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."

near doubled, and I regretted holding it

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

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

a

does, that his arrival at your door might open the way. My presence was required

"True."

who

blushed a little. "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 so sweet and kind,

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

at it and

told her. "He wants to ask you

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

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

they did. Or even if that didn't matter to me, Mark would be throwing his whole life away with this. He can't be

about that," I told her. "Nicholas will find a way to get it to work. If

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

want to see him,"

the doorway. With Susie leading, we didn't need the butler to guide us

I couldn't help my smile. When she saw it, she smiled too,

matter, Prince Nicholas, as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He

*Susie..." her mom said.

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

word overflowing with

forward, moving closer to Susie's parents, closer

a deep bow. "Please allow me to marry your

both

with your daughter," Mark said. "I

her

touched

baby is mine. And I would raise it as my child, with

man," Nicholas said. "He is my