Page 345 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol 4

“I didn’t know Mr. Sanders was your uncle.”

I finally opened my eyes. It was refreshing that he hadn’t called him Janitor Jimbo. But the fact that he had nothing more to say sealed the deal. “Yeah, well you do now. So go ahead. Call him Janitor Jimbo behind my back. Go tell all your friends that you and I are fucking. But if you ever show up at my window again…I’ll…I’ll…push you off the fire escape.”

He smiled. “I know you don’t mean that.”

“I was falling for you, Matt. And I’m too tired to fall anymore. I’ve already hit rock bottom once this year. And I don’t want to hit it again. I can’t hit it again. Because I won’t be able to keep going this time.” Matt’s jacket was still lying on the chair by my bed. I walked over and lifted it up. “So take your varsity jacket and give it to someone you’re not embarrassed to talk to at school.” I shoved it into his chest.

“I’m not embarrassed of you.”

“Really? I needed you to speak up today. Not on my behalf. On my uncle’s. You’re a fucking coward, Matt. I thought I could rely on you.” I shook my head. “Today you found out that I’m thejanitor’s niece. And like the rest of the school, you said nothing. But I heard you loud and clear. You can let yourself out.” I left Matt alone in my room.

“You forgot to change,” my uncle said with a laugh.

“I changed my mind. I’m happy exactly the way I am.” I plopped down on the couch beside him. “Now, what movie are we going to watch?”

He lifted up the remote as I settled under a fuzzy blanket. He turned on Wedding Crashers, probably because we’d watched it last week and we’d both laughed so hard. I knew he was trying to distract me from my crappy day. But I couldn’t focus on Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson’s hilarity tonight.

There was a knock on the door.

“Now who could that be?” My uncle yawned and stood up. “Keep watching, kiddo. I’ll be right back.” He patted the top of my head.

The movie wasn’t funny anymore. It was more about love than I even realized the first time I’d seen it. And I wasn’t in the mood to watch their love stories unfold when I’d just set mine on fire and threatened to push it down the fire escape.

“Mr. Sanders, my name is Matthew Caldwell. We talked on the phone earlier this week. I’m the one your niece is doing that school project with.”

Fucking Matt.He was like the plague. Following me around. Hiding in dark corners. Making me feel like my heart was dying.I’d told him to leave. Not show up at my front door. I paused the movie. But I didn’t know whether to run to the front door and make him leave or just hide out in here.

“Matthew, it’s a little late,” my uncle said. “I think it would be better if you came back tomorrow. Or maybe some other time when you’re not sporting a black eye.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. My uncle would get rid of him for good.

“I know it’s late. And I know Brooklyn is grounded,” Matt said. “But I really like her. And I was hoping to get your permission to take her to homecoming.”

What the hell?

“Does she want to go with you?” my uncle asked.

Go, Uncle Jim! Kick him out!

“I really hope so. But I messed up today. The way Isabella acted at lunch…I should have said something. I should have stepped in. And I’m sorry. I’m not just here to ask you for permission to take Brooklyn to homecoming. I’m here to apologize to you too, Mr. Sanders.”

There was an awkward stretch of silence. I was clutching the remote so hard in my hand that my knuckles were turning white.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Matthew. It was my fault for wanting to keep it a secret in the first place. I was just trying to protect her. You can see how much good that did me.”

Apparently my uncle was a lot better at forgiveness than I was.

He cleared his throat. “But Brooklyn’s been through a lot. And I think she’d appreciate an apology too. Why don’t you come in?”

Traitor!But even as I thought the word, my heart softened. Or maybe it was because Matt appeared in the living room staring at me like he truly was sorry. Sorrier than he had been in my room. I just stared at him.

“Brooklyn, I’m sorry about today,” Matt said. “When Isabella started talking about you and your uncle I should have said something. And I promise if she or anyone else at school is ever mean to you again, I’ll be there. I’ll have your back. You can rely on me.”

He couldn’t promise that. What about the blackmail? I kept my lips pressed together. I couldn’t mention any of that in front of my uncle. It felt like Matt cornered me into forgiveness. He was as asshole-ish as ever.

My uncle cleared his throat, saving me. “I’m going to give you two a minute. I wanted to stop by and talk to Mrs. Alcaraz anyway. I’ll be back.”

I waited for the front door to close before I stood up. “You shouldn’t make a promise you can’t keep,” I said. “And homecoming? Seriously? That doesn’t exactly keep us a secret.”