"Does the committee know the Lightkeeper is a hypocrite?"
I wrapped my arm around Ember's shoulders and pushed through the crowd, ignoring the shouts and the cameras flashing on all sides.
She kept her head down, her body rigid with tension, and I felt rage building in my chest at the cruelty of strangers who knew nothing about us or our situation.
My car was parked in the staff lot fifty yards away.
The distance felt endless being accompanied by jeers and the clicks of camera shutters.
When we finally reached it, I opened the passenger door and helped Ember inside before circling to the driver's side.
The moment I pulled out of the lot, leaving the protesters behind, the tension in the car became suffocating.
Ember stared out the window without speaking, hands clenched in her lap, and I drove toward my brownstone without asking, knowing she needed somewhere safe to decompress.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I should have anticipated they'd be there. Should have used a different exit."
I turned onto the highway and kept glancing at her.
Her expression was so tight, I thought she was angry with me.
"It's not your fault," she mumbled.
"It feels that way." I ran a hand through my hair. "I could’ve gotten you out of all of this."
She shifted uncomfortably and loosened her coat. "Your father was right. I'm destroying your reputation just by existing in your life."
"My father is a bitter man who measures worth by impossible standards." I sighed and glanced at her again, noticing defeat on her face now. "Don't let his poison become your truth."
"Everyone sees me as a problem, Nate." I could hear the emotion in her voice. "Maybe they're right."
"They're not right." Nearing my exit, I flicked on my turn signal and merged while trying to figure out what to say.
"You're not a problem, Ember. You're an incredible woman." It was fine when they were targeting me, but now they were going after her and it was killing me.
"Why?" she whimpered as I turned off the exit onto my street. "Why are you willing to risk everything for me?"
"Because you're worth it." I didn’t even have to think about that answer. "When I'm with you, I’m happy. Isn't that enough?"
The words hung between us, more honest than I'd planned to be but impossible to take back.
Her eyes widened, tears spilling over and tracking down her cheeks.
"Nate." My name came out like a broken sob, and I let her think about what I said as I parked and walked around the car to open her door.
We walked inside, and I was grateful there weren't any reporters on my lawn today.
She told me about her chat with her landlord and how the reporters were harassing other tenants.
I almost asked her to just move in with me, and I would’ve if I knew it wouldn’t make things worse.
Inside, I helped her out of her coat and hung hers by mine, and as I went to the kitchen for a glass of water for her, she curled onto the couch in a ball, making her oversized sweater look even baggier.
She looked pitiful and tiny, and all I wanted to do was comfort her.
I set the water on the coffee table, but as soon as I sat down next to her, she climbed onto my lap.
All I could do was wrap my arms around her and hold her.
