Runaway - Chapter 7
Friday
When I woke up, Miller was no longer sitting by my bed.
And I had the strangest feeling that I’d imagined the whole thing.
Just so I could finally sleep. I remembered all the times I’d snuck into Miller’s room at night when I was living with my dad.
I couldn’t sleep in my room there. But I could always fall asleep in his arms. And he had always let me.
I looked down at my hand that he’d been holding. If it was a dream…why had I dreamt of Miller instead of Matt? It was easy to fall asleep in Matt’s arms too. He was there for me after my uncle died. He’d held me as I cried. But he’d never been there for me when I was scared.
I pulled my knees into my chest. Last night wasn’t a dream. If it was…certainly I would have dreamt of Matt. And besides, if it had actually happened…that meant Miller was here. Wherever here was. Which meant he might come back tonight to check on me. It was the only hope I had to hang on to.
***
I had no idea what time it was. Not having a window in my room was driving me crazy. Or maybe I was already crazy…and that’s why I was locked up in here.
I sighed and stared at the door. The nurse had already been by with breakfast and lunch, so she’d be by with dinner eventually. Not that I wanted any of it. I just wanted it to be nighttime again and for Miller to walk through that door.
So I waited.
And waited.
The food came and went.
I kept staring at the door, wishing for Miller to walk through it.
But Miller didn’t come.
Eventually, I switched the lights off.
I was just beginning to think I really had imagined him coming when the door creaked open.
I sat up in my bed. “Miller?”
“Shhh,” he whispered as he closed the door.
I breathed a sigh of relief. He was real.
He was here. And I had a million questions for him.
“Where are we? Is this a hospital or some recovery center or something? Did my dad hurt you again? Did you know he was going to take my kidney? Is that why you seemed surprised when I signed the contract? Where is my dad? Has he stolen other people’s organs?
The nurse mentioned him making arrangements for something. What was she talking about?”
“Move over, kid,” he said without answering any of my questions.
I hated when he called me that. But I slid to the edge of my bed and smiled as he climbed in beside me. He lay down, resting his head next to mine. The warmth radiating off his body comforted me.
“You’re shaking,” he said, looping an arm across me. “Are you cold?”
I didn’t realize I had been shaking. But I immediately stopped when he put his arm around me.
He was doing that thing again…where being close to him was making me relaxed and sleepy.
But I couldn’t believe I’d just fallen asleep last night when I needed answers.
I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.
“You didn’t answer any of my questions.”
“I told you to read the whole contract. How do you think I got stuck in a job I can’t get out of?”
He’d tried to warn me. And I was too foolish to listen. “Yeah. You did try to warn me.”
“This is so fucked up.” He sighed. “I’m so sorry he did this to you.”
“What did he do to you?”
There was a long stretch of silence. “It’s not important, Brooklyn.”
It was to me. I reached up and touched his face in the darkness.
He cringed.
“Turn the light on.”
“It’s late,” he said. “How about you try to get some rest?”
“I can’t possibly sleep right now. Please, just tell me why he hurt you. It’s not like me being in danger this time was in any way your fault. It was his.”
“Mr. Pruitt is coming down here tomorrow. He can answer all of your questions.”
“Down here? Where are we?”
“Tomorrow, kid.”
I slowly exhaled. It was nice to have a familiar face, even if I couldn’t actually see him. But he was being purposely evasive right now. “But…”
“All you need to know is that you’re safe here. No one knows we’re here except for the nurses, Mr. Pruitt, and me.”
“What about Matt?” I immediately regretted asking the question. I felt Miller’s arm tense around me.
“Try to get some rest, okay?” He moved to get off my bed.
“Wait.” I caught his arm. “Please don’t go. I won’t ask any more questions. Just…please stay the night.” It was a selfish thing to ask. Miller was already hurt. And if my dad caught him in here sleeping on my bed? I didn’t know what my crazy father would do.
But it didn’t seem like Miller cared, because he lay back down.
We were both quiet for a moment.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “About what my father did to you.”
“You don’t have to apologize for his actions. You’re not him.”
I swallowed hard.
“Does it still hurt?” he asked.
I was barely paying attention. I was focused on the fact that he just said I wasn’t like my father.
I’d been desperate to hear those words ever since Matt said the opposite.
I slid closer to him on the bed. For a second I paused, waiting to see what he would do.
But he didn’t try to leave again. He just lay there.
So I moved closer again and rested my head on his chest.
His heartbeat was so steady. And soothing. I closed my eyes.
Miller reached down and lightly touched my stomach. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“You didn’t answer any of mine either.”
He laughed. “Please. Put my mind at ease.”
“It doesn’t hurt as much when you’re here.” And that included my heart. When I was alone in this room all I could think about was it breaking in two. But when Miller was holding me? It was a lot easier to feel whole again.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Brooklyn.” His hand moved to my back, holding me closer to him.
I knew that meant that he cared. But I hated the phrase.
I’d already experienced enough death. Miller saying it gave me a new goal though.
I wasn’t just going to get out of here. I was going to get Miller out of here too.
He said that there was no way out of my dad’s business.
But I’d find a way. I owed him at least that.
And thinking about saving him instead of myself made me feel a little stronger.
Or maybe it was just his arms around me that gave me hope.