Chapter l208

Chapter 0208

Seeing it hurt me in ways I couldn’t have imagined before.

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He’d k*ssed me in the hallway. He’d almost k*ssed me in self–defense practice.

I hadn’t considered he would be k*ssing other people too.

“Piper…” he said again, softer.

I couldn’t even bear to look at him. I turned my shoulder to him and dropped my gaze to the floor.”

Please go clean up. Then we can talk.”

He was rarely uncertain, but he shifted awkwardly on his feet now. “Very well. I’ll be right back.” He

turned toward the door, and I did not look up again until he had walked through it.

Both Mark and Charlotte were looking at me. I felt judged.

Charlotte glanced away but Mark didn’t. He didn’t say anything, didn’t even hold an expression, but I

could feel his disapproval radiating off of him in waves,

And in my heart, I understood it.

Whatever Nicholas had been doing, and whoever he had been doing it with, he had dropped all of it to

rush here and make sure I was okay. In order of his priorities, I ranked high above anyone else.

This was a competition, and Nicholas was only trying to make the best of a bad situation. I knew, maybe better than anyone, the amount of pressure he was under to find a Luna suitable for the kingdom.

I had been unkind to him.

“May I borrow your handkerchief?” I asked Mark.

He reached into his pocket and then produced a soft blue folded bit of fabric. I accepted it with thanks.

“If you’ll excuse me a moment,” I said, and rushed out the door.

Nicholas hadn’t gone far. He was only a few steps down the hallway, aggressively rubbing his l*ps with

his sleeve, “Damn it all,” he cursed.

“Here,” I said as I approached behind him. “Let me.”

He jumped at the sound of my voice, and quickly turned. His eyes met mine, but he didn’t say anything

lowly, gently, I reached up with the handkerchief and wiped away the remaining smudges of l*pstick

l*ps and chin

He stood very still as I worked.

When I finished, I slowly lowered my hand. “I’m sorry,” I said. “It’s not my place to keep you from the other girls. But when I thought of you with them…. I’m sorry.”

“You are jealous,” Nicholas said. His voice was monotone. His face, impassive. He gave nothing away.

I half–wanted to deny it out of sheer embarrassment, but I couldn’t.

when I think of you with one of them… Kissing them…”

Just like that, the deep boil of jealousy reignited in my stomach.

I wished I could claim Nicholas in b*dy and soul. To keep him as my own, and to become his in turn. I

wanted us to carry each other’s scents so thickly that no one would dare make a move on him without

knowing I was there first and forever.

“This…” He gestured to his l*ps. “Whatever happened before I came to see you today. It didn’t actually

mean anything to me.”

I wanted to believe that, those sweet words meant to comfort me. But it was a struggle, especially when I was caught in the tumult of my ugly jealous.

“Prove it,” I said.

He just looked at me for a long moment. Then his gaze dipped to my mouth.

At once, he grabbed my hand and tugged me toward a closed door along the hallway. He pulled the door open. It was a closet. He yanked me inside with him, then slammed the door closed behind us.

In an instant, my back was against the inside of that door.

Nicholas’s mouth was on mine.

And he was k*ssing me senseless.