Check & Mate

by Ali Hazelwood

I checkmated her in four and have adored her ever since.

Nolan stares like I’m the center of gravity of the room, like nothing else ever existed but me in all of space and time.

“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.”

“I think about this every second of every day.”

“I want to be with you. As much as I can. As much as you’ll have me.”