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."

of the ring in my pocket near doubled, and I regretted holding

are down in the sitting room with your parents,"

away. If your parents wouldn't have let

a little at

did anything drastic. Nicholas had a plan, as he always does, that his arrival at your door might open

"True."

knew who I was..." I

"I talk about you

pulled her into another hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was

the ring from my pocket. "Mark told me to give you this." I held my palm out

looked at it and

I told her. "He wants to ask

and held it up closer to her, to inspect it. She

her face, softening all of her features. Then, in the next, she began to cry again. "What's the

matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with this. He can't be Nicholas's

I told 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

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

want to see him,"

nodded and we both headed for the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't need the butler to guide us back downstairs to

help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled too, though hers

I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie and I returned to the

*Susie..." her mom said.

on her. Then his gaze dropped to

the word overflowing

to Susie's parents, closer than even Nicholas was

bow. "Please allow me

both went

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

don't know of her

She touched

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

said. "He is my Beta and a loyal