Where Lost Things Go | ✓

【贰拾】LOSING IS WINNING

chapter 20.
losing is winning

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REAGAN LOST.

She crossed her arms and leaned back with a defeated frown.

"Did I actually just beat you?" Asher looked down at the chess game in amazement.

"Yes," she said with an overly exaggerated nod.

He squinted at her in suspicion, "You let me win, didn't you?"

Reagan blinked. "No?"

Asher knocked his King piece over with a huff, "Liar."

Reagan just shrugged and looked at the chessboard, counting the number of pieces she had let him take.

"There's got to be something I'm better than you at," Asher complained.

"There is," she said lightly as she cleaned up the chess pieces.

"What?" he mumbled.

"Losing."

Reagan laughed when Asher scowled and threw himself down on the grass face first. "You're not funny," he grumbled as he rolled himself onto his back.

Reagan leaned forward and watched him scour his mind for new competitions.

"Remember when you said you could beat me up?" Asher asked, plucking grass from the ground.

Reagan nodded.

"I'm not quite sure I believe you," he declared.

She stood up and stretched her arms back. "Just for your information," she said, casting her shadow over him. "I know karate."

He thumped the back of his head against the ground. "Of course you do," he said with a defeated sigh. Yawning, he held his hand up to her, gesturing for her to help him up.

Reagan placed her hand out.

Asher took it and with a devilish grin, he jerked his arm and pulled her down. Placing his other hand on her back as she crashed down, he rolled them over and propped himself up. She let out a laugh of surprise as he caged her to the ground with his arms.

"Prove it," he teased.

Reagan felt the grass prick the back of her neck. She ignored the way her heart skipped a beat and instead looked up at Asher with an unimpressed smile.

His hair fell past his eyes as he looked down at her. She wanted to run her hands through those pretty curls of his.

"I'm going to knee you in the balls right now," she said nonchalantly.

His smile dropped as he looked down on instinct. Once he was distracted, Reagan wrapped her legs around his waist. With an expert push of her body up, she rolled the two of them over, switching their positions in a matter of seconds.

"Holy shit," he grunted as she pushed him onto his back. She landed on top of him, her body pressing against his while her right arm pressed into the ground beside his head. He glanced over at her arm caging him in and then looking up at her with an impressed grin, "That was hot as fuck."

She smiled, "Still think you can beat me?"

He reached his hand up and ran his fingers down her dark hair, admiring the way the sunlight reflected against her skin, her eyes, and her lips.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said back, memorizing the way her dark eyes danced with delight.

Reagan could barely hear herself think and decided that her heart was malfunctioning.

"I'd lose to you a million times over," he whispered before grabbing the back of her head and pulling her in. He sealed his pledge with a rough kiss, melting his lips against hers.

When she loosened up and leaned further into him, he grinned into the kiss before suddenly rolling them over once again. He held himself over her, careful not to crush her with his weight. Before she could complain, he captured her lips again, silencing her small gasp of surprise.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips.

His touch was everywhere, chasing away the lonely heartache that had clung to her all those years.

Reagan pulled away to breathe, panting slightly to chase the breath he had so easily stolen away.

She reached up to touch his fluffy hair. "Okay, you win," she murmured.

Reagan had surrendered everything to him. Her truth, her touch, her breath, and she didn't mind it one bit. Not even when she lost her heart.

When she saw the way he looked at her, Reagan decided falling in love was a mistake she was willing to make.

THE END.
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