BooksBarbecue
Back The Wishing Game Save as PDF
Chapters (66)
  1. PREFACE
  2. Full Page Image
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. One week ago
  6. THREE
  7. Present day
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. THIRTY-NINE
  44. FORTY
  45. FORTY-ONE
  46. FORTY-TWO
  47. FORTY-THREE
  48. FORTY-FOUR
  49. FORTY-FIVE
  50. FORTY-SIX
  51. FORTY-SEVEN
  52. FORTY-EIGHT
  53. FORTY-NINE
  54. FIFTY
  55. FIFTY-ONE
  56. FIFTY-TWO
  57. FIFTY-THREE
  58. FIFTY-FOUR
  59. FIFTY-FIVE
  60. FIFTY-SIX
  61. FIFTY-SEVEN
  62. FIFTY-EIGHT
  63. FIFTY-NINE
  64. SIXTY
  65. SIXTY-ONE
  66. SIXTY-TWO

"For example, I love reading books," I say.

"I read books too." He nods.

"Really? What type? What books are there in your world?"

"On military treaties, of course," he scoffs.

I stare at him, my mouth agape.

"That's not fun reading."

"You read for fun?" His eyes widen.

"That is the definition of a hobby. Something you do for fun. Have you never read fiction?"

"That is a frivolous pursuit," he immediately replies. "Only people with no prospects engage in it." A pause. He blinks a couple of times before he leans in, serious. "What is fiction?"

I school my features so I don't laugh.

"Stories. Adventure. Romance. That type of thing."

"And you enjoy this fiction?" he probes, his eyes sparkling with interest.

"I love it. My favorite genre is romance. I used to devour one book a day." I sigh wistfully. "Nikki had been a fan as well, and we'd sometimes buddy read books after which he'd surprise me with the recreation of some scenes."

"Tell me more about this... romance. What is it exactly?"

"It's a story about two people falling in love and overcoming obstacles before they live happily ever after," I explain excitedly. "Usually, it's a handsome billionaire hero who falls for a sweet and innocent heroine. It's a bit of a cliché, I know." I chuckle. "But clichés are my comfort reads."

He nods slowly, seemingly deep in thought.

"Why billionaire?" He frowns.

I shrug. "I don't know. I guess it's the female desire to be protected and taken care of, and romance novels feed into that fantasy by having a rich, strong, and handsome man as the hero."

"And you say all women want that?"

"Not all, but a great deal do."

He nods again to himself.

"Why do you like that?" he suddenly asks.

My cheeks heat up at being put on the spot.

"I-I guess it's because I like the idea of being saved?" I murmur, averting my gaze. "It feels odd to think about it that way when I had been saved—Nikki had saved me. Yet I think that a part of me was forever lost at the hacienda—the same part that never got over what happened to me. But how could I say that aloud? Because admitting that would be akin to admitting that Nikki hadn't been enough for me, when he had—hell, he'd been more than enough. The failing is solely mine for being unable to move on and forget."