My Baby Daddy Isn't Human-Chapter 156: Game of Distraction

"This here is the rook. It moves straight in any direction. The bishop moves diagonally. The knight moves in an L-shape, and the queen—" Sloane tapped the most elegant piece. "—is the badass of the board. She can move any way she wants."

Raelynn raised an eyebrow. "So the queen is the strongest piece?"

Sloane grinned. "Hell yeah, she is."

"What about the king?"

"Useless," Sloane deadpanned. "Well, not completely useless. If you lose him, you lose the game. But he can only move one square at a time."

Raelynn smirked. "So basically, the queen does all the work."

Sloane snickered. "Exactly. Welcome to life."

Raelynn chuckled again, feeling oddly entertained. It was a nice change from the usual dullness of being stuck in bed.

They started with a few practice moves, Sloane demonstrating different scenarios while Raelynn tried to mimic them. At first, she struggled, forgetting which piece could move where, but Sloane was patient, guiding her through every step. Eventually, they moved on to an actual game, and though Raelynn wasn't particularly good, she found herself enjoying it.

Minutes turned into hours, and soon, Raelynn was so absorbed in the game that she didn't even notice the passing of time.

Just as she was contemplating her next move, the door opened again, and a familiar deep voice filled the room.

"I didn't know you could play chess," Elion said, stepping inside. His eyes flickered with mild surprise as he saw the board.

Raelynn looked up at him. "I didn't. This is literally my first day."

Elion's gaze shifted to Sloane. "So, you're the one who taught her?"

Sloane smirked. "Yep. And she's doing pretty well for a beginner."

Elion stepped closer, eyeing the board. "You know, if I had known Raelynn was interested in chess, I would have played with her instead."

Sloane scoffed. "Please. If she had played with you first, she would've quit within five minutes."

Elion raised an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

Sloane leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Because you don't go easy on people. You play to destroy."

Elion smirked. "That's the point of the game, isn't it?"

Raelynn watched them with amusement, sensing the playful tension between them.

"You don't even play with me," Elion continued, his tone laced with mock offense.

"Because you always win, and it's annoying." Sloane rolled her eyes. "It's not fun when you never get a chance to win."

Elion shrugged. "Maybe you should just get better."

Sloane shot him a look. "Oh, shut up."

Raelynn laughed softly, feeling oddly relaxed in their presence.

Just then, Sloane's phone rang, breaking the moment. She glanced at the screen and cursed under her breath. "Shit, I have to go. I need to head to the hospital."

She stood up, stretching her arms before grinning at Raelynn. "We'll continue this tomorrow."

Before she left, she turned to Elion and stuck out her tongue. "Try not to ruin her enthusiasm."

Elion gave her an unimpressed look. "Get out."

Sloane chuckled as she walked toward the door. "I'm going, I'm going." With one last wave, she disappeared down the hall.

The room fell into a brief silence, the only sound being the faint rustling of the curtains as a soft breeze entered through the slightly open window.

Elion turned his attention back to Raelynn, his expression unreadable. "Well then," he murmured, pulling out the chair Sloane had vacated. He sat down, his movements fluid and composed. "I suppose I'll be the one teaching you now."

Raelynn looked at him curiously. "Are you any different from Sloane?"

Elion smirked, his sharp gaze locking onto hers. "I'd like to think I'm a much better teacher."

Raelynn wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But either way, she had a feeling the rest of her day was going to be just as interesting as the past few hours.