You’ve already seen my dick and I know you liked that or you would have looked away.” He winked at me. “We’ve already showered together. My current relationship is doomed and so is yours. Let’s just make it official and make my mom happy.”

What the hell? “My relationship isn’t doomed. And neither is yours. You love Rachel.”

“And love can’t be one-sided.” He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, letting his knuckles graze my jaw. “Besides, I can’t get you out of my head. What was it that I said the other night? Let’s be miserable together?”

“James…” my voice died away when he moved to be on one knee.

His smile grew a little brighter, as if he was happy with the shocked expression on my face. “I’d like to alter what I