The room goes still. I think even Amber understands the importance of this moment. My mother’s mouth turns into a thin line as she stares back at me. I don’t speak and the room hangs on her reaction.
“I think,” she says slowly, “that maybe we ought to keep her here. For now.”
I let out a breath. Father nods his head, like that was what he was thinking the whole time.
“Absurd,” Uncle Ron mumbles, but not loudly. Nobody opens their mouths to disagree with my mother, though Hannah looks unhappy.
Lora grins at me and winks. I suspect she had something to do with this, but I don’t know what.
“Well, you heard your mother,” Father says. “She can stay for now. I don’t like those ads, but you’re right. If it’s as bad as you say, we can’t allow her to leave. Hamish is being dealt with, and not kindly, I might add. Though you did punish him enough, dear son.”
I smile at him. “Only what he deserved, dear father.”
“But she doesn’t stay forever,” Mother says. “If her father is as bad as you say, then we can go to the police. We have contacts all over the country we can use, if necessary. Her father will fight back, of course, but I suspect he won’t be much trouble once we get going.” She stands up suddenly. “I consider this matter over for now. Please stay out of trouble while you’re here.” She looks directly at Amber during that last bit.
Amber stands with some difficulty and nods. “I promise,” she says.
Mother nods back and leaves the room. Father stands up with a smile. “Well, that was fun. I’m retiring to the music room for some jazz and some drinks. Ron? Coming?”
“Yes, yes,” Uncle Ron grumbles. He follows his brother out of the room. Aunt Louise huffs and leaves as well, heading in the opposite direction.
Amber limps to my side. I put an arm around her shoulders. “You okay?”
“I’m okay,” she says.
“Well, I’m not.” Hannah stands. “It’s my name in this too, you know.”
I glare at her. “Enough from you.”
“Oh, yes, silence me. Very manly of you, Brent.”
I clench my jaw.
“Leave him be,” Collin says. “You should’ve seen Hamish’s face. It was pulverized.” He laughs loudly and jumps to his feet.
“Yes, well, I’m sure our big man over there can handle himself in a fight, no doubt, but it’s not his fighting I worry about. It’s everything else.”
“Why do you care so much?” I ask her.
“Despite what you may think, our name is worth something. And if that worth is called into question, well.” She hesitates and looks at me for a moment. “But you wouldn’t care about that, would you? You’re too far gone.”
“If you mean, I’m too independent and no longer sucking off the good graces of my parents, then yes.”
She smiles, a vicious little thing. “This is a mistake. That… pathetic girl should be thrown out. But of course, you’ll think with your dick instead of your brain.”
I let out a low growl, unable to help myself, which only seems to please Hannah. She waves and walks out, followed by Collin. He grins at me and shrugs, like he can’t do anything about it.
Lora slips off the couch and walks over. “She’s such a bitch,” she says.
Amber stifles a giggle and I smile. “You shouldn’t say that.”
“I know, but still.” She makes a face. “So stuck up.”
“She’s smart. That worries me.”
“Don’t be worried. Mom and Dad are on your side.”
“For now.”
“Hannah won’t do anything without their approval. Nobody will.” Lora smiles at Amber. “For what it’s worth, I put in a good word for you earlier with Mom. She can be hard to please but she’s not so bad underneath all those layers of upper crust bullshit.”
“Thank you,” Amber says. “Really. I know this is putting you all out and I hate myself for it.”
“Don’t. It’s always so boring around here.” Lora sighs dramatically. “I wish the others would come home. It’s always so much more interesting when we’re all together.”
“You mean, so much more dangerous?”
Lora’s eyes glint. “Exactly. Anyway, see you later.” She waves and walks off.
Her footsteps echo until she’s gone. I turn to Amber, alone in the room with her now.
“Sorry. I know that was… hard.”
“It wasn’t that bad. They’re right, you know.”
“They’re not right. They don’t know you.”
“That’s exactly it.” She puts a hand on my cheek. “You barely know me, too, you know.”
I reach back and take her hair in my fist. “I know you well enough.”
I kiss her softly. When the kiss breaks off, her cheeks are flushed.
“Listen,” she says. “Your family is right. You don’t owe me anything. I’m a liability. I don’t want to… I don’t want to get in the way.”
“They live in a particular world,” I say. “You need to understand that. It isn’t about you… it’s about them. It’s about what they want. Their little bubble.”