Sunlight shone through the window when I opened my eyes. It took a couple of seconds for my eyes to focus. I was no longer burning. I felt fine, except for the smell of my sweaty body. That bothered me.

When I moved my hands, I detected skin. I turned my head and found Rowan sitting on the ground, his head leaning against the bed frame, and his right hand lying on the top edge of the bed.

Boldly, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Rowan, wake up. It's morning already." I said.

While I kept squeezing and shaking his hand, I realized he must have cared for me the whole night. His white shirt was unbuttoned, and the sleeves were rolled up. His honey-blond hair was messy and turned to every side.

With my other hand, I brushed the back of my hand against his cheek. His skin was soft to the touch like it was made out of cotton.

When I brushed my hand multiple times against his cheek, he slowly began to wake up. His head rose, looking a bit confused, like he forgot where he was staying.

I greeted him with a smile, even though I must have looked extremely horrible. My hair was greasy, and my body was sweaty from the fever.

Oh yes, the high fever I had. Rowan was so kind and even changed me into my pajamas. He totally saw me naked-

"Did you see MINE? And MINE!!" I threw my hands like a maniac on my breasts and down on my intimate part.

"WHAT?" I heard Rowan shout at me for the first time. For some reason, I thought angels couldn't get angry. "Of course, I didn't." He claimed.

"Then how is it that I'm not in my old clothes?" I demanded.

Rowan sighed and roamed his fingers through his messy hair. My gaze wandered to his open shirt for a second.

"Your grandma changed your clothes, not me. I was waiting outside your room."

Oh.

Ohh.

I facepalmed myself, and I could feel the heat form on my cheeks. At that moment, I wished Death would just take my soul and save me from this embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry. I always assume the worst." I burst out. "Stay for lunch," I added, moving my gaze to my hands as I couldn't keep looking into his eyes.

Rowan chuckled in his low voice. His hand landed on top of mine. I snapped my head at him and met his gorgeous, full smile. His teeth were sharp and snow-white.

"Is this your way of apologizing?" He asked.

"Kind of?" I laughed it off. I still have huge holes in my communication skills, and I mean enormous.

"I still don't understand how you got so sick. Today you'll stay in bed for the whole day."

No matter how much trust I put in him, I couldn't bring myself to tell him that Death came and made me this sick. I'd have to admit I took my pendant off, and I really didn't want to get scolded by Rowan.

"Ohh, and I talked to your boss already, and he said you can have a day off," Rowan said, and that brought me back to reality from my thoughts.

With such a beautiful smile, he, of course, persuaded my boss to give me a day off. But when I asked him for a vacation, that wasn't possible. Unfair.

"I don't know how to thank you properly for helping me. Not just with my fever, but with Death as well."

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I know he's an Angel, so he's obligated to help those in need, but nevertheless, I still wanted to thank him. Do people thank him when he helps them? Or is he only helping me?

His left hand rose slowly to my face and touched my cheek. "There's no need to thank me, Vivienne. That's what I'm made for-" He went silent for a couple of seconds and withdrew his hand. He was checking to see if I still had a fever. "We are friends, even though we have known each other for a short amount of time. Sometimes friendship is not qualified by time but by the connection of the two people."

I moved my gaze back to my hands and thought about my friendship with Madeline. I didn't want to call it officially a friendship, but it felt so good to tell Grandma I was staying at a friend's house. And to know someone was interested in my life and my well-being.

I had to block the memories of the time we spent together from my head. Because everything was a lie.

I looked back at Rowan. "You are right," I answered.

I moved my gaze to the clock hung on the wall and raised my brows at the time. It was eleven o'clock.

"I have to take a shower!" I jumped out of bed, and for a second, dizziness overwhelmed me. Rowan was immediately by my side, holding my arms.

"Are you sure you can wash yourself alone?" He asked, his face looking concerned.

"What are you implying by that? Should I invite you to shower with me?" I wondered; my eyes squeezed and narrowed.

Rowan instantly let go of my arm and rubbed the back of his neck. "O-Of course not." He replied.

I noticed how often he'd done that while we were together. Did it mean he was nervous being around me?

I opened the door and walked across the hall to the bathroom door. Rowan was right behind me. I stopped at the threshold, eye-scanning him.

"I'll stay outside the door if you need me." He informed me. I didn't say anything to him; I just hurried to sweep the sweatiness' off my body. Once I felt the hot water run down my chest, I felt relieved. My shower lasted at least fifteen minutes until I felt thoroughly clean.

I exited the shower, wrapped a robe around my body, and recalled what happened with Death here. The way he grabbed my throat. I had to touch the same spot to remember that his hand was no longer there. Every time he showed up at my house, uninvited, I prayed to some high power to remove him from my life, but after our encounter in the bathroom, I realized how gentle he was with me. His hand rubbed my wounded arm, and although he was the cause of it, I somehow couldn't erase the imprint of his fingers from my skin. They frosted their touch onto the surface of my skin.

"Is everything alright?" Rowan yelled.

"Uhm, yes! Everything is perfectly fine." I answered, putting myself together. I wasn't supposed to think about him. Especially when my life is on the line.

I got out of the bathroom and saw Rowan leaning against the wall. He looked heavenly, doing absolutely nothing. Is it the Angel effect?

I walked first into my bedroom, Rowan's footsteps following me closely. I stopped walking when I was in the center of the room and spun.

He flinched and arched his brow, giving me a confused look. I appreciated his worry about me, but Death would surely not appear here when I'm not alone. And my sickness is almost gone, so Rowan has no reason to stay with me. He looked dreadful and drowsy. And a bigger part of the reason why he looked so, except for his work, was me.

"You should go home," I started. "As you can see, I'm feeling much better, and no one will hurt me anytime soon. Go rest. You need it." I touched his arm for a few seconds, then let go.

"How can you be so sure Death won't visit you when I go home? Do you know something I don't?" He asked and drew closer.

I was beginning to get angry because of the drops of water that trailed down my wet body, and my cold feet felt like they were surrounded by ice. His questioning only enraged me more; I could feel the fever returning. What should I say to him? The Grim Reaper visited me, and he's the reason I'm sick, but I didn't want to tell you because I have no idea?

"I know nothing! And now, be so kind and let me change because I cannot endure the cold anymore." I snapped.

Afterward, I felt like a shit saying that to him, but he didn't understand what I was going through. Crazy psychopath wanting my soul and an angel protecting me from him. I thought I was in a fairytale, but not the nice one with unicorns and fairies, but the one kids feared hearing when their mother read it out to them at night. Where demons ruled the story.

To my surprise, he did not leave the room as I asked of him but stayed staring at me. All of a sudden, he hurried to my closet and grabbed a random long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants. When he returned to me, his eyes were glaring. His pupils became large.

He then proceeded to push me backward until I crashed down onto the bed. He placed the clothes beside me, and for a second, when he glanced at me, I noticed his cheeks had reddened. At first, I didn't understand why he blushed, but as I dropped my gaze down, the top of the robe slid down as he forcibly moved me, and it shifted, so my shoulder was bare. The belt around my waist was completely untied; he could see my thighs. I hastily crossed the robe so he could not see my body.

When our eyes met, I felt my cheeks swell with heat and burn, as did his, and now the both of us looked like tomatoes.