“So you don’t regret agreeing to my dad’s crazy plan?” I asked.
“No. And not just because apparently he would have killed me if I’d said no. I know you’re not happy about being locked up here. But he showed me one of Isabella’s plans he found. It was…horrifying.”
“What was it?”
“I’m not going to give you nightmares too.”
I laughed. “It gave you nightmares?”
“I think it even gave Mr. Pruitt nightmares.”
Wow. I couldn’t even imagine what horrible thing she was plotting. But it must have been terrible. Especially if it was in retaliation to the pudding prank. “So you’re happy to be here. Does that mean you really don’t want to create a plan to get away from my dad for good?”
“I’m not in any condition to make some grand escape plan right now. And I don’t think you are either. Rumor has it that you haven’t been eating.”
“I don’t like the food here.” That wasn’t exactly true. I’d only ever tried the applesauce. But it was kind of blah.
“Hm. You gotta eat though.”
“Maybe I’m on a hunger strike,” I said.
“And how is that working out for you?”
I slowly exhaled. I would have said that no one had noticed. But that evil nurse had noticed and snitched to my dad. And Miller had clearly noticed too. “No one seems to care.”
He ran his fingers through my hair. “I care.”
I know. I snuggled into his chest and yawned. “You should probably go before you accidentally fall asleep in here and get caught with your arms around me.”
He laughed. “Just go to sleep, kid. Let me worry about that.”
Chapter 11
Sunday
The door opened and I held my breath. I’d left the light on this time, hoping that when Miller came I’d be able to sneak a glance at him.
But all I saw was his arm reach in and hit the lights. And then he ducked into my room without me being able to see him again.
“Miller, please. I just want to see you. You’re the only other human I’m allowed to see besides Evil Nurse.”
“Trust me, I look like a monster.”
“Evil Nurse isn’t so pretty either.”
He laughed at my nickname for the nurse and sat down on the edge of my bed. “Here.” He shoved a bowl in my general direction and I almost dropped it.
“I’m not hungry.”
“But I brought your favorite. Mint chocolate chip.”
He brought me ice cream? It was the truth that I wasn’t hungry. But he’d brought me ice cream. It would have been rude to not eat a little. I lifted up the spoon and took a huge bite. Mmm. “So freaking good.”
He didn’t respond, but I could tell he was smiling.
“Wait. Why do you get ice cream and all I get is oatmeal and applesauce?” I took another bite. And another. Suddenly I was starving. Exclusively for ice cream apparently.
“Because Mr. Pruitt isn’t concerned about my diet.”
“Ugh. My dad and his stupid rules.” I’d skimmed through that part of the contract with his strict clean eating rules. You only live once. And what was living without ice cream? And who put consent for organ donations and foods not allowed in the house in the same contract? My father was insane. We didn’t need to talk about that though. We both already knew it. Besides, I had something I was dying to talk to him about. “So I was thinking…”
“If this is about your escape plan, I told you. I can’t.”
“But just hear me out. People get new identities on TV shows all the time. How hard could it really be to change our names and hide from my dad? Besides, Evil Nurse is pretty tiny. I think I could take her. And you have a room somewhere in this place too, right? Where is it? And are you locked in too?”
“I’m not a flight risk, so no, I’m not locked in. And I’m down the hall, last door on the right.”
“Great. So I’ll take down Evil Nurse and then come get you. I’m assuming you’re not in a windowless hellhole? So we can climb out your window…”
“I can’t.”
“But if we…”
He climbed off the bed.
“Miller, wait! I’m sorry. Please don’t leave…”
But instead of leaving he switched on the lights.
Oh my God. It felt like all the air left my lungs. He was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. There wasn’t much of his skin showing. But his face and neck… He wasn’t just covered in bruises. His right eye was swollen shut. And there was a huge bandage on the other side of his face, covering what must have been a pretty deep cut. There were exposed stitches underneath his swollen eye. And just so many bruises. I put my hand up to my mouth.
“This isn’t even the worst of it. I’d take my shirt off and show you, but my shoulder is busted up pretty badly. Evil Nurse has to help me get dressed. It hurts to even move. I can’t scale a building right now. I can barely walk.”
“I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else I could say. He looked like that because of me. Because of my father. And he’d willingly agreed to it to keep me safe.
“You have nothing to apologize for. It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was my fault. All of this is my fault.”
“It’s not, Brooklyn. I got myself in this mess all on my own.”
I looked down at my lap. “Right,” I said. Our situation certainly was a mess. I was so happy he was here with me. But surely he wished he was anywhere else.
“Hey. Look at me.”
I slowly lifted my head.
“I wasn’t saying being here with you was a mess. That’s not what I meant. I chose to be here. I just meant foolishly taking a job with Mr. Pruitt in the first place. I’m happy that I’m here with you. I meant what I said yesterday.”
He couldn’t possibly mean that. How could he be happy stuck with me in this prison? I looked back up at him and he was smiling. He looked so sincere. “You really believe it’s a new beginning?”
He nodded.
It was hard to believe in a new beginning when my heart was back in NYC with Matt. But…he couldn’t help me escape right now. Or maybe ever. We’d have to be positive Mr. Pruitt would never find him again. Or else…the unthinkable would happen. I couldn’t even imagine being the reason that Miller stopped breathing.
I climbed off my bed and walked over to him. I needed to see what else my father had done to him. Because it was all my fault. I grabbed the hem of his shirt.
“Brooklyn, don’t.” He caught my hand.
“You said you’re not supposed to touch me. That doesn’t mean I can’t touch you.” I had not meant for that to sound so suggestive. But I knew how it came out when his Adam’s apple slowly rose and fell as he stared down at me.
I was frozen in place with him staring at me like that. If I’d thought my words were suggestive…his eyes on me were just as suggestive.
“Okay.” I wasn’t exactly sure what I was saying okay too. Okay I won’t touch you? Okay I’m going to? Okay that was awkward yet somehow not awkward at all?