The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0443

“Hi, Piper!” Susie said, suddenly rushing past me. “Bye, Piper!” She took the stairs of the stage.

Bridget’s gaze never left mine. She didn’t say anything more, just winked at me, then turned to follow Susie up the stairs.

I stared after her for a few long moments, shaken inside and out. Just what had Bridget meant by that? A true kiss of passion, she’d said. With Nicholas?

No. I couldn’t believe it. Nicholas had said he won’t kiss anyone he didn’t want to, and I couldn’t let Bridget’s words shake my faith and trust in him.

But what if Bridget was someone he wanted to kiss. The lights of the stage could be intoxicating, and Bridget was a good actress. If anyone could convince a man to kiss her, it would be Bridget.

My stomach twisted into tight knots. Maybe I shouldn’t watch at all. Maybe I should just return to the sitting room with Elva and wait for Susie to tell me what happened.

Yes, that was what I would do. Decided, I turned away from the stairs, only to notice a figure lingering at the other side of the backstage, half in shadow. No one really went to that side, since this side was far more convenient.

Yet I recognized that shadvenient

Julian.

My worries dimmed a little under the wave of determination that rolled over me now. I still needed to talk to him, and here he was. We could speak privately there, and an escape would not be easy for him.

Resolved, I started toward him.

Onstage, the scene began, with Bridget talking to Susie. Susie delivered her one line. Her voice trembled with obvious fear, yet she still managed to say the words. I was proud of her. I would tell her later. But for now…

“Julian, we need to talk,” I said.

Julian didn’t even glance at me. His eyes were glued to the stage.

“Julian,” I said, more forcefully.

Did he just

view of the stage. Face

to watch this scene as much as I wanted to avoid it. Was he some kind of masochist? Liked the pain? Or was this way of dealing with the potential rejection? Did he need to see Bridget and Nicholas interact

his way, if this was what he felt he

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put it past him to try to sneak away again. So I reached out and clenched his wrist in a vice grip. If he wanted to escape me, he’d have to break my hold. That would be

romantic words with Bridget. The scene made my stomach clench no matter how many times I witnessed it.

before. It wasn’t like him

want the truth about what happened

“Julian…” I whispered.

looking at me. “I’m watching the show

closed my mouth again. He really did want

I had to be

was time for the kiss. Beside me, Julian tensed. I tensed too, holding onto his arm for dear

couldn’t see Nicholas’s face from here, only Bridget’s. She looked up at him with such pure devotion in her eyes. She was a great actress, but I wondered

slowly, they leaned

in my

Nick. No.

the last moment, Nicholas turned his head and

relief pushed

grabbed Nicholas’s face to center him, pressed herself

began to wildly cheer. So

how tightly I was holding him. Still, I couldn’t force myself to let

length of the kiss. He looked like a statue, unmoving. When Bridget pulled

a moment. But then she corrected herself. She smiled as she turned toward the confused

for me in the bedchamber!” she said, adlibbing.

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