Empire High Elite (Empire High #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,35
sidetracked the conversation so much I’d completely forgotten my most important question. “I have work tonight.” It seemed like telling him was better than asking. “So I won’t be here for dinner.”
He laughed. “No. Absolutely not.”
“No?” I purposely didn’t ask his permission. He didn’t get to tell me no. Despite what he thought, he wasn’t my parent. He wasn’t even my legal guardian. He was a kidnapping psychopath.
“You won’t be working anymore,” he said.
“But I have to work.”
He tilted his head to the side as he stared at me. “I can give you everything you need.” He gestured to the presents still sitting on the table.
I don’t want anything from you. “I’m saving up for college. I…”
“You get decent grades. I looked at your transcript. Pick any school you please and I’ll make it happen.”
I opened my mouth and closed it again. “I don’t want to get into a good school because of your name.”
“Of course you do. You’re already reaping the benefits. Why do you think you didn’t have detention yesterday after you started that food fight last week? I got you a clean slate at the school. Have fun with Mr. Green. And expense whatever you want to your card.” He strolled out of the dining room.
I honestly hadn’t thought about my detention at all. I’d been a little too preoccupied with my grief and being taken from my uncle’s funeral. And a food fight was stretching it. I’d thrown one green bean at Isabella after she’d berated me and my uncle. I didn’t even deserve detention. Isabella did. And it twisted my stomach into knots knowing that it was Isabella’s last name that had gotten me out of it.
Chapter 12
Saturday
“You really don’t have to come with me,” I told Miller when we reached the front door.
“Actually I do.”
“But you could just give me the code…”
“You know I can’t.”
I felt bad dragging him into this. But I couldn’t think about what would happen to him when I ran off. All I could focus on right now was myself and getting as far away from here as possible. My backpack was stuffed with everything I needed. I’d even snagged a few bottles of water and some granola bars from the kitchen. I wasn’t coming back.
Miller typed in the code, being careful not to let me see. And then we walked in silence down the hall and into the elevator. The elevator music played through the speaker system. For some reason it was really soothing.
“So what are the two of you doing today?” Miller asked as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Just hanging out.” Felix didn’t even know I was coming. But hopefully he was home. If I didn’t see a familiar face right now I was pretty sure I’d lose it. I knew Mr. Pruitt was trying to be nice this morning. Gifting me a phone, inviting me to his tee time, complimenting my outfit. But at the same time, he was also controlling and rude. I didn’t want to be here. I couldn’t do this.
“Sounds like fun,” Miller said.
“Mhm.” The doors opened on the 24th floor. “Are you sure you want to be an awkward third wheel?” I asked as we stepped off. I wasn’t sure anything about Miller was awkward. Which made me think I’d somehow wind up being the awkward third wheel with him and Felix. This was going to be a disaster.
“You won’t even notice that I’m there. That’s the whole point.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll notice that you’re there.”
The corner of his mouth ticked up.
I wasn’t giving him a compliment. I just meant that if he was staring at me and Felix it was going to be weird. But his smile made me smile. We stopped outside of apartment C and I knocked on the door that looked exactly like the Pruitt’s apartment door. After a few seconds I knocked again. Please, Felix. Please, please, please. If he wasn’t home I wasn’t sure what I would do. The thought of being dragged back to the Pruitts place was horrifying. Felix was my ticket to freedom. But first he had to show up.
“Can I use your phone?” I asked.
“Didn’t Mr. Pruitt give you one this morning?”
Oh right. I pulled it out of one of the pouches in my backpack and tapped out a text to Felix.
The door opened a few seconds later. “Sorry about that, newb,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t usually get many visitors. How are you doing…”