Page 49 of Fractured Heart

Silas’s presence doesn’t help. I’m too familiar with his angry expression, the fiery glare and the posture of a man ready for a fight. I’ve seen Father become possessed with anger a million times and I whimper in fear.

Silas’s eyes narrow, but my three princes edge a bit closer, making me feel safe.

“Fine.” Silas bites his lower lip and my eyes lock on his piercings. “I apologize if you got upset.”

It feels more like an insult, yet he speaks the words as though they taste bitter.

“That’s not an apology.” JJ moves closer to my side and gives a strand of my hair a tug. “I wouldn’t accept that if I were you.”

Silas’s eyes blaze but he clearly wants to smooth things over with the guys. He takes a few deep breaths and then spits, “I’m sorry, Roonie.”

I don’t know what to say. I don’t even know if I can bring myself to speak. Then, a warm hand squeezes my shoulder and I feel grounded again. I look up at Tate gratefully.

“Do you accept his apology, Roo Roo?” He asks.

Do I? If I say yes, Silas will think I’m too stupid to see how much he resents me. If I say no, then I’m the one ‘trying to start shit’ as Silas put it.

“It’s completely up to you, Roonie,” Charles says gruffly.

I try to speak but my voice fails me. I can’t open my mouth for fear that I’ll drown in the tension around me. The timing is terrible, but for some reason, my thoughts turn to mermaids. If they can’t drown in the sea, can they drown on land? Is that what’s happening to me right now?

Silas sighs impatiently.

“Good thinking.” JJ’s eyes twinkle. At the question in mine, he adds. “If I were you, I’d wait a couple of days. Make him grovel.”

“I’m not…” my voice barely comes out above a whisper, my eyes pleading.

JJ winks. Charles chuckles. And Tate squeezes my shoulder again.

“Can we just get this over with?” Silas demands. “I apologize. There.”

“Okay,” I tell him. Not because I accept his insincere apology but because I just want this moment to end. I don’t think Silas even hears me, my words are that faint, but he sees my nod.

“Glad we got that out of the way,” he mutters, then quickly raises his hand to placate my glaring princes. “Can we just please focus on rehearsal?”

“Give us a minute?” JJ asks. Without waiting for a response, he adds, “I need to borrow Roonie.”

He winks at me and pulls me out into the hall. Tate follows. So does Charles.

As soon as I’m out of Silas’s range, my voice returns. “You guys should go back in there. You already missed half the rehearsal because of me.”

The guys all give me odd looks. Tate shrugs. “We’re only a few minutes late. It’s no big deal.”

I glance at the time on my borrowed phone and turn the screen toward him. “I thought it started at two?”

“Crap.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Bookings always start 15 minutes past the hour. Everything on campus does: classes, tutorials, club meetings. I’m so used to it, I didn’t think to mention it.”

“It’s fine.” And entirely my fault. If I’d been a student here, I’d have known. It’s yet another reminder that I don’t belong.

“Come on.” JJ takes my hand and pulls me down the hall.

“Where are we going?”

“There are washrooms just around the corner. I thought you might want to get cleaned up.”

Dejectedly, I nod. I must look like a complete mess.

When we reach the door, JJ stops and leans closer. “Want me to go in with you?”