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,

room with your

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

laughed a little at

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

"True."

knew who I

little. "I talk about you

hug. How grateful I was to be in her life! Though how much it hurt to hear she

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

looked at

told her. "He wants to ask

up closer to her, to inspect it. She touched it with only

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

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

get it to work. If this is what

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

see him,"

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

Susie slid the ring onto her finger. I couldn't help my

as I've consistently said "Susie's father was saying. He cut himself off when Susie

*Susie..." her mom said.

Mark, and his on her. Then his

the word

to Susie's parents, closer than even

dropping into a deep bow. "Please allow

parents both went wide-eyed.

daughter,"

her condition!"

was quicker. She touched her husband's

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

is my Beta and a loyal man besides.