THE LUNA CHOOSING GAME - Season 5 Episode 82

1 followed Julian back up the beach, but when he returned to the mansion, I veered back to the bonfire. By now, the fire was dying down. Veronica and Jessica were sitting with their backs to it, facing the ocean. They each had a glass of wine and a marshmallow in hand. The opened bag sat between them.

I walked over to them. “Where’s Nicholas?” “He went inside soon after you left,” Veronica said.

“He didn’t even say goodnight,” Jessica added.

“It’s been a long day today,” Veronica told her.

Jessica shrugged. “True.” “Why don’t you join us for a while, Piper?” Veronica added.

I looked back at the mansion, where Julian and just disappeared inside. I tried to imagine myself going to my room and trying to sleep. With the thought of that kiss in the front of my mind, sleep didn’t seem likely.

“Okay,” I said, and plopped myself down onto the soft sand on the other side of Veronica. She grabbed the bag of marshmallows and held it out for me. I accepted one and plopped it in my mouth. Ah, sugar! So sweet and delicious.

Jessica sipped at her wine. “What a night. I can’t believe Bridget got so drunk.”

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“She’s probably used to being on camera,” I said. “It must have been somewhat freeing for her to not have to worry about that for a change.” Although I wished she had used her new freedom in a way that didn’t involve asking me such probing, unnecessary questions.

“Some people don’t handle freedom well,” Veronica said. “They are so unaccustomed to it, that once they have it, they have no idea what to do with it.” “T don’t think she behaved all that terribly,” Jessica said. “I mean, sure, she probably should have switched to water for a bit there, but…” Jessica sipped at her own wine. Everyone was a little bit tipsy tonight. Maybe that made her bold. “Bridget was only asking aloud what we were all

thinking.” “T’wasn’t thinking it,” Veronica said Jessica rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Come on, Veronica. You must wonder too.” “Wonder what?” I asked, unsure.

Wait… she didn’t mean…? “Which of the two princes do you actually love?” Jessica asked.

My body froze, while my heart began to pound wildly in my chest.

“Jessica,” Veronica said in a warning kind of way.

“Well, okay, maybe love is a bit extreme,” Jessica admitted. “That’s probably where Bridget pushed too far.

But shouldn’t we know which of the

two princes you are pursuing, Piper?” I didn’t know how to answer that. My tongue felt too big for my mouth every time I tried to reply.

“They both selected you at the elimination ceremony,” Jessica said.

With my continued silence, she rambled. “And Bridget wasn’t lying.

You say you are dating Julian, but you are wearing Nicholas’s clothes. It just seems unfair to try to corner both at the same time. That’s all I mean…” “She’s not after Joyce,” Veronica said, like that was all that should have mattered to Jessica. Maybe it was.

Jessica tilted her head. “True.” Veronica gave me a questioning look. I knew what it meant. She was asking if 1

needed a rescue. If I needed her to, she’d likely shift the conversation away from this question and to something else that would interest Jessica enough to forget it.

But, as I thought over Jessica’s words, maybe I was being unfair to the other girls. To anyone on the outside, it certainly seemed like I was playing the field, instead of sticking in my own lane. From Jessica’s point of view, she might have right to worry that I would try to steal her prince, too.

Of course, I knew that was nonsense.

Joyce was not someone I would ever want to date.

The others though…

The phantom touch of Julian’s kiss still lingered on my lips. Our friendship had seemed to cross over into something

complicated, though he had said we’d never speak of it again. He was hurting tonight. Maybe in the morning, he would be back to normal and we could return to the way things were.