“I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought you knew. I never would have…”
“Stop lying. For once in your life, stop lying to me.”
He just stared at me. “Brooklyn, I swear…”
I didn’t believe a word he said.
“We talked about it several times.”
What the hell was he talking about? He’d never told me he was about to steal my kidney! “Please just let me leave. Please let me out of here.”
He nodded. “Okay.” He reached out like he was going to help me up.
I grimaced. “Please. If you care about me at all.” My whole body shook with my tears. Everything fucking hurt. But I was pretty sure my heart hurt most of all. None of it had been a dream. Which meant Matt hated me. He thought I was the monster. Not my dad or Isabella, but…me. “Please,” I sobbed.
“Okay. Honestly, I think this is for the best,” he said. “This was what I wanted all along. I’m glad you’re finally seeing reason.” He nodded to Dr. Wilson.
I felt something pinch my arm and looked up a second too late to see Dr. Wilson injecting me with something.
The room grew even blurrier.
“Shh,” my dad whispered, gently patting my shoulder.
Get away from me.
He’d tricked me.
He’d used me.
He’d never actually loved me. No one loved me.
All my father had ever wanted me for was my kidney. He’d sought me out just to use me. An illegitimate kid with no other purpose. Someone to use and cast aside just like everyone else in my life had. I had nothing. And no one.
“Go back to sleep,” my father whispered. “Everything’s fine.”
Nothing was fine. I tried to move away from him, but my body wasn’t listening to me. It was like it had just…given up.
“What did you give me?” At first I wasn’t sure he heard me, because my lips felt weird. But he finally responded.
“It’s just a mild sedative so you can get your rest. I’ll take care of all the arrangements. I’ll get you somewhere safe. A fresh start, princess.”
I didn’t want whatever his version of safe was. And I didn’t want to sleep. I wanted the pain to stop. I just wanted…everything to stop. It hurt too fucking much.
Chapter 2
Friday
I was in a white room. I wasn’t sure where. Despite the machines everywhere, it didn’t look like a hospital room. Just a normal bedroom. If something so sterile could be considered normal.
I’d woken up here a few minutes ago. Or maybe it was a few hours.
At least my body worked now. I curled up in a ball and stared at the white wall. It looked like one of the blank canvases I’d given to Matt yesterday. A Thanksgiving Day present. Or at least, I thought it had been yesterday. I had no idea what day it was anymore.
All I knew was that the painting set I’d given Matt was stupid.
I’d been stupid. About all of it.
I’d thought he had my back.
I’d thought he loved me.
The white wall blurred in front of me as the tears clouded my vision.
I’d loved him. I’d loved him so much. And he…he’d left me alone with my dad and half-sister. Matt knew I was scared of Isabella. He knew what kind of man my dad was. And he had left me in their clutches. And now I was God knows where and missing a fucking kidney. What kind of fiancé left the supposed love of his life in the hands of the devil himself?
Not one I believed in.
I hated Matthew freaking Caldwell.
But I loved him a lot more than I hated him right now. I loved him so much it hurt.
I pulled my knees tighter to my chest. I felt foolish. For the first time in a long time, I’d let my guard down. I’d let another person into my life knowing that I’d end up here again. All alone.
Was he thinking about me now?
Was Kennedy?
Did either of them know what my dad had just done?
Did they even care?
And where the hell was I?
I tried to remember what my dad had said to me as I was waking up from surgery. He said he’d take me somewhere safe. But he didn’t understand that he was the one I wanted to get away from. I’d never be safe with him. He’d probably steal my liver next.
And I certainly didn’t want to be here in this white empty room all by myself. With a beeping monitor in the corner, telling me my heart was still working. I didn’t believe it. It couldn’t possibly still be beating.
Maybe this really was all a dream. But I never remembered a dream physically hurting this damned much.
I looked down at the hospital gown I was wearing. I didn’t remember putting it on. Which meant someone else had put it on me. Like I was some doll that could be played with.
Fuck everyone.
I pushed the thin fabric to the side and stared down at a bandage on my stomach. I pulled the fabric back into place. All I was good for was donating organs.
Because I was a liar. A bad friend. A bad fiancé. A bad niece. I felt the tears falling down my cheeks again.
Maybe everyone was right. Maybe I was just like Isabella.
Yeah, I wasn’t sure how the machine in the corner was beeping. Because my heart wasn’t working properly anymore.
I pulled my knees back up to my chest and my left hand caught my eye. No.
My engagement ring was gone. What? I looked around the bed. I pushed the blankets and sheets aside. I moved the pillow. Where was my ring? My heart started beating faster, the monitor in the corner going frantic. This ring meant the world to Matt. I couldn’t lose it. He already hated me. I could beg him for forgiveness for the prank. But he wouldn’t forgive me for this. I tossed the pillow onto the ground. It had to be here somewhere. I shoved the sheets off the bed until it was just me sitting on the mattress surrounded by nothing.
Had Matt been here? Had he taken my ring? I stared at the bare spot on my finger. If he’d been here, I didn’t remember any of it. I knew we’d had a fight. I wished I could take back the damage I’d done. And I knew that wasn’t possible. But I could at least try to fix it.
I just kept staring at the bare spot on my finger. What if Matt didn’t want me to fix it though? What if he didn’t want to be an us anymore? I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. What if this was the end?
I only had myself to blame. I’d hung out with the Hunter brothers when Matt had specifically told me not to. It didn’t matter that I had good intentions of fixing his friendship with them. I’d hoped for the best, but I should have expected the worst. The worst tended to follow me around like a black cloud. Or else I wouldn’t be sitting in this empty room, on this empty bed, recovering from my dad stealing my fucking kidney.
I was bad luck.
Cursed.
I was a Pruitt.
No.
I was a freaking Sanders. And Sanders didn’t give up. Not like this. Matt would forgive me. He had to. And he’d help keep me safe from my dad. I just needed to figure out a way out of this room. I grimaced as I pulled the IV out of the back of my hand. I climbed off the bed. Ow. I clutched my stomach as I made my way over to the door. But when I tried to turn the knob…it didn’t budge. He’d locked me in here? What the hell? I had to get out of here. But I didn’t bang on the door. It would just alert everyone.