"Sweet pea, I didn't think you could get over me that fast." I blinked back and watched a familiar sun-kissed hand run his fingers over mine. Grim. The Grim Reaper. "I remember when I wore this..."

I snatched my hand away and sat upright. "I'm free from you now, you filthy scum. Our love is long dead."

The sparkle in my ex-husband's teal eyes were slightly hidden behind his blond curls that draped over his face. Grim pushed them out of the way, something I used to enjoy doing, and he grinned down at me. "It's more like you're long dead."

Confused, I studied his face to try to make sense of what he said. "I beg your pardon?"

"You slept well," was all he said and I knew an answer wouldn't be given.

I glanced around to find we were still in the church. Splints of wood and shattered glass stretched across the stained floors. A few arms and legs dangled off window ledges and across what was left of the guest chairs.

"How long was I out for?" I helped myself up and winced as a sharp pain shot up my leg.

"Long enough."

The gleam of my sword peeked under the big cross that fell down, and I quickly scooped it up.

"Relax, sweet pea. I'm not here to kill you..." His grin widened. "Yet."

A cold chill snaked up my spine and I tightened my grip around the leather wrapped handle. "Then why are you here? Where's Isaac?"

He smiled faltered. "That's it's name? My replacement is called an Isaac? I feel like a 2017 'your ex v.s. mine' meme."

I raised my sword and aimed the tip end at his chest. "Where. Is. Isaac."

He chuckled a bit and began to walk around me. Caged in, I could feel the dominant force in the room gravitate towards him.

I didn't like where this was going.

"It's almost like you downgraded, sweet pea." He moved his hand around and I forgot how much he talked with his hands. "I was expecting my replacement to be something like a... a Zeus or an Apollo."

I could feel the ground vibrate under each step of his, the ceramic dust jump after every thump. "You think I'm into Greek Gods?"

"Well, the only thing close to me would be a God. But Gods are divine beings. And you and I know I'm far from perfect." He leaned in closer and spoke in a quieter tone. "I'm clearly a hot mess. Don't be afraid to emphasize on the 'hot'."

I held back every nerve to not roll my eyes and glared harder. "I'm going to ask you one more time. Where is Isaac?"

"I've dreamed of our reunion a million times but never have I thought it would be like this."

"Don't you have something better to do than annoy your ex-wife? Like, kill people or something dumb like that."

He put his hand over where his heart was supposed to be. If he had one of course. "Hey, don't glamorize my job like that. As Death, I think I should be a little more respected. I make the circle of life complete."

"Stop stalling! Where is Isaac?!"

Grim sighed and pointed up.

Isaac dangled upside down from the chandelier, his shoelace tied around one of the gold hooks. Unconscious, the young man was slightly spinning around from the draft coming in through the broken windows.

"Did you kill him?!"

"Waste my time on a thing like that? You can't be serious, sweet pea. He's a human. He'll probably fall down the stairs or trip over the sidewalk and die anyway."

I bent my knees to leap up and grab him, but Grim put his hand on my arm. An instant coldness spread through my blood and I flinched back.

"Don't." His voice sharpened, the amusement now gone.

"What is going on?" I asked.

"I came to help you-"

"A Perfect told me you're creating them again. Is that true?"

"That's not the point. I'm here because your mom is coming."

My heart dropped into my stomach. "My...my mom."

"Yeah, the crazy one that wants to kill you and me? What a special snowflake. I felt like it wouldn't be right if you faced her alone."

"How did she find me?"

He motioned to the ring on my hand. "Your little engagement kinda startles the Universe. Magic that powerful stirs a small tear in space and time and all that fun jazz"

"We need to get out of here," I started. "And by we, I mean Isaac and I. Not you."

"I'm hurt. I think an open marriage would be fun."

"Isaac and I are not getting married."

Surprised, his eyes widened and he started to laugh. "Hells Bells, you mean to tell me your engagement was by accident?!" His booming laugh filled the church and I knew that laugh could stick with me for the next couple of days. "And I thought an Isaac tripping on a sidewalk and dying would be funnier!"

"We're going to get the rings taken off," I snapped.

"It's impossible, you know that already."

"We got our rings off."

"Yeah but you're not willing to go through what you and I did to get them off with"—he stared up at Isaac, and the young human snorted and farted in his deep sleep—"that thing."

"As your ex-wife, I think I should be a little more respected. I make—"

"Me crazy? Yeah, you still do," he finished. He flashed a smile that made my insides twist in a funny way. Ew. Body. Can you not.

"Awe, I remember when I went to your wedding," spoke a shrill voice.

Grim and I jerked our heads to the side. Cold air rushed into the room as a slender woman in a silver gown crossed the room. Black veins paved from her knuckles to her arms and around her porcelain white skin.

"My favourite daughter and ex son-in-law," she said. "Say, what's this snack hanging above us?" Her claw-like nails circled in the direction of Isaac who was still knocked out.

"My kill of the day. Nothing special," Grim lied.

"Oh. So not my daughter's newest toy?" my mother asked. "Alice, dear, you weren't going to leave this engagement a surprise were you? We know the last one didn't turn out so pretty."

Grim winced with a half smile and scratched the back of his head.

"I don't do well with surprises," my mother said.  "Like that time I found out I had a granddaughter," she said.

My breath stopped. Grim's did too.

"And when I found out"—she narrowed her dark pupils on me—"you killed her."

Isaac's shoelace snapped and he dropped. 

+++

Please don't forget to vote and comment! 

Happy reading, 

your favourite Wattpad dessert since 2012, 

3.14