The Luna Choosing Game

“How long did you wait, Piper? A week? Two? It couldn’t have been long.”

He sounds like he’s jealous. Or was that an illusion? He doesn’t care about me and is just mad at me.

Maybe the latter is more logical.

His dark eyes burned into me, leaving my heart in scorched tatters. Never in a thousand years would i

have thought Nicholas would be so vicious to me.

“It wasn’t like that.” I said, to try to defend myself.

He crossed his hands over his chest. He wasn’t going to listen to me,

“Why even come here?” he asked me.

“My application was selected…”

“Why even apply? Were you trying to get to me?”

“No,” I said.

“Maybe you regret your child’s father. Maybe you want me back.” He laughed once, bitterly. “Like you

have a chance.”

The words sliced into me as surely as if he’d been holding a knife. He had changed since I’d known him.

Three w

years ago, he’d been kind and patient. I’d given him my heart and he’d gently cradled it. So many

nights, we’d laid under the stars, trading kisses and stories.

Once, when he’d spent all night looking at me, I had told him, “You’re missing the

starlight.”

He’d replied, “I can see it in your eyes.”

The man before me now was nothing like the one I had known. The man here was arrogant, indifferent. and imposing in how he carried himself.

Breaking up with him had never been something I wanted to do. It hurt me still, thinking upon it, so I had tried to push it to the back of my thoughts

work, and caring for Elva, that I could successfully distract myself from the pain of

and seeing what he had become, brought all those feelings crashing back

+15 BONUS

help but wonder if I was misremembering the

I wasn’t that young, innocent

whatever you want,” I said, adding some bite to my own

is a mistake, and I intend

along my spine. “You are the only woman who

into the sitting room, and then out into the parlor. I thought he might slam the door behind him, as enraged as he was, but instead,

Elva continued resting, undisturbed.

to hate him. So

might be a cruel, insensitive bastard but he liked children. He’d been kind to Elva. He

hate

beside the couch where

Elva would have been our child. If we had stayed together, maybe he would have revealed his secret in time. Maybe the

was a nice

wasn’t reality. My reality was very far from these golden fixtures and expensive

staying here. I needed to go home

I

beside Elva’s on the cushion. I was so drained, from the trip, from seeing

own eyes

me Excuse me,

blinked open my

me. I beg your pardon, miss, but the King Luna, and princes have arrived, I suggest you hurry to

my eye. “Wait, there’s been

he was already disappearing

the couch, watching me with curious eyes.

have to be quiet

Luna are talking.”

“Okay”

pulled Elva into my arms

royal family was standing atop some type of

side. The three princes flanked his other

looked older than he did on the bills in my purse. He was pale with

his voice camed far, like he was

the crowd and gaining their attention “Congratulations on

are very pleased by your presence and look forward to becoming

in and whispered