Nicholas continued to stare at me, waiting for my answer. He seemed entirely unbothered by the gathered crowd of their assumptions.
“Piper?” he asked, when I hesitated.
“Of course we can speak,” I said.
Nodding, he turned.
“If you will excuse me,” I said, first to Julian and then to the gathered crowd. Then I darted to follow in Nicholas’s shadow. He had already started walking away.
When we were far enough out of earshot, I moved from Nicholas’s shadow to his side.
“Those girls are the same ones who have made assumptions about us… I’m afraid your request might have added more fuel to the fire,” I said.
“I need to speak with you. Did you want me to wait until after the ball?”
“No, of course not. But those girls… and probably others…” I stepped closer to him and lowered my voice.
