Stumbling Through

Fixing Bridges

I had such a freak out with this chapter! I'd been working on it for about three hours when my word suddenly froze and I had to restart my computer! Thank god for recovery files or I'd be balled up crying right now xD

Seriously it gave me such a freaking scare! My cat was giving me weird looks as I hugged my laptop begging it to still be there!

ANYWAY enough rambling from me - as always PLEASE ENJOY::

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Willow’s POV:

“Nope. You can’t move it like that.” Derek told me, moving my piece three spaces back on the chessboard. I frowned in confusion.

“But I thought my queen could do anything.” I said.

Derek smiled slightly, and shook his head. “It can’t move like a knight, so it can’t jump over pieces or move in ‘L’ shapes.” He corrected me.

My eyebrows pulled together as I looked intently at the board in front of me. “But I didn’t do either of those things.” I told him, glancing up to face him again.

His lips twitched slightly. “Yes, but that was your bishop you were trying to move, not your queen.” He informed me with a slight teasing lilt.

Oh.

I moved my piece back to its original place on the chessboard.

You’d think after the first two games I’d have caught on a little by now. I hadn’t. Derek kept beating me so quickly I barely had a chance to keep up.

I was close to giving up, but the fact that this was the least troubled I’d seen Derek look in the past week motivated me to keep trying to learn. Looking at the pieces with a renewed sense of determination I picked up my rook and used it to knock off one of his pawns.

Only to have it stolen by his knight.

Damn it.

Derek kept hold of my piece smiling gently at me. “Maybe it’s just time to concede defeat?” He asked me lightly as I greedily soaked up his meek grin, my heart clenching tightly.

I’d missed that smile.

“No way. I’ve got it this time.” I said assuredly as I shook my head to straighten my thoughts.

Then I noticed something.

“Hey, if that’s my queen,” I said pointing to the tallest white piece on the board. “Aren’t you in check?” I asked, noticing the clear diagonal line that led directly to his unprotected king.

Derek’s grin widened slightly. “I wondered when you were going to notice that.” He said playfully.

“But you said if your king’s in check you have to move to protect it.” I pointed out, repeating one of the few the rules I remembered him explaining to me.

Derek shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, but it doesn’t count if you don’t call it.” He said, his eyes sparking with light-hearted humour.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Okay you’re just making rules up now.” I said.

Derek’s smile wobbled wider.

“You are!” I said as I realised I was right, and he knew it. “You total cheat.” I accused him.

His eyes widened in faux innocence. “What? Me?” He asked. “I would never.”

I didn’t believe him.