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.

he just shush

view of the stage. Face

the pain? Or was this way of dealing with the potential rejection? Did he

if this was what he felt

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it past him to try to sneak away again. So I reached out and clenched his

had climbed through the makeshift window and was sharing romantic words with Bridget.

me. His blank expression had not changed. Suddenly, I began to worry about him even more than before. It wasn’t like him to not be quick with a grin and a quip. Something was

if I didn’t want the truth about what happened last night, I would still want to talk to him, to find out why he looked

“Julian…” I whispered.

Piper,” he said, still not looking at me. “I’m watching the show

really did want to torture

had to

my attention to the stage, it was time for the kiss. Beside me, Julian tensed. I tensed too, holding onto

looked up at him with such pure devotion in her eyes. She was a great actress,

so slowly, they leaned in

caught in my throat.

No. Don’t.

last moment, Nicholas turned his head and

of relief pushed through

grabbed Nicholas’s face to center him, pressed herself up onto her toes, and

wildly cheer. So much for being on

He gently placed his hand over mine, and I realized how tightly I was holding him. Still, I couldn’t force myself

the kiss. He looked like a statue, unmoving. When Bridget pulled back, smiling, he knocked away her hands then

she corrected herself. She smiled as she turned toward the confused audience.

bedchamber!” she said, adlibbing. “He’s so passionate! I must join him

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