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

for Elva, that I could

he had become, brought all those feelings crashing back

+15 BONUS

wonder if I was misremembering the past. Maybe he’d never been kind. Maybe I had been too naïve

that young,

I said, adding some bite to my

and I intend

said, so coldly that a chill ran along my spine. “You are the only woman who ever dared to break up with

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

Elva continued resting, undisturbed.

to hate him.

bastard but he liked children. He’d been kind to

to hate him,

sunk to my knees beside

together, maybe he would have revealed his secret in time. Maybe the three of us could have been

a

My reality was very far from these golden fixtures

time, staying here. I needed to go home and look

I

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

my own eyes slid

me Excuse

open

nervous official hovered over me. I beg your pardon, miss, but the King Luna, and princes have arrived, I suggest you

rubbed the sleep from my eye.

he was already disappearing out

sat up on the couch, watching me with curious eyes. “Is it time for more pretty

gave her my softest smile. It is. We have to be quiet though, okay? No one can talk when

Luna are talking.”

“Okay”

into my

standing atop some

on one side. The three

bills in my purse. He was pale

himself well and his voice camed far, like he was accustomed

and gaining their attention “Congratulations on having

for this monumental event. We are very pleased by your presence and look forward to becoming more acquainted over the coming

and whispered something