Nicholas didn’t say a word. He simply turned and left. “Bye, Nick-lass!” Elva called, before happily returning to her waffles. Deflated, I corrected my chair and flopped down onto it. None of the girls spoke to me during the rest of breakfast. Susie might have, but she was still too embarrasse
With a statement like there, I had no polite way of backing out. Not that I would. These kids needed me, and Elva was already having fun with them, playing on the slides. Nicholas and I would just have to put aside our differences long enough to help the kids. After that, we could go back to not g
I stared at him, startled. Did he actually think that I broke up with him to be with someone else? He must have, because he returned my stare with one of his own. “No.” I wished with all of my heart that he would believe me without an explanation. I didn’t want to lie to him. But I knew him. S
If that partner was me, I would… No. I shouldn’t go down that path, even within the safe confines of my mind. Nicholas and I would never be together again. I had too many secrets that he would never understand. Even if he knew the truth, even if he’d understood, he’d never agree with the choices
I awoke the next morning to the sound of thunder outside my window and pounding on my bedroom door. I’d barely gotten out of bed when the door burst open and a slew of Joseph’s guards flooded in. “Mommy!” Elva shouted as she hid under the covers. “At least let me get dressed,” I said, holding up
Footsteps sounded behind me. I turned to look, but my movements were sluggish. Nicholas was beside me before I ever saw him arrive. Something warm draped over my shoulders. I looked down and found a thick, waterproof coat wrapped around me. “Come on. I’ll help you inside.” He took me by the elbo
My eyes went wide. As poor as I felt, I still pushed myself upright on the bed – until he placed a hand on my shoulder and eased me back down. “I won’t give up,” I told him. “I can’t.” “I wouldn’t ask you to, except for your own safety, Piper. If you truly don’t care about being Luna, like you s
I should have known better. He stood from the bed. “There are many girls here who would make good Lunas. Olivia is perhaps the strongest of the group.” I don’t know what I had been expecting, but my stomach still twisted uncomfortably as he spoke of the other girls. “She’s beautiful and cunnin