Chapter 32 I'll Always Wait For You

  Morgan's PoV

  I sit on the worn leather sofa, my body warmed by the fire's crackling embrace, while Melanie's laughter fills the cabin with more warmth than any log ever could.

  "Careful, Morgan," she teases, her hazel eyes glinting in the firelight as she balances a pawn on the edge of the board. "My queen is eyeing your king rather dangerously."

  "Your strategy is as unpredictable as the mountain weather," I reply, allowing a rare smile to play on my lips. I move my bishop, blocking her assault, but not committed to the offensive. The chessboard between us is an ancient battlefield, where kings and queens vie for dominance- a fitting metaphor for the push and pull of our relationship.

  "Ah, but unpredictability can be an advantage," she counters, leaning forward. Her golden-brown hair cascades over her shoulder, a waterfall of warmth spilling into the coolness of my existence.