Page 11 of Forbidden Heart

“Hey, it’s no big deal.” JJ wraps his arm around me. “It wasn’t a performance, just an audition, and we did great. You missed the critique, but we can sum it up.”

“The panel said the song could have showcased our voices better,” Silas says with a scowl. “They thought it sounded like it was written for someone else.” Suspicion leaks from Silas’s voice.

“That’s because we used one of Roonie’s old songs.” Tate takes my hand and squeezes, seemingly oblivious to the fact that JJ still has his arm wrapped around me. “And like JJ said, it was just an audition.”

JJ grins. “So now, let’s celebrate!”

Chapter 5

“I’ll get us a table at Chez Caviar,” Charles says as we exit the dance building.

“Anything but that!” Tate cries with mock horror.

JJ grins. “Let’s head back to the apartment. I’ll order a bunch of food on the way, and I bought something special to celebrate.”

“Is it cake?” I ask hopefully, and Charles laughs and pulls me closer into his side.

“If you want cake, we can order cake,” JJ says while Tate moves to my other side and takes my hand in his. JJ stares at us for several seconds and then shrugs and takes the lead. Silas walks behind us, and I can feel his eyes boring into me.

The guys cheerfully recap the audition as we walk back to the suite—all but Silas. When we get inside, Tate grabs my arm and spins me around. I automatically move my hips the way Angela showed me, and Tate’s gaze drifts down.

His eyes bore into me, and he grabs my hands and pulls so I trip into his chest with a soft gasp.

“Did I hurt you?” Tate asks, and I shake my head against his chest. The scent of him fills my nostrils, and I inhale deeply.

“My turn,” Charles says, taking Tate’s place and pulling me into his arms. With one hand, he takes out his smartphone and uses it to activate the suite’s sound system. Triumphant orchestral music choruses through the air.

I’m instantly transported to a ballroom where Charles is the Beast and I’m his princess. Except a second later, the music changes to a fast beat.

Charles stops mid-step, his lips turned down beneath his beard. We both look around, and Tate holds up his phone and smirks at Charles.

Then I notice a dark figure to our right. Silas, leaning against the back of the couch, scowling at the room at large... and then at me. I gulp.

His eyes are narrowed, his lips turned down, and I can’t take my eyes off his snake bite piercings as I dance with Charles. They give Silas the look of a fanged werewolf, poised and ready to rip my throat out at any moment.

Nervously, I mentally focus my attention on the spot above my collarbone, where Mom’s necklace used to be. Except it’s still in pieces on JJ’s nightstand.

I glance back at Silas. I should say something, remind him that they passed the audition and he has no reason to scowl. But my throat dries up, and I can’t get the words out. They’re like grains of sand falling between the fingers of a clenched fist. Some songwriter I am. I have nothing to say when I need words the most.

“Let’s not let success get to our heads,” Silas says pointedly. “For all we know, Roonie’s song was a fluke.”

“C’mon, Silas,” Tate groans. “Don’t be like that.”

Silas shrugs. “I’m just saying, I want to win. Not get distracted.”

“We can afford to celebrate our victories, as long as we keep working hard.” Charles says, all seriousness. “I believe it was Aristotle who said—”

“I don’t care about fucking Aristotle,” Silas mutters. “I care about a cappella.”

“We all care about a cappella,” Tate says. “That’s why we’re here, remember?”

“And we deserve to celebrate,” JJ adds, pulling me away from Charles and into a spin.

His warm hands and gentle grip guide me in circles around the cozy space, but I can’t enjoy it. Not when I’m remembering our kiss and the way I betrayed Charles and Tate.

I pull away from JJ, and he instantly lets go. He watches me for a second and then winks and gives my hair a tug. “Food should be here any minute now.”

Soon, delivery people start to arrive. There’s someone from Pizza al Volo, Chez Caviar, a burger joint, and a bakery. We eat a little bit of everything, and when we’re done, JJ gets to his feet. “How about some Champagne to celebrate?”