THE LUNA CHOOSING GAME - Season 6 Episode 70

Elva was a little shaken after the argument with Bridget, so I sat her between me and Veronica, who, when she saw the state Elva was in, began to cheer her up with small magic tricks. When Veronica made some colorful sparkles dance between her fingers, Elva finally brightened once more.

Jessica sat on the other side of me. She’d brought a book this morning, and placed it open beside her plate. It must have been a good book, because she seemed entirely engrossed. I made a mental note to ask her for a recommendation later.

The fifth chair at our table, the one meant for Julian, remained empty.

As the food began to be served and there was no sign of him, Veronica glanced at me with a question in her eyes. I didn’t know how to begin to answer her question.

Between Julian’s accusation of Bridget knowing Ronan, and Bridget’s accusation that Julian had a crush on me, the whole situation was a tangled knot I hadn’t untied.

*I’ll tell you later,” I mouthed.

Veronica nodded. Then her eyes went to the open door behind us. The way my chair was positioned, I couldn’t see what was there. When I turned, I saw that Nicholas had just arrived.

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Nicholas frowned as he looked at the empty chair at Bridget’s table, the one he was expected to sit in. Slowly, his gaze shifted to the empty chair at our table, the one Julian had seemed to abandon for today.

Nicholas glanced between the two for a moment, then appeared to make up his mind. He moved straight for the chair at my table and sat down.

Veronica gave him a kind look. “Good morning, Prince Nicholas.”

“Nick-lass!” Elva cheered. Her mood had entirely lifted now. “Good morning!”

“Good morning, Veronica. Elva.” He returned each of their kind expressions. Then his eyes fell on me. “Good morning, Piper,”

Nicholas’s smile for me was softer than for the others. It warmed me from the inside out, healing all the cuts that fighting with Bridget had sliced into me.

“Good morning,” I said, and felt my heat cheeks. It was silly. So often I interacted with Nicholas, yet each time, my heart raced as if it was the first time all over again. Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

I remembered how handsome he had been at the Academy. He was nothing like he was now, merely a boy back then. But his smile was kind and his eyes so focused on me. Many other things had changed from then to now, but not this. Never this.

From the other table, Bridget scowled openly at us.

After breakfast, I was worried about Julian. If the crush rumor was true, or even if it wasn’t, he and I needed to have a talk.

I left Elva in the care of Veronica, Nicholas, and the nanny, and then went in search of Julian, following his direction from when I had last seen him before breakfast.

I found him outside on the deck, drinking a bloody mary. He was leaning up against the railing, resting on his elbows, with his drink placed in the space between him. Leaning like he was, he could reach the long straw placed into his drink.

He looked miserable.

I didn’t say anything, just came up beside him and leaned on the railing beside him.

He was obviously having a difficult time accepting what had been said with Bridget.

I didn’t want him to worry, so I decided to give him an out.

“You don’t need to explain to me,” I said. “I know you don’t have a crush on me. I won’t believe Bridget’s lies.”

Truthfully, I was unsure if the crush was real or not. But I offered this olive branch in the hopes that the denial would make Julian feel better.

Instead, he shook his head.

“Piper,” he said. “They aren’t lies.”