Empire High Elite (Empire High #2) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,65
that?
“May I be excused as well, Richard?” Mrs. Pruitt asked.
“Of course.”
Mrs. Pruitt placed her napkin down on the table and stood up. Without looking at me, she said, “Thank you for wearing shoes to the table.” And then she walked off. It was like Mr. Pruitt had asked her to give me a compliment and that was the only thing she could think of to say.
I’d never come to the table without shoes again if I knew she was going to be here. A shoeless home was just that. A home. This wasn’t a home. I’d learned that just as quickly as I’d learned to lie. Because I was living in a haunted mansion full of crazies. As if the ghosts could hear my thoughts, there was a loud crash in the foyer.
Mr. Pruitt and I both rushed out to see what happened. One of the large vases had toppled over. Glass was all over the floor. Mrs. Pruitt was nowhere to be seen. Had she knocked it over? Had it been something else? Someone else? A chill ran down my spine.
It didn’t matter who or what had done it. Someone needed to clean it up. I got down on my knees to start to help pick up the pieces.
“Get up.” Mr. Pruitt’s voice was stern.
I looked over my shoulder.
“It’s not your job to clean.” His voice softened when he saw my expression. “Not anymore.” He grabbed my arm and helped me to my feet. And for a second his hand just stayed there. “You look so much like her.”
“My mom?”
His smile was so sad. “I loved her. But she never would have fit into this world. I know you don’t want to be here. I know all this isn’t you. But please try. Please be patient with my wife and Isabella. I don’t want to lose you too. You’re all I have left of her.” He dropped his hand and walked into his study, slamming the door behind him. I was left all alone surrounded by the glass.
What the hell was that? I took a step forward and my shoes crunched on the shards. He loved my mom? Had he loved her all this time? I wanted to knock on his door. I wanted more information. But if he wanted to share, he would have stayed out here. I retreated up the stairs, trying not to think about the mess I was leaving behind.
I couldn’t handle today. I didn’t understand Mr. Pruitt. Or his horrid daughter or wife. All I knew was that I could feel the hole in my heart. Just him mentioning my mom made me want to cry. I’d been filling up my thoughts with Felix and Matt and even Miller. Like I’d been trying to latch on to someone to fill the void.
I walked as quickly as I could to my room, but my feet froze when I reached the room I wasn’t supposed to ever go in. There was a new lock on the door. A keypad like the one on the front door. It definitely hadn’t been there before when I’d tried to open it. Right?
The same chill I felt in the foyer ran down my spine. I spun around. Someone was watching me again. I knew it. I could feel it in my bones. I spun around again. But no one was there. I ran the rest of the way to my room, closed the door, and locked it behind me. Not that it would help. I’d locked the door before, and Justin had just magically appeared inside my room the next morning with tons of clothes I didn’t want.
Before I could reach my bed, my phone buzzed again, this time repeatedly. I pulled it out and saw that Matt was calling instead of texting this time. I answered it before I could chicken out. “I can’t do this with you, Matt.”
“Do what? I need to talk to you. Come outside.”
“I can’t.” And it wasn’t just because I didn’t have the code to get out. “I told you not to break my heart. I’ve told you a million times. I’m not okay. I haven’t been okay in a really long time, and you’re making it worse. Everything you do just makes it worse.”
“Just give me a chance to explain.”
“No one person should ever need to give this many explanations.”
“Brooklyn…”
“I can’t.”
“I didn’t sleep with Rachel. I would never do something like that to James. You have to believe me…”