HE COVERED HER .
1251 Words
Liana: You live alone in all this?*
*Leo: Less noise. More thinking. Less crying alone.*
She froze at “less crying alone.”
Looked up.
He wasn’t looking at her.
Waiting.
*Leo: Sit. Your head needs air,* he said, teasing her.
They sat.
Not close.
Not far.
Just matching.
*Liana: So this is where you hide from people’s problems?*
*Leo: I hide from noise. Your problems are quiet. I can handle quiet.*
*Liana: You’re lucky I came. I almost just slept.*
*Leo: And wake up with puffy eyes? No. Come and lose at chess instead.*
She threw the black pillow at him.
He caught it without looking.
*Liana: Show off.*
*Leo: You’re the one who left your bed for my house. That’s brave.*
*Liana: Brave is telling customer to get finer pictures after taking their dresses so you can post on Instagram..*
*Leo: You do that weekly. So you’re Captain Stress-Tax.*
Both cracked up.
Same timing.
And just like that, her chest felt lighter.
Leo got up and took the chess.
*Leo: Since we can’t decide what to watch, let’s play chess. The winner picks the movie.*
*Leo: Ever played?*
*Liana: I play people, not games.*
*Leo: Same thing.*
He set the wooden board between them.
*Leo: King moves one step. Slow but important.*
*Liana: Like you,* she said, laughing a little..
*Leo: Don’t start.*
*Liana: This one?*
*Leo: Queen. Moves anywhere. Most powerful.*
*Liana: _points at him_ That’s you.*
*Leo: Why me?*
*Liana: Because you’re always two moves ahead of my tears.* _Same light laughter_
He paused.
Moved a pawn.
*Leo: Winner picks the movie, no arguments. Just Netflix.*
*Liana: Deal.*
The game started.
Click.
Click.
He didn’t rush.
Just played calm, like he knew she needed the room to be steady.
Checkmate.
*Liana: how?... so fast... take it easy on me Mr I’m new...* she had a smile on her face...
*Leo: You need steady, not mercy.*
*Liana: Show off.*
*Leo: So what boring movie am I watching?*
*Liana: noooo..* Liana cried out with the pawn in her hand....
*Leo: My brain forgets things when it wins.*
*Leo: Ok let’s play another round,* Liana voiced out as she sat upright, eyes on the board, cracking her neck.. stretching her fingers.. with a smile that said _yh I’m gonna win this round._
This time Liana didn’t ask questions.
She watched.
Thought.
Moved.
Leo stole glances.
Not at the board.
At her.
How she bit her lip when she was thinking.
How she laughed loud when her pawn escaped his trap — free, no filter, like the crying last night never happened.
How she put her hand under her jaw, elbow on the table, eyes squinting at him.
*Liana: Leo please, can’t you let me win uhh..?*
*Leo: _still looking at board_ If I let you win, you’ll think you’re lucky, not good.*
*Liana: I’ll feel good if you lose...* she laughed out again..
She played better.
Blocked his queen.
Took his rook.
Her laugh when she did it?
Loud.
Unborthered
The kind that filled his quiet room and chased the heaviness out.
Leo felt it in his chest.
Impressed.
Proud.
Annoyed that she was getting good so fast.
But he still won.
Queen slide.
Checkmate.
*Liana: ahhh no. Again?*
*Leo: Mmm.*
*Liana: You good at this.. please I beg ..take it easy on me..* she said, demonstrating.
*Leo: _smiled and laughed out a little_ "You haven’t even played yet."*
She dropped her chin in her palm, eyes big, looking at him like he’d cheated.
*Liana: Leo please. Let me win one time na.*
*Leo: I just let you win cause it’s your first time.*
*Liana: Liar. You didn’t let me win anything.*
*Leo: _small shrug, small smile_ Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t.*
She threw the pillow again.
He ducked.
Both laughing now, breathing hard, sync in the noise.
*Liana: Fine. You pick the movie.*
*Leo: _stands, stretches_ Documentary.*
*Liana: No... it’s gonna be boring..* she cried out dramatically.
*Leo: Then you should’ve won.*
He walked to his laptop.
She stayed on the floor by the chessboard, replaying her last move, grinning.
No phone buzzed.
No “Babe” tone.
No Alexia.
Just pieces, breathing, and a girl whose head was finally quiet.
Leo invited her because he knew staying home meant crying again.
So he pulled a chair for her without saying it.
Gave her something to think about that wasn’t pain.
Gave her a win she almost had.
*Leo: Documentary. Like I said.* _Doing a small happy dance, grinning from ear to ear._
*Liana: My brain will sleep before 10 minutes.*
*Leo: Then you should’ve won, shawty.*
*Liana: I was trying to save the world, not play games.*
*Leo: Same thing.*
He clicked play.
Some boring narrator voice started talking about “the migratory patterns of West African birds.”
Liana groaned.
Slumped back against the leg of his bed.
*Liana: Leo, be serious.*
*Leo: I am serious. This is peace.*
*Liana: Peace is sleep, not birds.*
Five minutes in, her eyes started doing that heavy thing.
The kind that comes after crying, after laughing, after being held up all day by yourself.
She tried to fight it.
Sat up straight.
Stretched her neck.
Cracked her knuckles like she was ready for round 3 of chess.
*Liana: I’m not sleeping.*
*Leo: I didn’t say you were.*
*Liana: Good. Because I’m watching.*
Ten minutes later, her head nodded once.
Twice.
Then dropped to the side, resting on the edge of his bed.
Wooden floor cool under her socks.
Throw pillow clutched to her chest like armor.
Breathing slow.
Steady.
No more circles in her head.
Just quiet.
Leo paused the documentary.
Looked at her.
Not at the board.
At her.
How her face was finally soft.
No scissors in her hand.
No customer voice.
No “I’m fine.”
Just Liana.
Tired girl who let herself rest because he pulled a chair for her without asking.
He stood up quiet.
Grabbed the grey cozy blanket from his bed.
The one with zero drama.
He didn’t wake her.
Didn’t say “you sleep?”
Didn’t make it a thing.
He just knelt on one knee — same way he moved his king slow — and spread the blanket over her.
Tucked it under her arms like her father used to do when she’d fall asleep from playing too much in her grandparents’ place.
Not because she was weak.
Because she deserved softness.
*Leo: _whisper, almost to himself_ Sleep, Liana. No noise here.*
She didn’t hear.
She was already gone.
Face relaxed.
Mouth slightly open.
The girl who holds everyone else finally held.
Leo sat back in his ergonomic chair.
Laptop open, but he wasn’t working.
He was just… there.
Presence.
Ears.
No phone buzz.
No “Babe” tone.
No Alexia.
Outside, Benin was still Benin.
Generators, keke, cars, faint voices of choir in a church close by singing.
But in this room?
Just breathing.
Sync.
He stole one more glance at her laugh lines before she’d fallen asleep.
At how loud and free she’d sounded 10 minutes ago when her pawn escaped.
At how she’d said “you’re always two moves ahead of my tears” and meant it.
He didn’t touch her.
He didn’t have to.
The second chair had done its job.
For once she wasn't dragging herself to survive,
she was walking towards something gentle.
First time no shop, no customer talk, not home, not market.
Just Leo’s place.
Fresh air....
Something not in her circle....
- Writer
