Page 8 of The Wishing Game

How could I, when I've known about his struggles for years, and at one point, instead of getting better, he'd only gotten worse? Yet because I loved him so much, I didn't care. I would have been satisfied with being with him in our home—without ever going out if that was what he needed.

* * *

It's almost dawn when we both take the elevator down to the garage, each carrying a bag and nothing more.

"This feels like the start of an adventure, Nikki. I can't wait." I squeal when the elevator stops and run out toward the RV.

Nikki opens the door, making sure to add my fingerprint to the system before we climb in. It takes us less than half an hour to organize our stuff, and once we're done, Nikki takes his place behind the wheel and I sit next to him on my purple seat.

"You're sure you're good with driving this?"

"I took some extra lessons," he assures me with a wink.

My cheeks redden, and I put on my seat belt as he leads the car out of the garage and onto the freeway.

The entire RV is inundated with natural sunlight, and that only increases my good mood as I put on a cheery song on the radio.

Nikki is focused on the road, but I'm quick to realize I shouldn't have worried at all. He's a very smooth driver, making it seem almost effortless.

"I want to get my license, too," I tell him.

"Anytime, sweetheart. I can teach you the basics first and then we'll look into booking you an exam."

I nod vigorously.

"God, Nikki. I can't tell you how excited I am for this. It's the best surprise ever, and it's not even my birthday yet!" I gush, my eyes sparkling with excitement as I glance at him.

"Oh, just you wait for it. I have another little surprise for you. Later," he says with a languid grin.

My brows shoot up in curiosity, and I barely stop myself from badgering him about it since I know he needs to keep his attention on the road.

Since this is my first road trip—ever—I can't help but be in utter awe of my surroundings. Especially as we exit the city and there's nature everywhere. Compared to the area I grew up in Mexico, this is so green and lush and so inviting. I'm close to sticking my face to the window as I try to take in the scenery. Nikki chuckles at my expense, but I can tell he's equally intrigued by what he's seeing. If to me this feels absolutely freeing, then I can't imagine what it must be like for him.

"How are you feeling?" I ask him a while later when we decide to stop for the night.

We drove for about six hours upstate, and it's already taken a toll on Nikki since he's not used to driving for such long periods of time.

"Tired but otherwise good," he says as he pops a pill in his mouth before chasing it with water.

I make us a quick dinner, and Nikki helps me set the table for us to eat. Since I don't want to waste any of these precious moments, I decide to go with an easy stir-fry with vegetables and chicken.

"How's your anxiety?" I ask as I take a bite.

"Just a little hum. I'm fine, Luce. You don't need to worry about me." He gives me a tight smile.

I purse my lips.

"This is our first real outing. Of course I'll worry."

He waves me off, but I'm not deterred.

We chat casually as we eat, but my eyes are on him, and I'll be watching him like a hawk for any sign that he might be feeling off—and if he does, then we return home immediately. I don't want him to suffer in silence just to please me.

After we load the dishes into the dishwasher and set the timer, Nikki pours both of us a glass of red wine.

"Your family won't like it," I note quietly as I take a sip of wine.

"I know." He sighs. "I hope to avoid them finding out for as long as possible. But considering they have spies everywhere..."

---