The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

hapter 0583

Julian immediately took another step backwards, adding more space between him and me. We both nervously glanced at Nicholas who mostly seemed confused by his own reaction. He cut off his growl with a sharp grunt.

"Sorry," he said.

"Don't worry," I replied.

"It's my fault," Julian said.

"No," Nicholas quickly corrected. "I don't know what came over me."

"I knew this game was a bad idea," Bridget says, rising from the couch. "I tried to warn everyone, but no one takes me seriously."

I distinctly remembered Bridget championing the idea for charades so much that she took to mostly organizing it herself. Now, suddenly, when something had gone wrong, she didn't want anything to do with the idea?

"We should definitely stop," Bridget continued, "I, for one, am out totally." She looked around at everyone, expecting them to agree.

Maybe she wasn't wrong in this instance. The joyful mood I had been attempting to cultivate seemed utterly at waste now, with only thick tension in the air.

Jessica worried her bottom lip. Veronica looked down at her lap. Julian apologized. Nicholas said, "I'm the one at fault."

Everything really did seem like it was falling apart.

Then Elva raised her head, looking up from her coloring books. She spotted the empty spot between Nicholas and Jessica on the couch.

"Can I be on Nick-lass's team?" she asked.

And just like that, the entire mood shifted. The tension broke and everything brightened. Jessica laughed. Veronica's lips twitched in an almost smile. Julian smiled outright. So did Nicholas.

"Of course you can," Nicholas said. He glanced at me. "If it's okay with your mom."

Elva turned her doe eyes on me. It would have been fine with me anyway, but having her look at me like that would have melted even my coldest moods.

"You can," I told her, and she cheered. Cóntent belongs to NovélDráma. Org

on her hips.

on my team, we now have four, compared to your team's three." "My team'

to take your place," Nicholas

thought we were quitting the game,"

Julian told her. "Just sit this one out without making a

glared at all of them, even Elva. I sidestepped into her line of sight, blocking her from seeing my child and looking at her that way. Elva was innocent

me.

could be furious at me and I wouldn't care. Not anymore. The moment she pushed me off that boat was the moment she forfeited any right to

me her lack of empathy for a long time. It was past time

turned at stormed off towards

the fun

Elva should go next, so she hopped to her feet and rushed to the bowl to pick out her word. I decided to stay with her, while Julian

now, I think, was

and looked at it. Then she showed it to me. The word was

concept more than a thing. It would be a trickier word to try to act out. But Elva seemed confident about what she had to do.

took her place in front of her team. I stood nearby, ready to

"Timer!" she called.

down from three,

Tears welled in my eyes at once, but I blinked them back. I dropped down

called. "Daughter?

go.

edge of the seat, in time to catch Elva's hug. He wrapped

"Family," Nicholas said.

shook her head

Nicholas considered.

Jessica asked, slightly taken

click within Nicholas. An understanding flashed behind

"Home," he said.

heart hammered in my chest. How

leaned back. "You got it,

at Elva that I thought I might melt into a puddle right there in the living room. Elva so wanted Nicholas to be her father. To see them interact