The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0418

“Piper!” Nicholas called after me.

I continued walking, not slowing down until I was in the hallway, with the stage and all of the other candidates safely out of view. Then, I turned toward the wall and truly let the tears

fall.

I knew Nicholas wouldn’t give up his chase, even though I hoped he would. So I wasn’t, terribly surprised when he burst into the hallway like a bat out of hell. He looked up and down the hallway before spotting me, then, much slower, came to stand at my side.

“Piper,” he says softly.

I shied away from him, not wanting him to see the evidence of my heartbreak. I know the scene we played wasn’t real, but I couldn’t stop the wave of emotions running through me. The addition of my wolf wasn’t helping, as I now felt everything so keenly.

“Piper, I’m sorry,” Nicholas said. His voice was pitched low. The apology was for me only. He and I were the only ones who would know exactly why that scene we just performed would hurt me. “I’m so sorry. Believe me, I was only reading the script.”

“I know that,” I said through my sniffling.

He stepped closer to me. He pressed his hand to the small of my back. It felt so good there, I backed up into it a little.

“Then why are you crying?” he asked.

“It still hurt to hear those things,” I admitted. “But don’t worry. I’ll be fine by the final performance.” I would have to be, or risk my placement in the event’s rankings. If I wanted to stay in the competition for as long as possible, then I couldn’t just run away after every

scene.

“I don’t want you to have to be fine, Piper. I just want –

“Nicholas? Oh, there you are. You are needed on stage.” Bridget’s high heels click–clacked on the floorboards as she came closer to us. “Piper? Are you upset?”

“She just needs a little space,” Nicholas said. He turned, placing himself firmly between Bridget and me, likely to hide my crying.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Bridget said. “I see it all the time. Actors get so into character that it’s hard to come back out of it. Why, I even once cried in a bathroom for a full

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+15 BÔNUS

after a

her pocket and, sneaking past Nicholas, who let her by, handed the handkerchief

had this misunderstanding. I wouldn’t want her to know my heart

minutes before your next scene, Piper,” Bridget said. “Clean yourself

didn’t

back to him.

turned to me. “Piper…”

I told him. “I just need a

were drying up some now, I wanted him to

see that.

me. His expression did not shift as he glanced at the tear tracks on my

cheeks.

so I lied and said, “I kind of want to be alone, okay?”

didn’t quite believe me. But he couldn’t argue in front of Bridget, not without giving too much away. So he said, “Okay. But I’ll be looking for you

“Just give me a

and I start

“Fifteen.”

said, more firmly.

I sighed. “Ten.”

turned and went to Bridget. Bridget waved at me, before they both

ballroom.

of sight, I turned and booked

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little sofa tucked against the wall.

lavender. It had her initials embroidered on the corner. I hated how much I liked it. It was soft on my cheeks as I

without a knock. Thank God I was sitting

could have sworn I locked the

Julian sauntered in, I realized yeah, I probably had locked

bathroom?” I