Black Blood: Between Two Alphas

Chapter 10

“Are you good with the sched?” Annie, the manager of Cold Stone here in Fairbanks, asked me with a gentle smile on her face.

“Yes, yes.” I eagerly nodded, happy and excited that we could work around my work schedule.

My classes were usually done by four. Annie scheduled my shift from six to ten in the evening every weekday. I couldn’t ask for a better schedule, mainly because I didn’t have work during the weekends. It was the perfect schedule for me.

“Great!” Annie smiled. “You will start next Monday. I’ll send some reminders to your email tonight or tomorrow. Please check it from time to time.”

“Sure. No problem.” I quickly followed Annie when she stood up. “Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome, Paislee. And welcome to our team.”

I was in total bliss after getting hired for the job. It was a huge accomplishment for me, even though it meant having more responsibility in my hands. The rush of thrill and excitement from independence in my veins caused my heart to pump fast, making me feel even more alive.

It felt good to finally have something to look forward to every day. It felt refreshing to have a change in routine.

To: Molly

Thanks for the help! Let me treat you to dinner sometime.

I texted Molly once I got out of the office. She was a great help to me. Although I was just a stranger to her, she didn’t think twice about helping me. She pitched me to the manager, and her good words did wonders.

We exchanged conversations yesterday, and I learned that she was also a part-timer. Her schedule seemed more flexible than mine, though. She explained last time that she was usually on duty from eleven to three in the afternoon or the same as mine — six to ten in the evening.

“You passed?” Mark, the guy on duty, asked me when he saw me out.

“Yup!” I chuckled, still feeling great.

I thought the interview would be very nerve-racking, but I didn’t even break a sweat. The questions were easy and very general. I also signed the contract and job offer right then and there. It was a fast and smooth process, a very pleasant experience.

Well, I was only applying for a part-time position, nothing permanent. I guess that was the reason why Annie wasn’t hard on me. Aside from that, I also believed that I didn’t look like someone who would dare cause trouble.

Before I left the store, I treated myself to another cup of ice cream. I wanted to stay a bit longer, but no vacant tables were left. In the end, I decided to just eat the ice cream inside the car when I thought of sharing the good news with Noah.

To: Noah

Hey, babe! Can you sneak out of your group work and have dinner with me, please? My treat! I have a job now!

Biting the spoon in my mouth while the cup was sitting on my lap, I quickly composed a text message to Noah. I knew he had some prior commitments to his group mates for their field study, but I was hoping he could spare some time to celebrate with me tonight.

I replaced the cup with my phone after sending my text. While waiting for his reply, I continued eating, staring at the screen.

I was almost finished with my ice cream when I received a message from him.

From: Noah

Sorry babe. We’re really busy and won’t be done until later this evening. Can you wait ’til 9 or 10?

As expected… What am I expecting? He didn’t even congratulate me or anything.

Another wave of disappointment washed over the pleasure I felt inside. I didn’t know how many times we had resolved this problem, but I would still get disappointed every d*mn time.

I already came to the point where I thought I was the problem. I couldn’t help tasting bitterness in my mouth whenever he rejected me. I tried to be positive and reminded myself that I had to be understanding, but to no avail. All I could do was act like one, and I was guilty of breaking my promise to always be honest about my feelings.

To: Noah

Nevermind. It’s fine. Let’s just have lunch tomorrow on campus.

What an understanding girlfriend you are, Paislee.

Shaking my head, I quickly finished my ice cream and threw the cup and spoon in the recycle bin before driving to Walmart. It was very close to Cold Stone, so it was just a short drive.

As soon as I had arrived, I headed straight to the arts and crafts section to search for what I needed and looked for the brand I usually go for.

“Hmm…” I hummed to myself while trying to budget my savings but ended up splurging on a complete set of paint, brushes, and a new canvas board.

I didn’t get to buy art supplies last time, since I was in a hurry to head home. I was almost out of acrylic and oil paints at the apartment. I had to restock as I knew I would be using them a lot that night. Aside from that insignificant reason, I was really considering Marga’s suggestion to paint something for Zero on his birthday.

However, I reserved that as my last option. If I couldn’t really come up with a gift a week before his day, I had no other choice but to use my talent, which would also lead to another dilemma — the subject.

What will I paint him? Which art style should I go for? Are there any colors he thinks are unorthodox?

Thinking about painting only caused me to have more questions in my mind, which led to another pile of stress. I didn’t want any of it. I would still rather go for a gift I could simply buy. But just in case, I knew I had to prepare for the worst.

“The lighter one?”

I shifted to my position when I heard a familiar voice.

“Okay. I’ll get it now.”

I turned to the other end of the aisle and saw Zero heading my way. He was holding his phone against his ears. The familiar deep lines on his forehead were present as he talked and listened. And with his sharp senses, his eyes were already on me after he made a turn.

Speaking of the reason for my dilemma…

Instead of getting annoyed, though, I was genuinely happy to see him. The dark clouds over my head were overpowered by the glowing sun. My mood instantly brightened up as the corners of my lips rose into a smile.

“Zero!” I happily hopped to meet him.

As he was still on the phone, Zero just raised an eyebrow at me while listening to the one on the other line. Like a puppy, I patiently waited, watching him closely.

“So, the peach and white one? Is that final? Yes. Okay, Mom. Bye.”

Mom? He must be talking to his mom then.

“Your mom?” I asked when he finally dropped the call.

Zero simply nodded and turned away from me. His eyes scanned the shelves, looking for paint.

“You’re running an errand for her?” I asked again, trying to engage in a conversation with him. However, he just nodded again without saying anything.

He reached for the cans of paint his mother asked him to buy while his lips were still sealed.

I pursed my lips tight. I didn’t want to get irritated when my mood just became better, but Zero was really good at testing my patience.

“Are you gonna ignore—”

Before I could even finish my sentence, Zero swiftly took my basket and put the paint cans inside it. He didn’t look back at me while I stood frozen, watching him walk away with my art supplies.

I was so stunned that I couldn’t move. Zero noticed that I wasn’t following him, so he finally turned around and gave me his attention.

“Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming with me?” Zero asked with a tone I usually didn’t like, but I didn’t f*cking mind at all. Instead, I smiled widely and briskly walked to catch up to him right away.

“Let’s go!” I happily cheered once I got to stand beside him.

There was a ghost of a smile on Zero’s lips as he shook his head and started walking again.

“So, your mom asked you to run an errand?” I asked the same question he didn’t answer the first time.

Zero turned to me and nodded.

“What are the paints for?”

“She’s doing DIY at home. Her newly found hobby,” he said, shrugging his shoulders like he was already used to his mother.

“Your mom’s into arts too?”

He shook his head. “She’s a lawyer. It’s just a hobby while she’s on a long break.”

My lips parted. I didn’t know why, but I was surprised to learn about that.

“How ’bout you?” Zero passed the question to me since it was already his turn. “Why are you still out?”

I cheekily smiled as I couldn’t hide my happiness. “I just signed a contract for a part-time job. I’m now officially an employee at Cold Stone! Are you proud of me?”

Zero’s eyes widened in disbelief like he was mirroring my reaction when I learned about his mother’s profession.

I only smiled wider because it was nice to see him shaken up.

“When did you apply?” he asked.

“Just the other day,” I answered. “I was interviewed earlier and got the job offer.”

“Did you read the contract thoroughly?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you can handle it?”

I frowned at him. “Of course! What do you take me for?”

“That’s good.” Zero nodded and licked his lips. “There won’t be any problem then if that’s what you really want.”

Zero flashed a small smile before he turned away. He walked straight to the cashier and quickly paid for everything, including my art supplies. I wanted to pay him back, but he kept ignoring me like he didn’t hear anything.

“Give me your bank—”

I stopped mid-sentence when Zero suddenly turned around and faced me. I thought he was finally giving up, so I just stared back at him in anticipation.

“Here. Hold them for me first.” He gave me the bags once we were done paying. “Wait for me. I’ll be back in a sec.”

“Huh? Where are you going?” I asked, wanting to follow him, but he walked fast with long strides. I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch up even if I tried to. It would just be a waste of effort.

Once again, like a puppy waiting for its master, I stayed where he left me. I also placed the bags down on the floor to avoid the hassle, then checked my phone to see any new message from Noah.

That was the only time he didn’t disappoint me. Indeed. He sent me another message to apologize again, but I wasn’t moved by it anymore.

Every time he said ‘sorry,’ it felt like the word kept losing its meaning until it couldn’t serve its purpose any longer. At that point, instead of receiving endless apologies, I wanted him to show me his sincerity through actions.

I heaved a sigh and put the phone back inside the bag. My lips were pouting as I pushed my gaze back up when I saw Zero returning while holding a cake in his hand.

“Here you go.”

With my eyes open wide, I quickly laid both my hands out to receive the cake. It was a celestial moon-themed cake made of vanilla chiffon and topped with berries. I tried it once before, and I really liked it. I liked anything vanilla if it still wasn’t obvious.

“Wait…” I trailed and gasped when I realized something.

I initially thought it was a part of his errand until I read a simple dedication written on the extra space.

Congratulations, Paislee!

“Is… this for me?” I asked, almost a whisper.

“Your name’s written on it. You’re the only Paislee I know,” Zero answered, then sighed heavily. “Anyway, I’ll walk you to your car. My mother badly needs the paint, so I have to go home now. Is it okay with you?”

Is that okay with me? Why the hell does he need to ask me that?

Blocking out those thoughts, I swallowed hard and nodded. And as soon as Zero had his back turned on me, heat stung the corners of my eyes as I felt that sharp pain in my chest.