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

and caring for Elva,

become, brought all those feelings crashing

+15 BONUS

couldn’t help but wonder if I was misremembering the past. Maybe he’d

I wasn’t that

adding some bite to my own voice. The hurt

mistake, and I intend to correct

woman who ever dared to break up with me. Piper.

the sitting room, and then out into the parlor. I thought he might slam

Elva continued resting, undisturbed.

to hate him. So

he liked children. He’d been kind to Elva. He didn’t take any of his misconceptions about me out

hate

my knees beside the couch where Elva

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

a nice

reality. My reality was very far from these golden fixtures and

was wasting time, staying here. I needed to go home and look for another job, as

I

on the cushion. I was so drained,

own eyes

Excuse me,

blinked open

over 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

was already disappearing

me with curious eyes. “Is it time for

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

Luna are talking.”

“Okay”

my arms and

family was standing atop

The three princes flanked his other

did on the bills in my purse. He was pale with hollowed out

and his voice camed far,

calming the crowd and gaining their attention “Congratulations on

very pleased by your presence and look forward to becoming more acquainted over the coming

whispered something