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I hoped they didn’t have the same intentions with Amber as they’d had with me. Deep down, I knew I couldn’t stop them by myself… But judging by their looks, all of them seemed disturbed by her presence there. All of them except for Ellis, who rushed up the stairs after us and grabbed Amber’s forearm.
“Actually, her room’s in the other wing of the house,” he said with an easy smile. “She’ll be more comfortable there. I’ll show her to it now.”
“Can Harlow come?” Amber asked innocently, and my heart panged again.
I hadn’t heard my name from anyone but Ellis, and I craved to hear it again. Yet I was worried about her, convinced she’d get herself into trouble if she kept going like that. I waited anxiously for him to answer her. The truth of the matter was, I wouldn’t be going anywhere without Ellis’ approval.
“Of course she can come,” Ellis said with a laugh, but I could hear the edge in his voice.
I’d be punished for this later.
We left towards the east wing, and my heart pounded as we put some distance between the other girls and ourselves. On an instinct, I took Amber’s hand and squeezed it tightly with mine. She returned the squeeze and gave me a surprised little smile. There was no time to explain. Soon, she would know, and then there would be no escaping. Not even the dream of it.
18
Harlow
Amber’s room was similar to mine, yet with differences that told me she wouldn’t be a prisoner there, not like I was.
There were no bars on her windows, for one thing, and she was told she was free to roam the house as much as she wanted. She was thrilled to see the beach, and envy cut through me like a sharp knife. Would I ever see the beach while I was there? Now, I had double the responsibility. If I was going to get out of there, I’d have to take Amber with me. I couldn’t willingly leave her behind, I loved her too much for that, and I’d never be able to forgive myself.
She was so innocent, exclaiming at everything in the room with excitement. It was hard to picture her being the same age as me. I’d changed so much in my time at the Mansion.
She couldn’t get over the room. The beautiful furnishings, the books adorning the shelves, the view… Everything was so special, so beautiful to her. I wondered how long it would take her to find out what they really did there. I hoped for her sake she would be able to retain some of her innocence.
“I’m so happy they chose me to come here,” Amber told me with a sparkle in her eye. “I was never as good as you or Carina… But now I can finally train and become so much better. I’ll make you proud of me, Harlow, you’ll see.”
I gave her a small smile as she plopped down on the bed. Ellis was running an errand, but a guard was standing outside of Amber’s room. I figured we had all kind of come together against all odds, trying to preserve this poor girl’s innocence. We didn’t want her to understand what was really going on, and we banded together to ensure she didn’t find out.
“Tell me,” I said softly. “What’s going on back at home?”
She had so much to tell me. I was thrilled to hear the stories, so happy to be transported back into the world of ballet that I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Amber noticed it too, and she scooted closer to me, taking my hand in hers.
“Is everything all right?” she asked me softly. “I’m worried about you, you know. You seem… I don’t know, so different here. Almost like you’re a different person.”
What on earth was I supposed to tell her? Of course I was a different person.
“It’s great here,” I told her with a brave smile. “You’re going to love it. I think I’m just tired, maybe I should go back to my room…”
I was hesitant to leave her, not wanting her to fall into the wrong hands. But then I realized the only person either of us should be afraid of wasn’t even there at the moment. Ellis was gone, and I knew we had some time before he came back. He would no doubt seek me out first, so he could see my reaction to him kidnapping my friend.
“I’ll be okay,” Amber reassured me with a perfect smile. Her front teeth had a gap between them, and it made my heart hurt. It made her look even more innocent, even younger than she really was. “I promise, Harlow. Please don’t worry. But come back later? I want to tell you everything that’s happened since you’ve been gone.”
