Love Sucks

Meant to Lose - Chap. Twenty-Four

"Check Mate," Nathaniel said behind a small grin of satisfaction. He moved his knight to knock over her queen, making Abbi frown at the smug vampire. There was a moment of silence before her gaze found his.

"This game is pointless." She pouted.

"You only think its pointless because you lost." Nate winked at her, the affectionate way he did so made her heart hammer, but she was too lost in her own pride to forget the fact that he had just destroyed her "Chess Kingdom".

"I thought you said you didn't have any board games?" Abbi smoldered, crossing her arms over her chest as she regarded Nate with a scowl.

"Chess is a strategic game of skill between two players; it's most definitely not a board game, contrary to it's similar cousin; checkers." Nathaniel's voice was chiding, and as she met his softly amused gaze, it only seemed to make her angrier. For some reason, she didn't like losing to him.

"You don't have to be so smug about winning." She muttered crossly.

"You don't have to be such a sore loser, Love. Honestly, I'm surprised." He retorted.

"Oh shut up," Abbi chucked her queen at him, and as she expected, he lazily caught the piece in his fingers. Standing up from her crossed spot on the floor, she attempted moving away from the board, although - Abbi was obviously too slow, because Nate caught her around the waist.

"Where are you going?" He asked, sobered now.

"To win at something else," She held her nose in the air, feigning her anger at this point.

"What would that be?"

"Your interest."

"Well, I can tell you now, you've got way more than my interest, darling Abigail." Nate assured her with a glint to his eye. "Perhaps we should go outside?"

She pondered his suggestion, moving from the circle of his arms to turn and look Nate in the eye. "Won't you shrivel up and die?" She raised her eyebrows when he chuckled.

"I don't shrivel. I, Nathaniel Drake, am perfection chiseled from the hands of angels. I will never cease to flourish, and if I were to die, it would be over you."

"So, you twinkle in sunlight then?" Abbi asked further.

He suddenly looked appalled. "What horrendous legend did you get that from?"

Abbi stared, opening and closing her mouth, unsure if he was trying to be funny. "Are you pretending to be a dimwit right now, or am I just seeing your true colors?"

He spoke with a sincere smile, as if he was sorry for not getting what she said. "I'm confident that I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, Love."

Silence filled the room before she looked to the ground. "How does a vampire not watch Twilight?" Abbi breathed to herself.

Nate still looked honestly confused; she merely shrugged with a frustrated sigh. "Let's just go outside."

The confusion was stripped from his expression, and Nate's smile gleamed; he was appeased. "Wonderful, I know I already showed you the gardens, but perchance you'd like to visit the maze?"

The way he said such sounded almost cryptic to where Abbi had to find his face giving him any answer. "The maze?" She asked, unsure.

"Sure; I'll even promise not to purposely get us lost."

Abbi eyed the boy. "That's a comforting thought."

Nathaniel caught her gaze with a wicked twinkle in his eye. "Not really; I'm quite the brilliant liar, Abigail dearest, my talents will continue to astonish you."