The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0505 I fell asleep in Nicholas arms. It was the warmest, most comfortable I had felt in I couldn’t remember how long. With the sun creeping in through the blinds and I the sound of the ocean beating on the sand just outside the window, I was lulled to sleep like a happy baby in a cradle.

When I blinked awake, later, the sun was much lower in the sky and Nicholas was gone. I wasn’t surprised by his absence, but I did immediately miss him. The bed was so much colder with him, and without the sun.

I didn’t want to sleep anymore, alone. It helped that I was fully rested too.

I rolled out of bed and dressed in clean clothes. My previous linen ones had gotten wrinkled in my sleep. I tossed the dirty clothes into the hamper and then headed downstairs

The rest of the group was standing just ) outside of the dining room.

I “Mommy!” Elva called for me. She was holding Veronica's hand. Her free hand, I : : she waved at me enthusiastically.

{ Irushed over to them. They were standing, talking to Julian.

Julian flashed me a smirk as sharp as a dagger’s edge. “Have a good sleep, Piper?” I narrowed my eyes at him. I had no idea how he would know that Nicholas slept in my bed, but if anyone would have known, it would have been Julian. He seemed to have an innate ability to sense these things.

Even now, he read the truth in my reaction and just grinned wider, the absolute cad.

I ignored him as best 1 could, focusing on Elva and Veronica until we were let into

the dining room The seating arrangements were the same I as they had been before: Bridget and Nicholas were set at one table. Everyone I else was at another. They didn’t even bother setting a single place at a third I table for Jessica this time, rightly intuiting that we would have just invited her straight to our table instead.

Unfortunately, as we take our seats, noticed that the cameras were out in full force. Two different sets of camera crews watched us from all angles. They zoomed into our faces as we smiled, until those smiles turned awkward and fake.

The whole thing was such a chore. I knew that cameras and broadcasting to the public were part of the competition, but it felt like we had to be on all the time. We weren't allowed to make mistakes, or show too much of our true selves if we were having a bad day.

that was

days. Saying the wrong thing or projecting the

I forced down all my bad feelings and tried to project my true, happiest self. I was having an okay day now that I was rested and recovered and having a good meal with friends, so it wasn’t a difficult mask to wear. Hell, it wasn’t a mask at all! The table beside ours, however, was wrought with tension. As I watched, Bridget tried no less than

was so tense and awful, that Nathan

Then, I noticed, Bridget said something, 4 I and Nicholas’s gaze snapped up to-her: 1 had no idea what she said, but I

all pretended like we didn’t notice the scene. We continued eating quietly, casting each other curious side-eyed glances. Even Elva seemed

cleared my throat, very aware of the

“Uh, Julian,” I said.

and replied, “Yes, piper?” “You've, uh, visited the mer folk before, correct?” It

of at

I

center of attention, easily took the bait. His grin went

said. He placed down his fork so that he could use his hands to regale us with his tale. “It’s the real estate on the ocean floor. They have so much more space than us here up above.” He continued with hand gestures, eventually even mimicking some of

to make both me and

laugh.

do underwater,” Julian i explained, though he

up I here.” I Both Elva and I hang on

a common event, but for us, it sounds like something out of a

daughter seem to share in their

her head. I couldn’t deny it, so I didn’t bother. Instead, I was proud to share

were supposed to go on their romantic boat date. They were clearly still