Page 10 of Forbidden Heart

“That’s me and singing.” I grin. I try to imagine myself without music, and I can’t. It’s ingrained in who I am. Even when Father told me I had to shut up or he’d smack me, I kept the music going silently in my head. I could never let it go.

I try to push away the mental image of Father, and pick up my phone. When I see the time, my eyes nearly bug out.

“What is it?” Angela asks at my horrified expression.

“The alarm! We didn’t hear the alarm!” It’s still running in the background, and it says that it went off twenty minutes ago. With a panicked cry, I race toward the door and fling it open. “We have to go. I need to get to the audition. I’m already late, and I can’t miss it!”

“Then go. I’ll pack up here and lock up,” Angela shouts after me as I race out of the apartment. “Tell me how they do!”

I wait impatiently for the elevator, and when I get outside, the clock tower shows that it’s almost fifteen minutes past seven. So does my phone.

As I race to the Giselle Albertina Dance Theatre, where JJ said the auditions are being held, my brain comes up with a song about a helpful mouse who lives in the clock tower. He jumps between the gears and pushes them apart with his little booted feet. He’s holding time still for the princess while she runs. Moving the arrows backwards for her so that with their combined efforts, maybe she won’t be late.

But this is real life, where the setting sun peeks between the buildings in a final blaze of orange and pink. It forms a halo around the clock tower, which still shows that it’s way past seven.

Only I could mess up this badly. Only I could promise to be somewhere a ten minute walk from the apartment and somehow end up half an hour late.

I feel fire under my feet. Like a rocket, I fly to the audition building. The world is a blur as I sprint across the concrete. I don’t dare slow down, even as my lungs catch fire. After all the dancing I’ve done with Angela, I’m exhausted, but I can’t miss the audition.

The dance theatre is right next to Becket Hall, where we’ve held all the rehearsals. Just as I race up the front steps, the buildings’ lights blink on, creating a dance of electric shadows and cheerful visual rhythms.

I burst through the front doors, spot a set of double doors labeled auditorium, and run toward them. I throw them open, race inside, and crash into a hard male chest.

Strong hands grab my shoulders and hold me in place. I look up and stare right into Silas’s scowling face.

“Watch where you’re going,” he sneers at me around the silver snake bite studs in his lower lip.

I open my mouth to apologize, but I’m so out of breath, no sound comes out.

“Roonie,” JJ exclaims, taking Silas’s place. He wraps an arm around my shoulder possessively and pulls me into his side.

“JJ...” I gasp. “I’m...” I don’t know what I’m trying to say. That just because we kissed doesn’t mean I like him more than Charles and Tate? That I didn’t mean to be late, but I’m glad I didn’t miss the audition and...

“Did I leave you speechless?” JJ winks at me.

He turns us slightly, and I notice Tate and Charles behind Silas. They’re both looking at JJ and me, so I quickly slip from under his arm as a huge blush warms my cheeks.

“Are you ready for the audition?” I ask, grinning. “I’m so glad I didn’t miss it. I—”

“You did miss it,” Silas snaps. “Our audition was at seven.”

“But—”

“Roo-roo! We made it!” Tate exclaims and wraps his strong arms around me in a huge hug.

“You mean you were accepted into the competition?” I whisper, but when I look for confirmation, for some reason my eyes land on Silas.

“We did,” he admits grudgingly, but there is warmth in his voice that sounds genuine.

“And we couldn’t have done it without your song,” Tate adds, squeezing me tighter, while Silas goes back to scowling.

I don’t have time to respond. Someone grabs me. I squeal as Charles lifts me and pulls me into a tight hug, too. When he sets me down, my head is spinning.

“I’m so sorry I missed it,” I tell the guys. “I really wanted to be here.”

“It was my fault for booking your massage so close to the audition. Charles said massages always make him fall asleep. Was that what happened, Roonie?”

I look away. Because I really should tell him I don’t like massages. But then he’ll know I missed their audition because I got distracted. Because I was dancing.