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

focus on like work, and caring for Elva, that I could successfully distract myself from the pain

with him now and seeing what he had become, brought all those feelings crashing back into Tome so hard, they

+15 BONUS

help but wonder if I was misremembering the past. Maybe

wasn’t that young, innocent

said, adding some bite to my

mistake, and I

the only woman who ever dared

left me, then, walking out into the sitting room, and then out into the parlor. I thought

Elva continued resting, undisturbed.

wanted to hate him.

insensitive bastard but he liked children. He’d been kind to Elva. He didn’t take any of his

hate him,

sunk to my knees beside the couch

would have been our child. If we had stayed together, maybe he would have revealed

was a nice

My reality was very far

time, staying here. I needed to go home

I

rested my head beside Elva’s on the cushion. I was

own

me Excuse

open

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

sleep from my eye. “Wait, there’s

disappearing

watching me with curious eyes. “Is

my softest smile. It is. We have to be quiet though, okay? No

Luna are talking.”

“Okay”

pulled Elva into my arms and camed

the parlor, the royal family was standing atop some type of stage The King

one side. The three princes flanked his other

the bills in my purse. He was pale with hollowed out cheeks,

far, like he was accustomed

crowd and

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

in and whispered something