DAPHNE
Spending time with Ezekiel turns out to be far more fun than I expected. Awkward at first, sure, but he surprises me by playing along without complaint. Maybe even enjoying himself, though he'd never admit it.
I'd brought him to the arcade thinking I would humble him a little. Wipe that ever-calm, blank expression off his face by beating him at something. But apparently, I underestimated him. Badly.
"I thought you said you've never played this before?" I mutter as my character dies for the third time.
Ezekiel doesn't answer. He's too focused, his eyes fixed on the screen, fingers flying over the controls with deadly precision. His in-game avatar mows down enemies like it’s personal. The score at the top keeps rising, absurdly so.
I gape at the numbers. "Unbelievable."
I'm not
