Page 38 of Sidelined Love

“No, it's not. I should have texted; this is all on me.”

His admission forces me to look up at him. Did he really own up to this being his fault? And here I thought tonight wouldn't have any surprises, and he is already proving me wrong.

Levi sits down at the chair across from me and begins fumbling with his backpack. I narrow my eyes, trying to figure out what he's trying to do or get. Just as I'm about to ask, he presents me with a white box tied with a delicate purple ribbon. I blink in surprise and stare at it like I've never seen a box before in my life.

“What's this?”

Levi shrugs. “It was a thank-you-for-doing-this-for-me gift, but now I guess it's doubling as an I'm-sorry-for-being-late-and-not-letting-you-know gift.”

“Alrighty then…” My voice trails off as I reach for the box and gently pull the ribbon loose. It falls away gracefully, as if in slow motion, adding to the suspense. With a careful lift of the lid, twelve purple roses greet me. My mouth drops open in surprise because this is the last thing I expected to see. Apparently, the surprises are determined to keep on coming.

“These are Ecuadorian roses. They're preserved,” Levi explains. “I saw that you were reading an environmental science book the other day and thought you might appreciate them. They don't need water or much care, and they should last at least a year. Figured it was perfect for a college student… and now I need to stop rambling.”

Is Levi nervous?

I glance up at him then, caught off guard by his thoughtfulness. A small smile tugs at my lips as I touch one of the petals. I'm still confused as to why he decided to buy me flowers of all things. We've already come to an agreement about what he is going to do in exchange for my doing this, so this is extra.

“They're beautiful,” I admit but try to maintain control of my emotions. Before I know it, I'll be swooning at the sight of him like the thousands of people on this campus and around the country. “Thank you.”

Levi watches me for a second before he says, “You're welcome. I'm glad you like them.”

“Wow… Seriously, thank you,” I say again. I place the box on the book I was reading and that draws Levi's attention to it.

“What are ya reading there?”

I look at the book and then back at him before my eyes settle on the book again. He doesn't know what he's walking into by asking that question. “A romance novel.”

Levi leans forward. “Oh yeah? What's it about?”

“Are you sure you want to know?” I ask, giving him an out. “I won't be offended if you're just blowing smoke up my ass.”

“I really want to know, Hailey.”

I move aside the white box, sit back, and fold my arms across my chest. “Fine. It's a spicy romance where the heroine has multiple love interests. But the cover is cute, right?”

Levi stares at me for a moment, I'm sure he’s trying to process what I just threw out there. It is as if a switch goes off and I watch as his blue eyes darken slightly. “Is that something you're into?”

I tilt my head, considering the implied meaning behind his words before deciding to keep the conversation on lighter ground. “It's fiction. Pure escapism.” I put the roses carefully back down on the book, praying that the sudden heat I feel on my cheeks isn't making what I'm thinking obvious. “I do like reading about it, however.”

He nods, a playful smirk appears on his face. “Right, of course. An escape from real life.”

The mood shifts back as I clear my throat and say, “Shall we get started on learning about chess?”

“I'm ready when you are.”

I slide the romance novel and the roses to the side and gesture to the board.

“Okay,” I start, pointing to the polished figures. “These are your pieces, sometimes referred to as chessmen. Pawns are up front. They're your front line, essentially. Knights are next; they move in an L shape, so keep that in mind. Bishops move across the board diagonally.” I demonstrate each movement with a gentle touch on the pieces, watching Levi nod along as hememorizes their paths. “Then you have the rook,” I say, pausing to point at the piece that resembles a small tower.

Levi nods along and then he says, “The rook.”

“Yes, it moves straight ahead or side to side—not diagonally,” I explain. “Think of it as being your castle, your stronghold on the board. It can be one of the most powerful pieces, especially toward the endgame.”

He's silent for a moment as his gaze switches between the board and me. “So, it can be the backbone of my strategy,” he says out loud, but it doesn't seem as if he's talking directly to me.

However, I can't deal with awkwardly sitting here, so I decide to respond. “That's one way to put it,” I reply, intrigued by the fact that he is taking this seriously.

“Alright, Rook, what's next?”

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