Chapter 113

Hannah

Everyone blinked at me, waiting patiently for my announcement. I felt my face turn the brightest shade of red beneath their gazes, only just now realizing that I had gotten so caught up in my daydreams that I had completely forgotten to even write down my vote.

“Oh… Just one moment,” I said hastily, grabbing my pen and a ballot card.

The announcer grinned into her microphone. “Daydreaming, Luna Hannah?” she teased.

Another ripple of laughter worked its way across the crowd, making my heart pound faster. But, somehow, I managed a smile and a quip in response: “Yes. I’m afraid I got a little lost there for a moment. I was looking at my handsome husband. My apologies.”

“Aww…”

The crowd practically swooned at that, and beside me, I could see Noah squirming uncomfortably in his seat. Good, I thought to myself. At least I didn’t have to be the only one squirming.

Behind him, Zoe’s face remained a stoic mask of indifference and Drake grinned at me from over Noah’s shoulder.

“He’s quite the looker, isn’t he?” Drake said, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

Now that I had filled out my ballot, I stood and held it out for the announcer to take. “Sorry for that,” I said with a pleasant laugh and a wave of my hand. “I promise I was paying attention to all of our lovely contestants’ speeches.”

“No need to apologize, Luna Hannah,” the announcer said as she shuffled the ballot cards. “It’s sweet to see our beloved Luna and Alpha still so in love.”

I nearly snorted. Yeah, right; in love. But still, as I sat down, I threw a smile in Noah’s direction for the cameras.

When he returned it, though, I felt my heart leap into my throat.

Thankfully, my attention was quickly ripped away by the sound of the announcer’s voice. “And the winner of the pageant is…” She paused, leaving room for a drumroll. “...Felicia Green!”

The crowd erupted into cheers, and I couldn’t help but smile too; the contestant named Felicia had been my favorite, the girl with red espadrilles. The curtain slowly rose, and there she was: petite and curvy, wearing a simple skirt and sweater with her red hair pulled back into a neat bun. She wore glasses, had freckles dotted across her aquiline nose, and round cheeks.

“Thank you so much,” she said, her hands trembling as she took the microphone from the announcer. “I’ve… I’ve never received an award like this. Truly, it’s an honor.”

There was a pause as I rose from my chair and crossed over to the center of the stage where Felicia stood. An attendant gave me a flower crown, which I carefully lowered onto the winner’s head.

“Well, you deserve it,” I said gently, pulling Felicia in for a hug as the crowd cheered. “You did wonderfully.”

“Thank you, Luna Hannah… Thank you…”

…

“Luna Hannah? May I speak with you for a moment?”

I lifted my gaze from the cup of iced tea in my hand to see that familiar pair of glasses and head of red hair standing in front of me. Felicia beamed at me, still wearing her flower crown, now clutching a drink and a cupcake in her hands.

Offering her a smile and a nod, I gestured to the spot on the bench next to me. “Of course, Felicia. Please, sit down.”

As the winner of the pageant nervously settled next to me, I allowed my gaze to sweep over the small luncheon—all of the contestants, the contestants’ friends and families, and those who had worked on the show were here to celebrate a successful afternoon.

All except for Noah. He had slipped away at some point without a word, and I hadn’t seen hide nor hair from him since then. Perhaps he left; after all, he had already done his part by appearing on stage.

Which led me to wonder… Did he really care about this whole thing like I hoped or, was it all an act?

“I hope you’re enjoying the luncheon, Felicia,” I said pleasantly, raising my glass to her. “Is your family here?”

Felicia visibly blanched a bit. “I’m afraid they didn’t come.”

“At all?”

She shook her head, her gaze falling to her lap. She pushed her glasses up onto her nose, and I saw her lower lip quiver slightly. “No. They assumed I would lose.”

I felt my chest clench at those words. “Why would they assume that?” I asked. “Your speech was phenomenal, and you answered every question with grace. Your charity work overseas was incredibly impressive, and your work as a local school teacher for inner city kids is commendable.”

Felicia paused, drawing in a breath through her teeth. She opened and closed her mouth once as though struggling with how to respond before she finally turned to me with a sad smile on her face.

“I’m not… pretty,” she said softly.

“Felicia—”

“I mean, look at me,” she cut me off, gesturing to herself. “I’m short and a bit chubby, and I wear glasses. My hair is frizzy and my nose is too big and I have a bit of a lisp. It’s okay; I’m not upset about it. It’s just… one would typically assume that I wouldn’t be the type to win a competition like this.”

My mouth tugged into a deep frown despite myself. “None of those things make someone unattractive, Felicia,” I said gently, placing my hand over top of hers. “I see a bright, beautiful young woman with a kind heart. And frankly…”

I lowered my voice, leaning in a bit closer so no one else could hear.

“I think you have a gorgeous body. I wish I was as curvy as you. Your hair is beautiful and vibrant, and I’d love to see how wild it is when you let it down. Your glasses are cute and your nose speaks to your heritage and your lisp makes you stand out. Who told you that any of that isn’t beautiful?”

Felicia flushed deeply and bit her lower lip, looking away. “A lot of people,” she admitted with a wry laugh. “But… That means a lot to hear from you, Luna Hannah. Thank you.”

I offered her a grin and patted her hand. “Besides,” I said, “I know you’ll use that reward money well.”

She nodded vehemently. “Oh, yes. I already have plans to use the funds to buy new equipment for my school’s classrooms, and…”

Over the next half hour, Felicia and I chatted nonstop; she really was a sweet and intelligent young woman, and I was glad that she had won the majority vote.

Although, I couldn’t help but be curious as to who Noah voted for. Did he vote for Felicia, or someone else? I wanted to ask, but I still hadn’t seen him.

In fact, come to think of it… I was curious who Zoe voted for, but I hadn’t seen her in a while either. Only Drake remained, chatting animatedly with one of the stage crew in the corner.

Frowning, I began wandering through the event to see if I could at least find my husband. When I didn’t find him in the crowd, I rounded the corner to the bathrooms, wondering if he was there.

And that was when I saw it: Noah and Zoe, huddled at the end of the hallway… Their heads bent close, their hands gesturing wildly.

“She… I don’t… I know…”

I could only make out tidbits of what they were saying, but something about it made me uncomfortable. Pressing myself close to the corner, I carefully peered around to watch, pricking my ears in an attempt to make out their conversation.

But it was then that Zoe’s head suddenly snapped up, her nostrils flaring dangerously.

“Quiet, Noah,” she commanded, raising her hand to stop him mid-sentence. “We’re being watched.”