Page 164 of The Wishing Game

"There's only ever been you, Luce," he states emphatically.

His eyes hold mine for a moment before he returns his attention to the road. But it's enough to convey everything with that one glance.

He loves me. Hereallyloves me.

I'm still in a state of disbelief over the events of the last few hours, but this piece of information is not only the most precious one, but the most unexpected, too.

"I'll come with you, Nikki. After everything is done. After Noelle is back with her family, too. I'll come with you," I tell him.

"You'll never want for anything in this life. That I can promise you, Luce." He smiles as he brings my hand to his lips for a kiss. "I'll cherish you always."

"I know you will." I return his smile.

Happiness brims inside of me, but just as I lose myself in the moment, I find myself physically wrenched out of that scenario and thrust into another.

I blink repeatedly as panic suffuses my chest, my heart beating wildly as confusion simmers in my mind. The image of the car falls away, walls slowly rising up around me to construct a different environment. For one brief moment, I remember a name. Someone I was looking for. Someone I care about.

Ze...

Yet as soon as the sound of a door closing reverberates in my ear, my previous thoughts disappear from my mind. I don't question anything but the present and the fact that Nikki is in front of me.

"We can talk here. But quietly," I whisper to him. Noelle is sleeping in the other room, and I'm almost certain she'll give birth today.

"Of course." He nods, walking farther into the bathroom. I follow after him, surprised to see him pull a small case out of his pocket. As he opens it, it's to reveal pills nestled inside. He takes a couple, popping them into his mouth.

"What are those?" I point at the pills. "You said you were fine," I add, a hint of worry in my voice.

"It's for something else." He strains a smile.

I wait for him to explain, but he seems reluctant to do so.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me," I assure him.

"It's not that." He sighs. "It's just that... It's something I had from before the accident."

I frown. "What do you mean?"

"It's not...physical. It's psychological. The pills help me function more or less normally."

"Nikki..." I take a tentative step toward him. "I would never judge you for anything. I hope you know that."

He gives me a tight nod.

"You remember the panic attacks I used to get?"

"Yes."

"After my accident, I was formally diagnosed for the first time." He smiles ruefully. "PTSD, severe anxiety and agoraphobia, among others. The pills work to lessen the anxiety and agoraphobia—in as much as they helped me get out of my house and come here."

"And you're here..."

"I'm here." He nods.

I can't imagine the kind of strength it must have taken him to come, especially since I remember the panic attacks he'd get—I used to help him deal with them in the tunnels.

"Is it because of your childhood?" I ask in a hesitant voice.

He strains a smile. "My childhood and my entire life." He shrugs. "But I'm getting help, Luce. It's not just the pills. I started seeing a proper therapist, and I'm taking everything seriously. I'd never subject you to someone unstable—someone who can barely function by himself. I promise you that I'm getting better," he hurries to say.

---