(Snowe's POV)I failed.
RJ had work to catch up on. He was glued to his computer non-stop, not even pausing for meals. Meanwhile, Zai was true to his word—he got me a job as a waitress at a nearby restaurant the very next day. He even got a job there himself, working with me.
Zai somehow breezed through all the training, so much so that it stunned our trainer, who asked him,"Have you worked here before?"
He said no, but he'd already memorized the floor plan and menu after, seemingly, just a glance. After the verbal instructions and walkthrough, he and I were left in a small room to complete some food safety and sanitation modules on a tablet.
Zai finished his test—which was supposed to take fifteen minutes—in under one, with a perfect score. He turned to me with a smirk."Do you need help?"
I shook my head."No, I think I got it... I'm just being careful."
He laid the tablet down and scooted closer."You sure you don't want me to just give you the answers?" he asked, resting his head sideways on the table so his face tilted up toward mine.
My face burned. I avoided his gaze and muttered,"No... that's called cheating."
"You're blushing."
I spun my chair so my back faced him."I'm not."
"I'm actually really good at seeing through lies. It's a skill of mine."
I refused to respond.
"I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when you're done."
I tried to ignore him. Seventeen minutes later, after submitting my test, I stole a glance. He was fast asleep. His lashes were so long... he looked more like a painting than a real person. I set the tablet down and—without thinking—reached out and gently poked his earring.
I'd never seen an Infaniyan with a piercing. Holes that small would heal almost instantly, destroying most metals in the process. It shouldn't be much different for Afarions... so how had he done it?
"Are you done?" Amber asked, re-entering the room.
I jumped in my seat, yanked my hand back, and nodded."I'm done."
Zai yawned and sat up, his arm falling behind my back. His fingers brushed my side and I shivered at the contact."I finished too," he added, standing and heading toward her.
Amber was older—maybe thirty-four—with warm smile lines around her eyes. Her hair was a soft bronze and her skin nearly translucent, like mine when my eyes shifted, revealing her emotions without effort.
"You're going to shadow me while I wait on some tables, then I'll let you practice on your own," she said cheerfully.
She was charismatic and warm. Because she was so normal, the customers relaxed around her easily. We observed her for about an hour.
After that, Zai was the first to apply what he'd learned. The table he approached seemed to be a couple.
"Good evening, my name is Zaikel. I'll be serving you today."
His voice was smooth, almost hypnotic. I hated how charming it sounded."Would you like to try our Chardonnay, or shall I bring you something else?"
The woman stared at him dreamily."I want you..."
Her husband erupted. He accused Zai of flirting with his wife, called him a "pretty boy," and demanded a manager. It was chaotic—and honestly, kind of entertaining.
I was told to take over the table.
"I'll be taking over. Can I take your order?" I asked.
The husband calmed down and even slipped me a tip, which I technically wasn't allowed to accept while still in training.
That evening, we were dismissed to go home and study. Zai wasn't reprimanded—there were witnesses, and technically, he hadn't done anything wrong.
The restaurant wasn't far, so we walked home together. Midway through, Zai suddenly said,"Let's stop at that park."
He pointed to a grassy clearing behind some bushes.
"Why?" I asked.
He grabbed my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"I want to talk with you."
He pulled me gently into the bushes and sat. I sat beside him. I think I wanted to talk to him too.
"Oh... I've been wondering all day—how do you have so many piercings? Is there a technique for that on Afaria?"
He smiled."So... you're interested in me?"
I blushed and looked away.
"They were done by Rai," he said. "My earrings had to be constantly heated to three thousand degrees and held in place for three hours until the holes stopped trying to close. I had to repeat the process for each one."
I gasped."That must have... been excruciating."
He looked at me gently."It was a long time ago. I asked him to do it. So stop looking so sad."
I bit my lip, trying not to tear up."Okay... but why go through that?"
"I was bored. Numb. Tired of feeling nothing. I thought... I'd try feeling pain."
His voice was soft. It made my chest tighten.
"Did you... grow up in the same prison as RJ?" I asked.
He chuckled, though it sounded empty."I guess it was a prison, huh?"
I should have known. They're brothers, after all. But Zai always seems so vibrant. So alive. While RJ is always holding back some silent ache.
Then he looked at me."RJ told me you decided not to go home. That you didn't even visit your family."
"I... don't have any family anymore."
Zai stared at me for a moment. Then he put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me against him.
"Neither do I. Except Rai."
My heart pounded. I didn't move. I didn't want to.
"What's your favorite song, Snowe?"
I wish he wouldn't say my name like that. It sent sparks straight down my spine.
"A song called Open Door."
"What's it about?"
"It's about a woman in a long-term relationship. Her partner decides to leave and pursue his dreams, and she tells him that her door is always open. That if he ever wants to return, she'll welcome him back."
"...Wow. She sounds dumb as hell."
I gasped and pulled away."That's my favorite song!"
"And the lyrics are stupid."
I frowned. "Then what should she have done?"
"Moved on," Zai said simply.
"You're just saying that because you've never been in love!"
He looked at me then. Really looked. His face tilted in toward mine—close enough I could count the flecks in his eyes.
"If I loved someone, I'd either move on... or drag them back to me. I'm not sitting around, waiting."
He stood abruptly and walked back toward the sidewalk. I had to jog to catch up.
When we got home, I headed for RJ's room. But he was still on his computer, so I went to mine to sleep.
Working with Zai every day became normal. The host avoided seating heterosexual couples at his tables, which prevented any further incidents. Of course, customers flirted with me too, but nothing so bold.
Straight women seemed to lose their minds around Zai—like they couldn't think straight. Maybe it was pheromones? Whatever it was, despite all his charm, he never seemed genuinely interested in anyone.
A week passed. Even though RJ finished his work in two days like he promised, I still worked five days a week with Zai. And every day, after work, he insisted we take a break—just to talk.
He asked me everything. My favorite color. My favorite movie. What I was afraid of. What I dreamed of. He'd swing from playful teasing to soul-searching questions without warning.
It was like he was mapping out my entire mind—carefully, intentionally. And even if he acted casual... I could tell.
He cared.