Page 87 of Pretend You Love Me

“We’ll have to have the Secret Service check everything first, but I think it will work. Thank you,’ James replies.

He nods and then leans into me. “Will you take them upstairs? I don’t go up there.”

I study his face for a moment. I’d really like him to unpack this, but I know now isn’t the moment.

“Sure.” I squeeze his hand.

The Secret Service does a sweep of the whole house. There’s still a small army outside. Once everyone is settled, Kip starts turning off the lights. I grab his hand and lead him back to the bedroom. Once the door is shut, I say, “Elliott Wells.”

His face flushes just slightly.

“Pretentious,” I continue.

He shakes his head.

“Contrived,” I add.

“Self-righteous and hypocritical. I stand by my statements,” he grins.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me?” I say. I’m hurt. I know with everything I’ve done I have no right, but I never pretended like I was being honest.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Brooklyn?” he responds.

“You know why,” I say. “Why would you care if I knew about your writing career?”

“I’m not that person anymore.” He flicks his eyes away from mine and then continues quietly. “I don’t write anymore.”

Well, this has opened the floodgates for me. “Why?”

He sighs heavily. “Brooklyn, tonight has been a lot. I really don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“Okay,” I say, taking his hand. “I’d like to know though.”

“I’m sorry about your mom.” His eyes are on me again.

I tilt my head up to the ceiling. “She’s the same age I was when they disappeared.”

“Your sister?”

I nod.

“That house. How filthy it was. The doll - just one filthy doll. The constant violence. That was me. That could have been my life forever.”

He doesn’t say a word but pulls me into his body and wraps his arms around me.

“I got lucky - you don’t understand. My brother was killed, and I survived. I couldn’t have landed in a better foster care home. I gained this whole amazing family and had this life that most people dream about, and she’s still stuck. My mom is stuck. It’s not fair. I didn’t do anything to deserve what I have now, and they didn’t do anything to deserve the awful life that they have now.”

He squeezes me tighter. “Are you mad they found you?”

I sigh and lean into him. “Yes and no.”

I pull back, so I can look at him. “I wish they’d let me be my own person sometimes. I love them so much. They are the best family, but my opinions get lost. A lot of decisions have been made for me. I just wanted to do something for myself - to prove I could do it, to be my own person.”

I bury my hands in my face. “I didn’t succeed, did I?”

He pulls my hands away. “Don’t say that. You tracked them here, didn’t you? Your brother didn’t even do that.”

I bite my lip and exhaustion washes over me. I stifle a yawn.