Page 178 of The Wishing Game

"At least you have your team... I feel better that you have people by your side who can help you."

My smile falls, my features tense.

"I'll be on my own for the next trial," I tell him reluctantly.

"What?" His voice booms, echoing in the stillness of nature. "Luce! You've seen the competition! How can you defeat those people?"

"I know. But I can't in good conscience continue with my team. Not after..." I take a deep breath.

"What happened?" he barks, my ever so protective knight.

I give him a tight smile.

"Maybe I'm foolish." I sigh. "But all my life I've been disrespected by everyone around me—treated as less than human. Now... well, the mere fact that I'm human makes me less."

"I don't understand."

"Please don't be mad at me. I don't want to argue with you again. Not when I'm already barely hanging by a thread. Just... I know you're worrying about me, but please respect my choice. Please trust that I'll do the right thing."

He's silent as he mulls over my words. Plopping himself by my side, he takes my hand in his—light against the darkness of his shadow.

"I always worry about you," he finally says. "You can't stop me from doing it."

"I know." I nod.

"What prompted this?" he asks slowly. "Last time you were very happy with your team."

"There's... someone." I swallow. "His name is Ze. I thought we were friends, but almost from the beginning, he's been insulting and belittling me. I ignored it, even thought he didn't mean it." I shake my head at my foolishness. "He was so nice to me at times that I actually thought he might appreciate me."

There's a slight pressure on my hand, and I turn to look at him.

"How close did you get to this man, Luce?" he asks tightly.

"No, no," I hurry to say. "It's nothing like that, I promise. We were only friends."

"Is that so... You sound as if you care about him."

"I do—or did." I sigh. "But I realize that my affection was misplaced."

"You're telling me you care about another man, Luce?" He enunciates each word carefully, but I can sense the tension.

"I care for him as a friend, Nikki." I purse my lips. "He was good to me, he protected me, so I thought he cared about me, too. But he doesn't see me as anything but a worthless human."

Nikki doesn't reply. His hold over my hand tightens, a prickly sensation permeating my skin.

"Men and women cannot be friends, Luce," he grits out.

"Nikki!" I blink in surprise.

"Maybe you don't know it because you've barely been out into the world, but there is no such thing as friendship between a man and a woman," he continues. "He either wants to fuck you, or he's already fucked you. Which one is it?"

"W-what..." I stammer, at a loss for words.

The dark mist intensifies, the form barely contained.

"Which one is it, Luce?" he repeats in a harsh voice.

"Neither! Good God, who do you think I am?" I ask, scandalized. "Ze doesn't see me like that, and I certainly would never do that. How could you even think that? You know me."

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