Empire High Elite (Empire High #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,105
“Sanders, I don’t just go around giving nicknames to anyone.”
“That’s hardly a nickname. It’s my last name.”
“Rumor has it that it’s actually not your last name anymore.”
I pressed my lips together.
“But I promise I won’t start calling you Pruitt instead.” He put his hand back on my waist.
“I appreciate that.” I tried to peer over his shoulder again, this time looking for Kennedy. “Have you seen Kennedy? I really need to go see if she’s okay.”
“Yeah, I saw her at the punch bowl a few minutes ago.”
Damn it. “I should probably…”
“You still owe me a favor you know,” Rob said.
“Hmm?” I asked, even though I knew exactly what he was referring to.
A smile spread over his face. “Don’t play dumb with me, Sanders. You screamed my name, remember?”
“As you locked me in Matt’s room. Yeah, I remember. But you tricked me. I don’t owe you anything.”
“Actually, you do.”
“I swear to God, Rob, if you ask me for a kiss I’m going to lose my mind.”
He laughed. “Sanders, I don’t need to win a bet to kiss you. If I wanted a kiss from you, I’d just take it. And then you’d beg me for another.”
I laughed. “No.”
He smiled. “Maybe.”
“Definitely not.”
He laughed again. “You’re the one who immediately thought I’d ask for a kiss. Clearly you were the one thinking about it.”
“I most certainly was not.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Sanders. But since you don’t want a kiss…I was thinking…” his voice trailed off. He stared down at me like he was deciding how to torture me.
“Rob, I already did this dance with James. If you’re trying to make Matt jealous, I don’t want anything to do with it.”
“Oh, this favor would have a lot more to do with screwing over Isabella.”
He’d officially piqued my interest. “You want me to help you screw over Isabella?”
“Yes. Unless sisters before bros is your new motto.”
“Not a chance.”
He laughed. “Do you have access to her bedroom? Because I’ve been over to the Pruitts’ place countless times and I’ve never been allowed upstairs.”
“Well, I think I do. Maybe. I sleep in the opposite wing. I’ve never really been down the hallway that leads to her bedroom. But I’m sure I could find it.” Isabella had been in my room. Certainly I could go into hers.
“What are your feelings about frogs? Like…lots of them?”
“You want to put frogs in her bed?”
“Well…yeah. Wouldn’t that be kind of amazing?”
I could already picture Isabella’s face. And her screaming. But for some reason the scene made me feel bad for the frogs. “Couldn’t we do something where it wasn’t possible for her to hurt an innocent animal?”
“You’re worried she’d kill the frogs?”
“First the frogs. Then me.” I laughed even though I was very serious.
“She’s not going to kill you. Do you have any idea how many times she threatens to kill me on a weekly basis? It’s a lot. And she’s never gone through with it. Rumor has it that she had to sign some contract with her dad promising not to ever do it again.”
Again. That was the same kind of thing Mr. Pruitt had said. That Isabella was no longer allowed to use his assets to freaking kill people. “What do you mean again? She’s killed someone before?”
“Yeah, I used to have a little brother.”
“Oh my God, what?!”
Rob started laughing. He was laughing so hard, the muscles in his arms tightened, pulling me closer.
“Miss Sanders,” Mr. Hill said in that same tone he scolded me in class. “Mr. Hunter. One foot between dancers at all times.” He shoved a ruler between Rob and me.
My face had to be bright red.
“Sorry, Mr. Hill,” Rob said when he was finally able to catch his breath. “I’ll make sure she keeps her hands off me.”
“Rob.” I shoved his shoulder.
“See what I mean?” he said. “So handsy.”
Was he trying to kill me from embarrassment?
Mr. Hill shook his head and went to go measure some other couples’ distance.
“What is wrong with you?” I shoved Rob’s arm again.
“Absolutely nothing is wrong with me. You’re the one all over everyone tonight. Kissing my brother. Dancing with Felix. I even heard you took some cute homecoming pictures with Mason tonight. And now you’re all up on me.”
Yeah, my face was bright red. “All of those instances are taken out of context.” But I could see how it looked. I wasn’t an idiot, I knew I’d freaking lost my mind tonight.
He laughed.
I needed to change the subject or he’d find a way to torture me all night long.