Page 44 of Forbidden Heart

“Oh no,” I moan.

“Is everything all right?” Anderson asks in surprise.

I nod, even though it’s not. Tate and Charles weren’t supposed to be here. They’ve done so much for me already, and I’ve been nothing but trouble since the day we met.

“Roonie!” JJ runs up to me. “Where are you hurt? Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“No. I’m fine.” I shake my head.

“You said you fell.” JJ turns to look at Tate and Charles. “She said she fell.”

“I did, but—”

“You said you broke something.” His eyes roam over my body—first my legs and then my arms—looking for damage.

“I—”

“Roonie, what did you break?” Tate pushes JJ aside and runs his hands up and down my arms.

“A box.”

“A box?” Charles frowns as he carefully maneuvers around the guys. Despite his size, he doesn’t crash into any of the display cases or knock any of the dainty items off the shelf. Still, I hold my breath until he makes it to where I’m standing. When he places a gentle hand on my shoulder, I exhale sharply.

“Did that hurt?” Charles demands.

“No. Nothing hurts. I’m fine. I swear.” I gesture at the broken box that Anderson set down on the counter. “I can’t say the same for this.”

“What is it?” JJ asks, frowning at it.

“It’s a 17th century carved gold jewelry box,” Charles says, picking it up. “You can tell by the design on the front. Very rare.”

I gulp.

“That’s absolutely right.” Anderson perks up. “How did you know that?”

Charles shrugs and scratches his beard. “It’s going to be a devil to fix, with that broken hinge. And the crack will always be visible.”

I moan.

“Roonie said she’s willing to work to pay it off,” Anderson steps in. “But I’m going to need—”

“You don’t have to work, Roonie,” Charles says, like the mere thought is distasteful. “Just put it on my tab.”

He reaches for his wallet, but I grab his hand, stopping him.

“I can’t let you pay for it.”

“Why the hell not?” Charles frowns.

“Because she’s going to let me pay for it,” Tate says. “My student number is—”

“No, Tate, please...” I try to argue, but the guys don’t listen.

“Roonie called me first,” JJ says. “So I should be the one to pay for it. I only told you two idiots because I thought she was hurt.”

“You’re not paying for it, JJ,” I tell him.

“I don’t care which one of you pays for it,” Anderson says, which starts the guys arguing all over again until he speaks up. “If it helps, I can split the price between the three of you.”