Dearest Noelle,

    Do you remember the time when you broke your leg, and you had to go for Homecoming dance? You asked me how will you ever go.

    I remember telling you it's similar to living with a broken heart. You get your heart broken in many stages of life, and you somehow still learn to love with it. You really don't have to have a whole heart to love someone dear. Just like that you have to learn to dance with the limp.

    You learnt to dance with a broken leg.

    You learnt to live without your parents.

    You learnt to love me with your broken heart.

    But, my sweet Noelle, how am I ever going to learn to live without you?

    Ever Yours,
    Aiden

― Aiden Summers to Noelle Montcliff after sixty four weeks of her disappearance.

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    One thing, Noelle always believed in, was never underestimating her enemies. But when your deception cuts this deep, and you are surrounded by too much light, you often become blind.

    She waited for Aiden to come out of water. She felt like she was a genius of sadness; a prism through which sadness could be divided into an infinite spectrum. As she was giving up all hope harbored in the corner of her heart, Aiden's head popped off the water, and she smiled. "You are forty five seconds late, Summers." She remarked with eyebrows raised, while her limbs shivered due to the cold.

   "How is it that you managed before me?" He sauntered through the water, shivering incessantly because of the cold temperature of the water.

    "I might have a change of heart with death so close, and having several reasons to live. I'm sad, yes. But suicidal? Not at all." She explained, outstretching her hand for him to take it. "Also, I can be very resilient, Aiden." Both their speeches were broken due to the constant shivering and teeth chattering. Noelle knew all about giving up hope to live life because she had gone through it once.

    The nightmares following those several nights of despair still ran through her blood though.

   Aiden was facing her now, when he realized he was just wearing his boxers. "How are we ever going to go home? No car. No clothes. And no m..money."

    "I have a spare phone," Noelle interposed, barely looking like a girl who was drenched in ice-cold water. She acted so normal-treating being immersed in forty degrees to death something like child's play even though her skin was pale and her lips a lighter shade of blue. She leaned down to take out a small plastic phone from her boot. The boot seemed to have a whole package of survival kit.

    Noelle handed the phone to Aiden, "Aiden, please call Royce. We will go to your place for tonight." Noelle wasn't sure if she wanted to be within the sight of Ainsleys at all. If Douglas was the one behind this atrocity, it was better to have a plan in hand before retaliating. And there was no way, she could put Aiden's life at stake once again.

    And that's when she knew she had to use him to save him.

    "Okay," Aiden nodded, taking the phone to call his brother. While Aiden talked to him over the phone, Noelle thought about what she would do next. Someone was trying to target her and Aiden. The most perplexing thing about this whole ordeal was that there were many chances when Noelle could've been killed easily when she was alone. Then why wait solely for an opportunity when she was with Aiden?

    It felt like the ugly history repeating itself. Douglas had been meaning to kill her father but his mother also losing her life as nothing but collateral damage. Why would he even want to kill her? She had not even started her agenda of revenge yet. It was frustrating to even think she had not known about his plans.

    That was if it was really him.

   She had to talk to Nicholas soon, and plan about re-entering into the world of Montcliffs' world without stirring any suspicion. She could use Aiden for it. Her heart ached with the thought of using him as a pawn-or was he the king, she ought to protect?-in the battle. But at the end of the day, she simply had no choice though. And of course, it did have a partial truth to it. She did care for Aiden. She just had to make sure she wasn't muddled with her feelings once again so that her judgement couldn't be clouded. And by being around him, she could make sure he was safe.

    He had always saved her. It was her time to do the same for him.

    Aiden called Royce over the phone, and told her that he would be coming soon. Then they decided that they would see to the car tomorrow although Noelle was adamant that it was nothing for her because she had it covered under insurance. They debated about the idea of calling the sheriff, and decided it would be the best if they do so, because the brake failure definitely sounded foul play.

    After ten excruciatingly long ten minutes, they saw Royce scurrying the car through the narrow passage of the forest. He waved at the both of them, while Noelle and Aiden hurried towards the car, shivering and convulsing.

    As they hopped inside the car, Noelle heard Royce ask, "what happened?" Then a smirk at his plight of almost nakedness.

   "Brakes failed and we had to submerge the car in the lake-don't laugh, Royce." Aiden gritted through his teeth in vexation.

    Royce grinned. "Wow. First the gun shot, and now this. You're leading a very colorful life, brother."

    Aiden rolled his eyes. "Shut up, and drive, Roy."

    Royce blatantly ignored his elder brother's order, and threw an amused glance at Noelle. "Hi, Noelle. We didn't really get to talk at all."

    Noelle smiled. "Royce, it's so good to see you. I missed you, my chess partner." She reminisced how Mr. Summers (aka Aiden and Royce's dad) used to teach them all the chess moves, him being a very proficient chess player in the country.

    "We're going to play another game very soon! Can't wait to see you lose again." Royce said with a lopsided smirk.

    Noelle guffawed at his boastful remark. "Surely I heard wrong. Right, Aiden? Did he just say I used to lose? I never lose." She looked at Aiden—the man who was going to be just a chess piece too in the game. A pawn, that's what he was.

    "Oh, okay. But we were in our tender childhood then. I'm a much better player now."

    "I love the moment when I get to break a man's ego. I've better tactics too, if you realize." Then the two of them started their chess talk: talking about discovered attacks and several obscure chess strategies full of boast. Aiden looked at them both ruefully, totally oblivious to the nature of discussion.

    That's exactly what he was—an oblivious, innocent pawn. Meant to be destroyed.

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    The final act, Noelle typed down the message for Nicholas, eyebrows furrowed, I have to start infiltrating the Montciffs now. There's very little time left.

    Noelle sighed after she pressed the send icon on the screen, and was submerged in deep thoughts. She knew she had two sides-and this side was ugly. Was she really going to use Aiden's love for her to march on her quest for revenge? Yes, because she knew the people who manage to blur the lines between the good and the bad legitimately held the true power.

    And this was, after all, a battle of power. You capture the king of the enemy, and the game ends.

    But the idea of using deception and pillaging Aiden's trust and loyalty hurt like hell. Just the idea nudged hard to the very depth of her soul. Maybe she did love him in a twisted, warped manner because she kept on repeating his words when their world was ending. I love you, Noelle. I love you, Noelle. I love you, Noelle. And as much as her former self wanted to return those words back, she knew she would be lying to him. It was the ultimate plunder of his heart to do so, and here she was, thinking to do it anyway.

    She would have to lie. So why didn't it feel like a lie at all? Why saying those words even in silence tug softly at her heart?

    After a long time, she could close her eyes and see abyss of darkness. She could sleep. But not for long, sleep never came for a long time, or without nightmares.

    She saw herself running through a forest, blood in her hands. His blood. She had a deep cut near her lips because of which she could taste blood. He came running, and she knew he meant to destroy her. And here she was, running as fast as she could for her life.

    She felt a hand grasping, and she lunged forward until she smelled musk and melon. Aiden. Now she was crying--for the future they could never have, for a future they would never have. Why did you marry Juliet, Aiden? Why did you let me go to Claremont where I lost my soul? Why, why, why?

    "Noelle . . . my love. Wake up, it's just a bad dream."

    Noelle her eyes open, and brought her legs to her chest, so that she could peek at her ankles to see the remainder. Not a bad dream, after all. She threw him a sad smile, with a slight curl and eyes as empty as the nothingness gnawing inside of her. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

    "Noelle, you don't ever have to apologize. I was really worried though. Do they happen often?"

    "I was not sleeping," she said, straightening herself to a demure stance. "While feeding the cats—I—I was not sleeping. I don't sleep usually at night because of nights like these when I'm alone." Then a silent pause. "I can't sleep alone, all by myself." She added, without mentioning: because of the monsters lurking in the darkest hour of the night. Because I feel defenseless. Because I'm reminded of the biting cold and my loneliness and my destruction, all at the same time.

    "But you're not alone," he whispered, sitting on the bedside, beside her. His one hand cupped his chin, and he looked into her eyes. "You're not alone as long as you have me, Noelle. I'm not going to leave you in this lifetime."

   "Even if I push you away?"

    "Especially if you push me away."

    She wrapped her arms around him, and sobbed silently. Aiden was wearing a grey vest which he was sure now must be on the route to transformation of dark gray. Not that he mind, crying was good for her, and well, having her arms around him was good for him. So bloody good. He returned the embrace, burying his head in her chestnut colored hair. She smelled of lilies and something very sweet.

    "Are you hungry?" He asked, concern dripping in his voice.

    He could feel her smile against his chest. "But we just had dinner."

    "Well, I thought, Royce's flirtations must have put you off, or something. You weren't eating much." He sounded . . . jealous?

    Noelle raised her head to peer at his face, only to see him frowning. She wiped away her tears, feeling so better that she let out a giggle. "We were talking about the game we played. He was shocked abut losing too soon. We weren't flirting." Chuckling softly, she shook her head. "Although, a game of chess is a lot like love." she then drawled.

    "Really?" 

    Noelle nodded with a casual shrug. "You are white, the person you love is black—your enemy. You wait for them to make a move, a slight flirtation, a wink, anything. Then you give up, and make your move. After the prelude to the game, it intensifies. You don't want them to leave you so you give everything to the game—your mind, soul. Then you finally want to attack: a check to make sure they love you as much as you do. Saying the first I love you is like accepting defeat. When the game nears its postlude, either they realize how stupid they are to play the game with you—they either want to leave the game, the outcome be damned. Or they want to accept defeat, and let you checkmate them. If the latter happens, you win. Happily ever after. End game." She dissolved into a smile.

    Aiden appeared a little disheveled by her heartfelt monologue. "Huh? That's quite something. How nice and flowery that sounds. But then I did read your blogs, and I know you have a way with words." He mumbled, still a little shaken.

    Noelle tilted her face to one side, burning him with her intense gaze.

    "Aiden," she then whispered too softly, and feared he may not hear at all what she would say next. "I love you."

    But then he inched towards her ear, and said something in return. Something more exhilarating then any form of a love declaration. 

    "Checkmate, Noelle." 

    Noelle couldn't help but smile, not realizing it was the wrong piece she had chosen this time, and letting herself be oblivious to the destruction she had herself and her king open to.