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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a

who let her by, handed the handkerchief to me. I looked at it for a moment,

was a good thing that she had this misunderstanding. I wouldn’t want her to know my heart was actually breaking a little.

next scene, Piper,” Bridget said. “Clean yourself up, and then meet

didn’t move.

she called back

turned to me.

him. “I just

him. My tears were drying

see that.

shift as he glanced

cheeks.

he wouldn’t leave unless I actually demanded it, so I lied and said, “I kind of want to be

argue in front of Bridget, not without giving too much away. So he said, “Okay. But I’ll be looking

be there,” I said. “Just give me a few minutes.”

and I start looking,” he

“Fifteen.”

said,

I sighed. “Ten.”

more, but then he turned and went to Bridget. Bridget waved at

ballroom.

of sight, I turned and booked it toward

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with a small little sofa tucked against the wall. I immediately flopped down

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

Thank God I was

have sworn I locked the

sauntered in, I realized yeah, I probably had locked

bathroom?” I asked as he plopped down