He sits in front of the glass chessboard, playing against himself like a weirdo.
I blow a cloud of smoke. “Tell Uncle I have practice.”
“Or I can just tell him the truth. You don’t want to see him.”
I lift a shoulder. “That works, too.”
I’m about to continue my way when he speaks again. “I had a talk with your girl.”
The cigarette almost falls from my lips as I whirl around. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“I told her what you wouldn’t.”
I’m at his face in a second, pulling him by the collar. “You stay the fuck away from her, do you hear me?”
“I would’ve if you stopped acting like a grouchy dick all the time.” He pushes me away and sits back. He takes the queen’s piece between his thumb and forefinger. “Those who don’t play chess think the king is the strongest piece because the game ends when he dies, but they don’t stop to think that if the queen dies first, the king doesn’t have a chance to survive.”
I narrow my eyes at the meaning behind his words. Both of us have been raised on chess, but he has a different perspective. He wouldn't admit it, but Aiden is just like Jonathan. They don't care who they have to crush to get what they want.
Aiden kills the bishop with the queen, leaving his white king vulnerable. I move the black king to the right.
“Even a king can kill a king.” I stuff the cigarette back in my mouth. “Checkmate.”
On my way out, I retrieve my phone and stare at the text from Daniel saying he went to pick Astrid up.
After the stunt with his brother, I don’t trust him as much.
I pause near my car remembering how her eyes fluttered with fear and disappointment.
Fuck that.
Fuck her trust issues.
I’m done waiting for her to accept this.
If I have to use force, then so be it.
30
Astrid
A pawn isn’t supposed to play the king’s game.
* * *
Monday is my eighteenth birthday.
I’m not celebrating. I stopped celebrating my birthdays after Mum’s death.
Her funeral was on my birthday.
And my day starts like a funeral.
Instead of sneaking off, as usual, I find Dad waiting right outside my room.
I had to have breakfast with the ‘family’ and face Victoria’s snobbish face and Nicole’s glares.
I have a wild guess that she’s the one who slipped the ‘stay away, bitch’ note under my door last night.