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."

ring in my pocket near doubled, and I regretted holding it

here, you know. Mark. And Nicholas both. They are down in the sitting room with your

think anything would have kept him away. If your parents wouldn't have let him inside, he would have scaled the walls and climbed through your

laughed a little

your door might open the way. My presence was required for this. It is, after all, more likely they'd let me in to

"True."

who

"I talk about you often. You

her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she had such a hard time getting friends. She was so sweet and kind, she deserved so many more than

me to give you this." I held my palm out with

at it and

told her. "He wants to ask

closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only her fingertips, treating it as a precious, rare,

Then, in the next, she began to cry again. "What's the matter?" I asked

didn't matter to me, Mark would be

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

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

want to see him,"

for the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't need

Susie slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled too, though hers was

said "Susie's father was

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

word overflowing with

forward, moving closer to Susie's parents,

into a deep bow. "Please allow me to marry

both

your daughter," Mark said. "I cannot live

know of her condition!" Susie's

She touched

would raise it as my child, with Susie

Nicholas said. "He is my