When she slipped, her feet shooting out from under her, I caught her instantly, pulling her into my arms as she let out a startled laugh. Her small body was warm against mine, and I felt the weight of her trust in my embrace.
“I told you I wouldn’t let you fall,” I said softly, my breath catching for a moment as I realized how much she had come to mean to me.
She tilted her head back, looking up at me with wide eyes full of gratitude. “You always keep your promises, don’t you?”
I had never been more sure of anything in my life. “Always.”
But in that moment, something else stirred inside me, something deeper. A feeling I couldn’t shake. Amber was more than just my friend, more than just someone I wanted to protect. She was my heart. And no matter how many times I tried to push it aside,
