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“Wait!”

He paused, turning to her, one eyebrow raised as he waited for her to continue.

“We’ve already shown we can work so well together. Why mess with a good thing?”

He smiled at her, something soft that Amber couldn’t quite place on his face. “You know I wasn’t going to walk away, right?”

“What?”

“I told you I was going to help. I am a man of my word. I will follow through. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“Thank you.” Amber found herself softening, even more. She hated the way she felt like he was seeing her vulnerable underbelly. She needed to do something to build her walls back up. Unsure what else to do, she pivoted to humor. “Besides, if I’m honest, you were the best I could find.”

He snorted, easily allowing the change in tone without missing a beat. “I suppose that is not surprising. I have seen the guest list after all.”

“And again,” she shook her head, “I find myself wondering why you were on it. You don’t seem to like anyone here. Beyond that, you don’t seem like you even know half the people here.”

She expected him to give another non-answer, and in a sense, he did. “You’d have to ask Felicity that.”

Amber blinked in surprise. “And why is that?”

“She was the one who was invited. My name wasn’t even on the invitation.”

“Goodness! I can’t believe they would be so rude!”

“I can. It is hardly the first time something like this has happened. It tends to happen given how much more social she is than I am.”

“That isn’t saying much.”

“No, I suppose not.”

“Do you always come to parties or balls with her when she gets invited without you? I mean, it’s understandable if you do. I can understand how it would be improper if she went alone.”

“Balls, yes it would be most improper for her to go alone, but I don’t always go with her to smaller gatherings.”

“Then what made you decide to come with her this time?”

He hesitated. “I don’t know how to say this without coming across as rude.”

“Why are you worried about that now? You haven’t seemed to be concerned with it at any point leading up to this.”

He snorted. “I suppose I can understand why that feels true.”

“Exactly, so why don’t you just tell me.”

He sighed. “Very well. You’re right. Normally I wouldn’t come to something like this. It’s a small enough gathering that Felicity would be fine on her own, but I know very few people who were invited. More than that, the few I did know, I simply didn’t trust. I just came to make sure she was safe.”

Amber knew she should be offended, but her mind flashed to Simon, and something in her softened. “You’re a good brother.”

He rolled his eyes. “Laying it on thick, aren’t you? There’s no need.”

“I’m not. I mean it. I wish I had someone like that in my corner.”

Christopher studied her for a moment then smiled. “If you mean that?—”

“Of course, I mean it.”

“Then, thank you. I will try my best. Someone needs to look out for her.”