E & Liam
E
The constant beeping of the monitors, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, and the steady stream of nurses entering and leaving my room made the days of the following week blend together into one big blur.
I tried to keep busy as best I could; I read through two of the books Alexander had brought, did crossword puzzles, and watched countless movies. But if it weren’t for my visitors, I might have lost my mindpletely.
Lilith was always there first, arriving each morning with fresh clothes and homemade food, refusing to let me eat the hospital food. She would brush my hair, help me wash up, and make sure I wasfortable. Sometimes she would just sit beside me, reading quietly or working on her knitting while I dozed or did my own thing. I was d for herpany.
And then there was Liam. He visited nearly as often as Lilith, usually in the afternoons when he wasn’t busy with the Alpha Council. He would bring news, tell me stories to make meugh, and sometimes just sit with me watching terrible daytime TV.
It was nice, having people who cared whether I lived or died.
But the biggest surprise was Alexander. True to his word, he came back the next day after our first chess game. And the day after that. And the day after that.
Every evening around seven, he would arrive. No matter how busy his day had been, no matter what Alpha duties required his attention, he’d sit in the chair beside my bed and set up the
board.
“Knight to F3,” I said on the fourth night, moving my piece without hesitation and taking his bishop.
Alexander nodded approvingly. “Good move.”
I’d been getting better under his guidance. Not good enough to beat him-I doubted that would ever happen-but good enough to make the gamesst longer and asionally surprise him with a clever move.
“You’ve been practicing,” he said a few minutester as I captured one of his
pawns.
shrugged. “Lilith’s been ying with me during the day. She’s not as good as you, though.”
Alexander’s lips quirked up at the corners. “Few are.”
I rolled my eyes at his arrogance, but I couldn’t help but smile, too. As much as I hated to admit it, these evening chess games had be the highlight of my days in the hospital. For
a few hours, it felt like everything else fell away.
I wasn’t sure if Alexander was just acting for the benefit of the hospital staff, ying the role of devoted husband to bolster his image. If he was, he was a damn good actor. When we yed together, he seemed awfully engaged for someone who didn’t really want to be there, sometimes evenughing at my terrible jokes or teasing me about my moves.
As for what happened in the alley, we didn’t talk about it. Not even once. Maybe that was for the best; it was easier to just pretend it didn’t happen and move on with our contract.
I also had to pretend that it didn’t hurt like hell to think that way. But, just like chess, I found myself getting better at that.
“Check,” he said, moving his queen into position
I frowned at the board as I tried to figure a way out. “Hmm, what if I…” I moved my king to safety, only to realize toote that I’d just exposed my bishop.
Alexander’s smile widened as he captured it, instantly putting me in check mate. “You’re getting better, but you still need to think a few moves ahead.”
I huffed, tugging Alexander’s sweatshirt more snugly around me. I’d worn it every day since he brought it, partially because it was genuinelyfortable and partially because…
No. I wasn’t going to think about it. Just like the alley, the scent that had faded on his sweatshirt wouldn’t affect me anymore.
“I’ll beat you one of these days,” I muttered.
“I look forward to it.”
I blushed, but it was short-lived. Alexander left after that and our little bubble of normalcy popped, just as it did every night.
The following morning, Dr. Evelyn announced that I could be discharged soon, maybe even the next day if my tests continued to improve. I hadn’t seen Alexander or Liam at all that day, but I assumed they were just busy.