The whole time I was working, serving people the addicting poison, my mind was preoccupied with Death. It's been three days since he appeared in my room. Three days since he threatened to hunt me down like prey if I attempted to run away from him. Three days since he touched me as if I belonged to him. My flesh and soul be his.

I returned to work because Grandma started to walk on her own, and if I stayed merely one day at home, I would definitely get fired.

The most difficult thing I've had to do in recent months was persuade my boss to keep me working here. But when I told him how many people came to drink here because of me and how some of them even confirmed this to him while I was away by not drinking, he chose to keep me for the sake of the bar.

That being settled, Madeline started to visit me again. We didn't talk about what happened at her apartment, and truthfully, I had no intention of bringing it up. She'd have a reason not to tell me what was going on with her. But I knew she was hiding something from me, and I'd figure out what it was.

Many people entered our bar as a shield from the pouring rain. Unfortunately, I got soaked from it when, halfway through the walk to work, it started to rain. I never check the weather beforehand. I love to get surprised, and although I love rain, this was not the kind of surprise I enjoyed. I had no spare clothes to change into, so I served the customers like a drenched cat.

I had to take my favorite sweater off as water dripped from it all over the counter into people's drinks. I was a huge-looking mess, but I still got a pretty large tip from my loyal customers.

When the front door opened, I recognized the guy who had previously come here in the same weather condition.

"One glass of red wine, please." His voice was so pleasing to hear.

"Here you go."

He opened his wallet, searched through it, and many small sticky notes fell out of it. I walked around the counter to help him collect them all.

"Thank you." He laughed. "I've been such a mess today, as you can see." And he wasn't the only one in the room. It was burning at the tip of my tongue to say it, but I thought it sounded offending.

"I don't know if you remember; however, you came here before when the crazy storm was outside, and now this feels like Deja Vu," I said to him when I returned behind the counter.

He slapped his forehead. "Oh, yes! I recalled that. But this time I brought an umbrella with me." He swung his umbrella up so I could see.

"Looks like you didn't check the forecast, huh?" His eyes focused on my wet hair.

"Yeahhh, let's not talk about it." I laughed, pointing my index finger.

The sound of thin heels creaking against the floor made me turn my head in its direction.

"I see you're having fun." Madeline smiled at me when our eyes met.

"Oh, hey." I greeted her, glancing at the man who was still looking at me because I couldn't take my eyes away from him.

He extended his arm to me, opening his fist. "Here's the money. Thankfully, I found it." He chuckled.

Once I hovered my hand under his and the money fell into my hand, his hand locked into mine.

"I'm Rowan, by the way." It did not matter to him that Madeline stared at him. His attention was entirely focused on me. And despite our different styles of clothing and different jobs, I liked the feel of his hand touching mine and the thought of him liking and wanting me. Behind his blue eyes were pure intentions, and I liked the feeling of a little normality happening to me. No Grim Reaper, coming here to want my soul. Not hearing Grandma called me my mother's name that reminded me, she's six feet under.

For once, I felt like a normal girl who experienced someone's liking for me and made it obvious.

"I'm Vivienne."

I usually don't reveal my true name to customers, but I had this strong feeling that he could be trusted and that he wouldn't use it against me.

When our hands disconnected and the warmth of his hand I could no longer feel, he took his wine and left to the very corner of the bar to settle down.

A soft hand gripped my jaw, and I was forced to turn my face. Madeline's wide eyes burned in flames. Her smile turned into a straight line, and I just knew she was angry with me, even though I had no clue why.

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"You should not be behind the counter. My boss may see you, and you'll get in trouble." I gently said in the hope she would let go of me.

"Frankly-" She drew closer to my face as her sweet perfume brushed against my nose. "I don't give a single fuck who may catch me here, pretty girl. Who was that man you were talking to?" The grip of her skinny fingers tightened around my jaw.

"Why should I confess to you? Are you my mother or what?" It came out much more sternly than I intended. I jerked away, leaving a large space between us.

Madeline's behavior was always questioning, but the possessives she showed me at that moment exposed her true colors.

"Leave," I said, touching my jaw.

She scoffed, and her jaw twitched. "As you wish." She softly said and left the bar with thunderous steps. I sighed, relieved that the tension was finally over.

Out of nowhere, Rowan showed up in front of me. "Are you okay? I apologize if I made your friend upset."

I looked over his shoulder at the front door. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. It was personal."

"This may be the wrong timing to ask you this, but still, what do I have to lose?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Could I walk you home after work?"

This was not a question I expected to hear. I looked at the clock, seeing that my shift would end in half an hour.

Refusing him may be the most regretful thing I'd have done in my life. But what do I have to lose when Death is coming for my soul?

"Sure." I agreed, and the time passed so quickly that it was the end of my shift, and together with Rowan, we left the bar. When he noticed I wasn't wearing anything on top of my tank top, he took off his gray suit and hung it on my shoulders.

As we walked close together under the umbrella, my stomach growled, and of course, it was ear-piercing. Rowan stopped walking and turned to me. I squeezed my stomach in the hope it would stop, yet it didn't. The noise only increased.

Rowan's soft giggles escaped his mouth as he tried to cover them with his hand. I looked down at the ground in embarrassment. This was the first time I walked with a guy under an umbrella. It was supposed to be romantic. My body turned against me, I guess.

"Let me take you somewhere to eat. I hear your stomach is begging for a bit of food. And I do not take no for an answer!" He put his arm around my shoulder as I drew farther away, and it rained on my shoulder.

"I'd accept it anyway. I have to admit, I'm starving." I nervously laughed.

Rowan took me to one of his favorite small restaurants; it's in our town, and I had no idea it existed. It was located a few streets from the bar, so we walked there.

It made me happy to have someone take care of my empty stomach, even though we didn't know each other at all.

The whole time we were walking, attached to each other like magnets, I felt from time to time Rowan's eyes on me. I kept looking forward because I didn't want our eyes to meet.

There was something unbelievably comforting about him. Of course, I didn't trust him completely; that would be lightheaded of me, but I didn't feel threatened as when Grim Reaper appeared, which is understandable because, compared to him, this man was an angel sent from above.

When we entered the restaurant, a cozy and inviting atmosphere welcomed us, with velvet-green round booths and hanging lamps above the seats. The lighting was dim, with small table lamps on each table that illuminated the entire room without being too harsh.

As we got seated at a booth in the back of the restaurant, the waitress instantly came to bring us their menu. I read through it, but nothing caught my attention more than the deliciously described cheeseburger. But if Rowan wanted me to eat a burger, he wouldn't bring me to a restaurant.

"Can't decide?" He pierced his ocean eyes at mine.

My eyes traveled back to the menu, and I decided to eat some of their weirdly called specialties.

"I think I will order this." I lowered the menu to show him.

"Are you sure?" he asked. I nodded, and he smiled, closing his menu.

"I noticed you got interested in the first page, where burgers are. Would you rather eat that?" He asked, resting his chin on the heel of his palm.

I blinked repeatedly. "Will you eat it too?"

He chuckled. "If I'm honest with you," he whispered. "I prefer a well-done burger compared to any other food there is in the world." He then placed his crossed arms on the table.

He again focused his gaze on me and drummed his fingers against the table. I kept my eyes on the pretty margaret that was in the center of the table in a small vase. I think it was a plastic one, though.

Rowan ordered the two cheeseburgers for us, and several minutes later, the waitress showed up with our food. We both thanked her and dug in, savoring the juicy beef patties and melted cheese. The burgers were delicious, and we finished them in no time. I tried to content myself with eating it gradually, but it was an impossible task.

Rowan then paid the bill, as he wouldn't let me pay for my food. I know he was the one inviting me, yet it still felt weird that I let someone pay for me.

The rain has finally stopped, leaving us drowning in the darkness that night brought. The streets were barely lit, and even if you tried to focus your eyes on the pitch blackness, you couldn't see a thing. I don't know how I would go home alone from this place.

I slipped my arms through the sleeves of the suit as the hair on my arms stood up from the chilliness.

"I've seen you in the bar only twice, and it just so happened that it was on a rainy day," I said while we walked the narrow street-our shoes were making squeaking sounds.

He cleared his throat before he spoke. "I don't drink often, but when I do, it's because of my work. I love to have a glass of wine while I sit and watch people interact with each other or just drink and enjoy their lives. I cannot explain why I entered your bar only when it was raining." He laughed. "Twice!" He added.

Another plus is that he was trying to make me laugh.

We were ten minutes away from my house when he moved closer to me and stopped me from walking. He placed his hand on top of my now-dried hair. I had to look up to look into his eyes because he was so tall.

He stood exactly under the only working lamp on our street, so he had better look at me than me at him.

Our moment didn't last for too long.

Rowan was slammed to the ground with such force that his body flew a few meters away from me. I flinched back with quivering breaths. When I noticed the bright crimson hair in front of me and the dead look in her eyes as they pierced through mine, I froze.

"Madeline?"

"M-Maddy?"