The Luna Choosing Game

Chapter 0622

The butler showed me to Susie's room, and then quickly excused himself outside of her door. When he was gone, I knocked.

"Go away!" Susie called in a watery voice. She was crying.

I knocked more insistently as I pushed open the door.

*I said -* she started, cutting herself off she say me. "Piper?"

"Hi, Susie," I said.

"Oh, Piper!" She was sitting at her desk, the tears running down her cheeks. As I entered the room, closing the door behind me, she jumped from the chair and ran to me.

We shared a hug. Relief flooded through me.

I stepped back after a moment, to look her over. She didn't seem too worse for wear. Other than the crying, she didn't show any signs of abuse or neglect.

"What are you doing here?" Susie sniffed. "I'm sure word has gotten around by now."

*Rumors don't matter. Come back to palace."

*If you've heard the rumors, you know why I can't."

"Everyone will forget, the moment you appear. They'll all just think it's gossip and it won't matter," I say. "Since Jessica is the only other contender for Joyce, you wouldn't even have to face elimination."

*Piper," she sounded so sad. "I can't come. It's just not rumors. My parents... They know the truth about me."

*How could they?" I asked. She wasn't showing yet. Sure they might suspect, but to have real proof?

"I told them," Susie said.

I startled, speechless.

"I didn't want to lie anymore about any of it," Susie said. "I don't want to have to pretend to have feelings for Joyce, when the only one I really want is Mark."

pocket near doubled,

They are down in the sitting room with your parents," I said. Susie's

have let him inside,

laughed a

door might

"True."

knew who I was..."

"I talk about you often. You were my

it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she

told me to give you this." I held my palm

at it and

it's overdue," I told her. "He wants to ask you

ring from my palm and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it

face, softening all of her features. Then, in the

she said. "And even if they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be

her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If this is what you want, Susie, you can't let it get away. You have to follow your

away the tears. She continued looking at the ring for another minute or two,

to see him,"

we didn't need the butler to guide us

finger. I couldn't help my

said "Susie's father was saying.

*Susie..." her mom said.

his on her. Then his gaze dropped to her hand, where she'd already put

the word overflowing with

to Susie's parents, closer than

dropping into a deep bow. "Please

both went

in love with your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot live without

don't know of her

was quicker. She touched her husband's arm. "He

Mark confirmed. "The baby is mine. And I would raise it as my child, with

my