Black Blood: Between Two Alphas

Chapter 4

“Here!” I stood in front of the wall, which was meant to be a backdrop. “Take a picture of me here, please!”

Even after an hour of roaming around the exhibit, I was still in my element. I was happy and satisfied to see Zero entertained with all of the paintings, statues, and the likes. Rather than looking bored, he seemed very interested.

While exploring, I took pictures here and there of the artwork, but I realized I didn’t have my own photo that I could post on my socials. Luckily, we immediately came across the backdrop where visitors and guests took their pictures before us.

“Your phone?” Zero laid his palm out to me.

“Oh, right!”

I quickly rummaged through my bag to get my phone and gave it to him. Zero then moved further to position himself to take a good picture, while I simply stood and smiled at the camera.

Instead of taking my picture, I found Zero’s eyes directed at me instead of my phone. He wasn’t even trying to be discreet while staring at me.

It made me feel uneasy.

My throat ran dry, but I did my best to school my expression. I frowned and put my hands on both sides of my waist, acting annoyed to hide the embarrassment rising inside me.

“What?” I snapped and shot a brow.

Zero pursed his lips. They twitched as he tried to hide a smile.

“Nothing.” He shook his head and held my phone up. “Smile, please?”

I rolled my eyes and shifted my position. As I wanted to get everything done already, I smiled as soon as he started counting down from three.

Although he could be really annoying, Zero actually had a supportive side. One shot, and I thought we were done. I thought he’d get bored right away, or he wasn’t up for it. However, he even searched for better angles and took a shot every time. He made sure that I’d like something out of all the pictures he took.

I couldn’t stop smiling while scanning through my gallery. There were twelve photos, and I loved them all. But then, my smile faded when I knew I had a hard time choosing which one to post.

“What’s wrong?” Zero asked and walked closer to check on my phone, then pushed his gaze up at me. “You don’t like anything? Want me to take your pictures again?”

Pouting my lips, I lifted my gaze and shook my head. “I can’t choose….”

His eyelids fluttered while he dumbfoundedly stared at my face. “Choose what?” he innocently probed.

“Choose which one to upload. I like them all!”

Zero slowly calmed as he sighed. “Pick the first one.”

“The first one?”

I brought my eyes down to check the first photo he took of me. I studied it for a fleeting moment. I looked beautiful, just like what I expected, but it seemed simpler than the other shots. It was pretty basic.

“Hmm…” I tilted my head. “Why do you like this one?”

“Nothing special.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You looked the same in all the pictures. I’m just helping you decide.”

I exhaled sharply, feeling a bit disappointed. I should’ve known better.

“Anyway, if you’re fine with those pictures, we should move on now. We still have another section to check,” Zero said, getting ready to proceed with the exhibit.

Just as he was about to walk away, I tugged his arm and stopped him from leaving. He turned to me gently, but there were a few thin lines across his brow.

“What now?”

“We’re not done yet.”

Zero looked confused. “We aren’t?” 

“Uhuh.” I took hold of his wrist and pulled him toward the backdrop. “We still haven’t taken your picture yet.”

"And why would I need to do that?"

"It will serve as a remembrance!"

“I don’t need that.”

I shook my head firmly and let him stand where I stood just a few minutes ago. “Don’t be such a killjoy, Zero. Just stay there and smile.”

“But I—”

“Where’s your phone?” I cut him off to ask.

“I forgot to bring it with me.”

My eyes narrowed, suspiciously looking at him. I thought he just didn’t want to get his picture taken, so I started to search for his phone by feeling his front and back pockets.

“What the f*ck are you doing?” Zero almost jumped in surprise as I shamelessly put my hand on his body. He was trying to move away, but before he could do anything, I quickly ended my search when I didn’t find his phone.

“Where’s your phone?” I repeated.

Zero heavily sighed and stepped back, putting enough distance in between us. He kept cautiously glancing at me as if he was scared.

“I already told you I forgot to bring it with me,” he argued.

I leaned closer and observed his expression a little longer without any hesitation. He moved his head back while his eyes held my gaze.

He’s not lying.

I sighed when I confirmed that and stood properly. Zero looked relieved, but he was still a bit wary.

“Sorry. I thought you were lying,” I said eventually.

“Why would I lie about that?” he asked like it was absurd.

“Because you don’t want me to take a picture of you.”

Zero shook his head. The thin, angry lines on his forehead were gone already. He looked better except for his annoyed expression. I was already used to that, so I didn’t mind it anymore.

“I still wouldn’t lie just for that,” he said. “I was in a hurry, so I forgot my phone.”

“You were in a hurry? Did you go somewhere else before coming to get me?”

“No,” he replied. “I was just training in the cabin. Noah suddenly called to say you were waiting for me, so I rushed out after getting dressed.”

I was?

I didn’t voice out that question in my head. I wasn’t waiting for him. I had no idea Noah asked him to be with me until he arrived.

But thinking Zero rushed out and even forgot his phone, not to keep me waiting, it made me feel really good. I felt a rush of heat in my cheeks. I couldn’t help but smile as happiness sparked in my chest.

After getting ditched by Noah at the last minute, it was soothing to know that someone willingly came to me. He didn’t hesitate and left in a hurry. 

When Zero turned to me again, I saw how he got a bit stunned. To conceal his raw emotions, he frowned and asked, “Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I’m just happy,” I told him the truth.

Zero only frowned more. My heart only turned soft for him.

“Thank you for coming with me today. I really appreciate it.”

Zero eyed me suspiciously; I only laughed at his reaction.

“I’m going to take a picture of you now. Just stay there, okay?” I said to change our topic, then ran to a position where I could get a better picture. “You ready?” I asked while adjusting the frame by moving the phone back and forth.

Zero sighed and slid his hands in his pockets, doing only the bare minimum. He didn’t smile or anything. He just stared blankly at the camera.

Well, it wasn’t like he needed to put effort into looking good. Even just standing there and looking annoyed from getting his picture taken, he could pass like a model. He’s not just handsome. His body was even well-toned from all the training.

I remembered telling Noah how everyone in their clan looked really good. There is no visual hole. I saw Zero’s younger sister last time, and she’s gorgeous. Noah said she looked like Zero’s mother, more than resembling a Lewis.

“Thank you! I’m looking forward to the next exhibit,” I told one of the organizers who was waiting at the exit.

The woman was already familiar to me. She was part of the team of organizers which usually organized exhibits in Fairbanks.

“Glad you enjoyed!” she said to me, but her eyes went past me to look at Zero standing behind me.

I awkwardly smiled when I noticed that and tried to just ignore it.

After a few more exchanges of pleasantries, Zero and I finally headed back to the parking lot. He quickly went ahead of me to open the door. However, he didn’t wait for me and walked around the sedan.

We entered the car at the same time. I put the bag on my lap and buckled my seatbelt while he turned the engine on.

“Where do you wanna eat?” Zero casually asked and glanced at me.

“Uhm…You decide.”

“Are you craving something?”

I unconsciously licked my lips, thinking of the food I wanted to eat. “Japanese food?”

Although I was fine with anything, I suddenly thought of eating sushi when he asked about my craving. It had been a while since I had dined in a Japanese restaurant.

Zero nodded at that. He started driving out of the lot onto the road. Based on the direction we were heading in, I felt like I already knew where he was planning to take me.

“Irashai?” I said and turned to Zero.

He glanced at me and nodded. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”

“Nope.” I quickly shook my head. “Irashai’s fine. I like their sushi. It’s delicious.”

A smile formed on his lips when I agreed with his choice.

I looked out the window as we reached the main road. Like it was a coincidence, I happened to spot an airplane flying in the sky, which had just probably taken off. I couldn’t help but recall the short conversation with Zero at the exhibit.

From experiencing that not-so-good of a morning, I was happy that everything fell into place after that. I enjoyed the exhibit and gained a lot of inspiration from fellow aspiring artists. I also found a renewed vigor to try turning my dreams into reality.

I had no idea if I’d be able to succeed that time around, but I was willing to take risks again. It might be fallacious to say that it was all because of Zero, but that was what I believed. If it wasn’t for his encouragement, I doubted if I’d take a step again.

I never thought it would take that fast to convince me when I almost fell into depression back then. But I guessed that only showed how much I really wanted that. I just needed someone to knock on the door, and I would do anything just to open it and get out — even if I had to crawl.

While I was walking along the trail of thoughts, I was interrupted when my phone rang. Zero and I stared at each other for a few seconds before he averted his eyes and cleared his throat.

With a sigh, I pulled the phone out of my bag.

It’s Noah…

I didn’t know why. Instead of being delighted that he was calling, my mood turned sour. It felt like I had just witnessed heavy rain suddenly pouring on a sunny day. I really didn’t want to answer his call, so I put the phone back inside instead of hitting the green button and brushed it off.

Zero seemed surprised by what I had just done. Emotion flashed across his eyes. The car slowed down when he turned his head.

“Noah?” he asked, looking curious.

I nodded.

His forehead creased. “Why didn’t you answer?”

“Hmm…” I tried to think of a valid excuse, but I knew I would never be able to find one. In the end, I gave up, crossed my arms, and decided to tell him the truth. “I just want to act immature and ignore him. That’s what he gets for standing me up.”