Check & Mate

by Ali Hazelwood

Only secondarily because he doesn’t seem to be able to look away from my most oblivious daughter.”

I turn around, but my body already knows, like my atoms vibrate differently when he’s near.

His fingers tighten around mine. My heart cartwheels. “Mallory. I came because you did.”

“I’ve got you, Mallory. Nothing bad is going to happen. You can let yourself want this, because you already have it. You have me.”