Tazanna

The time in France is nine in the evening; it was quite a long flight, but I honestly enjoyed the view up in the sky. Felix had also decided to come along; he told me that all his work was done and that Piper could be his representative for a day. I wonder what her reaction was after hearing that her brother would be coming to France with me. Oh, that is right; she has lost memory of the time that her brother died here. The only emotion that she is feeling right now is definitely jealousy—that her brother is escaping from his responsibilities as the company's CEO and leaving all the work to her.

A little walking exercise, and we have arrived at the hotel that Vic had prepared for us. He had only requested two rooms due to the fact that Felix and I are a couple and we could stay in the same room. I do not have any complaints since we were already living under one roof. Felix, though, had been awfully quiet the whole flight and up until now. He had not spoken a word, and I wonder why. If anything had happened at work, he would have already told me, unless it was something confidential or he was protecting the reputation of one of his artists.

I watched him unbutton the first two buttons of his polo and plop down on the sofa with a relieved sigh. He must be feeling jet lagged; the time we spent on our butts sure was long, but not enough to make one feel exhausted like he was. I wonder if something is really wrong.

"Why have you decided to come along, Felix? Did something happen at work?" Felix turned his head my way as he sat up. His legs dropped from the foot stool, and his fingers combed his hair back. "I mean, you've been strangely quiet since we arrived. I was wondering if you're okay, or something from work came up last minute. Has Piper called you, and you need to go back?" His lips curved up to form a smile across his pretty face; it still melts my heart to see it. Felix slowly made his way toward me, and his warm, big hands squeezed my cheeks.

"I'm fine; thank you for worrying for me though. I was feeling tired all of a sudden; it must be because it had been long since I've last been on a plane. All I've ever ridden since I came back was a car," he chuckles. Felix takes off his polo, revealing the white shirt that was underneath. He leans in closer to place a soft kiss against my skin and says, "I'm using the shower first." The water then started running the second he stepped inside the bathroom. On the table to the left, there was my phone, lighting up with a notification from Vic saying that we must go first thing in the morning to the shop where the fabrics that he needs for his designs are being sold. It amazes me, honestly, that this man's true identity is Grim Reaper, and yet he is doing an excellent job as a fashion designer. I do not know how he does it or how he's got so much knowledge about fashion design. It almost seems like a person with two identities, which in his case, was true.

"Where should we go tomorrow?" Felix's voice made me jump; I nearly dropped my phone. That was fast; I expected him to stay in there for about ten minutes. He was drying his hair off with a towel; the white bathrobe is embracing his whole body as he comes back to laying down on the sofa. "I know you came here because of your job. I'm not thinking of this as a vacation, though I could really use one," he joked.

"We're going to check the fabrics' quality first thing in the morning. If you would like, you can roam around the city and enjoy yourself, Felix. Just meet me back here at the hotel."

"No, I cannot do that!" That was almost a scream, and it surprised me. Felix must have seen me flinch, seeing that he ran to my side and apologized immediately. "I can't let you be alone in this place, Taz." I tilted my head and waited for what he was going to say next. "Besides, I really want to see how you work. You know? It's been so long since I've last watched you do your job; I missed it." His answer is not quite convincing; it is certain that there is something that he cannot tell me. Felix has just reminded me where we are again; this is where he faced death. He must be remembering that time; bringing him back here really is not a good idea. I should have left him.

The morning sun peeks through the curtains in our hotel room. My arm reaches out to touch my fiancé, only to find half of the bed empty. I sprung up and called for his name, but there was no answer. I checked the bathroom and the terrace but found no Felix. Until the door opens and shuts, there he stands with a paper bag in his hands and a smile on his face.

"Good morning, honey." He kissed my forehead. "How was your sleep? I woke up earlier than my alarm; I figured that I should get us some breakfast before we leave. I've got you a cappuccino!" Look at him waving the cup of coffee in front of my face; he looks really proud of what he has done, while I got worried that he might have flown back because he was scared of being here. It turned out that I was only being a worrywart.

The three of us met at the lobby, and now we are on our way to that shop that Vic is dying to check out. The men had not exchanged any words since then. I wonder if Felix is still irritated with Vic, even after knowing about his real identity. If not, then perhaps it is awkward for the both of them; Felix has come back to help me, and Vic is awaiting my death. It was not long until we arrived at the store. Vic quickly asked the person in charge if the fabric was on display and available for today. I wonder what kind of dress he is going to make for him to come all the way here to France. My eyes then found Felix, who was walking around with a thumb brushed against his lips. I smiled.

"That would be all, thank you." I heard Vic from the other side; this guy really is surprising in every way. A Grim Reaper has thanked a mortal. I never imagined that I would see something like that in my life. He bought two kinds of fabric in the store and bid goodbye. I remember him saying that he would need my opinion on this, but this reaper surely had forgotten that.

"Are we going back?" Felix asks as his arm wraps around my waist. "I thought it'd take about an hour; that was quick." A loud sound up in the sky interrupted the peace we were having as we walked across the streets of France—a gun shot.

"What the hell was that?" I groan, pulling myself back up on my feet. "Are you okay, Felix?" I found him trembling; he is catching his breath and can barely stand on his feet. His hands are cold as ice, and sweat is dripping down from his forehead. I have never seen him like this before; this almost seems like a panic attack, but he has never been diagnosed with it. Was he so surprised?

It took almost seven minutes for Felix to calm down his breathing, and now we are back at the hotel. I am grateful that Vic has helped me carry Felix, as this fiancé of mine is a giant, and it would have taken me a day before getting back here. He is now lying on the bed with his eyes closed. I unbuttoned his polo so he could relax; however, he is still breaking into a cold sweat.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I must have ruined the day for you, Tazanna."

"Don't think like that. How are you feeling?" His hands are still cold to the touch. I wonder what scared him so much out there that he had lost all power to stand up on his feet.

"I'm okay; thank you. I also did not think this would happen."

"Felix, can I ask you something?" He looked at me. "By any chance, were you... killed by a gun? Felix, was that... how your life had ended?"

I am unsure and full of doubt. But seeing how he reacted to the gunshot we both heard earlier out there, this was the only thing that I could think of.