The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 5

Nicholas held Elva safe and secure in his arms as he stood to his full height. Elva buried her face into the corner of his neck and shoulder. He gently patted her back.

He glanced down at Elva, his gaze so tender that it made my heart clench.

“There, there,” he whispered. “You are safe now.”

“Oh my God,” said one of the other girls in the room, fanning herself. “Of course he’s good with children.”

“Someone pinch me,” said another. “I think I’m dreaming.”

Nicholas’s soft expression hardened as he glared out at the rest of the room. “Whose child is this? Why is she here?”

I started forward, but the girl in the pink dress spoke before I could reach him.

“An outsider sneaked in, unless she’s a maid.”

Some of the other girls snickered at my expense.

“She can’t be a participant,” another girl fake-whispered, loud enough for half-the room to hear. “I thought we had to be virgins, and she’s got a kid.”

I wanted to disappear into a corner. Whether virgin or not, I was nothing compared to the rest of these girls.

My clothes weren’t as nice as theirs, and my figure wasn’t like what it had been at the Academy. I’d lost much of my musculature. I was skinny from too many nights of skipped dinners.

Elva’s wellbeing had always come before my own.

Her sake was the only reason I continued forward rather than hide in embarrassment. I stopped only when I reached Nicholas.

He looked at me, and I looked at him.

I’d forgotten how gorgeous his eyes were, golden brown with flakes of green. When we’d dated, I had spent hours looking at them, trying to memorize that color, but it had seemed different each time.

Before, when I’d stared long enough, I could earn a bashful smile from him. Now, his face was totally devoid of emotion. He looked at me like I was a stranger.

Did he… not recognize me?

I had changed, sure, but not enough to become unrecognizable. Unless he truly had sealed me away in his past and moved on, never once looking back.

to save face. I could be a great embarrassment to

Maybe he hated me.

the outsider.” The girl in pink

his voice was monotone. Another moment of staring at me blankly, then he turned and walked

I followed him. He led me to

please remember that

to look at the man, who nervously backed up

an

The man bowed twice

A servant stepped forward and closed the door behind us, leaving

might be sick. I had never imagined I’d meet Nicholas again, and

see

at ease against his chest. She must have cried herself to sleep, eyes closed and

toward Nicholas, and at once, his perfect façade cracked. He frowned. His

Elva, his arm looped

my child from

to a stop. I blinked once, twice, but, no, I couldn’t make sense

Eloquently, I said, “Huh?”

his arms. She was three years

been so young then, too

was when he’d climaxed. But, hadn’t he been wearing a

seemed to slide into bewilderment. His gaze shifted, like he was trying to remember

said, hoping to give

from him would have been a

name. But

widened a moment, before the anger

wanted to say, he seemed to struggle to get it out. He swallowed

between me and

twin sister. But I wouldn’t tell that to Nicholas. Elva was mine in every way that mattered.

to answer some unspoken question

What

stirred his arms, and he immediately cut off the

he lowered Elva down onto one

be mad at Mommy,” came Elva’s quiet

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255