Closer

The breath feels heavy.

Like a boulder slowly crushing the chest.

Eyes feel wet.

As if the face got drowned in the sea.

Lips feel dry.

As if it lost its moisture in the heated Sahara.

The air feels stuffy.

As if the time has stopped ticking.

The knock on the door got intense. From just a tap to a harsh slam. The voice outside became a noise to a white noise.

Mind wandered elsewhere.

"Reis! Open the door!"

She shut herself.

"Reis, I know you're home! Just open this fucking door!"

Her eyes shut tight.

"Reis, I just want to talk! Five minutes, please!"

Five minutes... The last time he sold that out, she ended up slumped on her bed, crying her eyes out. Broken. Worthless. Dying inside.

She won't fall into the trick anymore!

The lock rattled, causing her heart to sink. She stepped back a bit from the spot where she stood, ready to run towards the escape route. As she tried to grab anything in her hand, the door opened harshly.

"I'll kill you, I swear–!"

The man entered the room before he slammed the door behind him. He pulled away his neck tie from his shirt and toast it aside.

With no words, he charged forward.

With no words, he hurt her.

Again.

"Stop! Please! It hurts!" Reis cried her eyes out, clawing he way out from under him. She slapped the chest over and over again, desperation visible from her eyes.

"Please stop! Don't! Please!" her voice slowly drowned between the illegal touch. She screamed as she reacted to the pain, all over her body, all over her emotion.

"Stop! Stop! Don't!"

"Miss Ratchana..."

"Please! Stop! Please!"

"Miss Ratchana..."

"Stop! Stop!"

"REIS!"

Her eyes are wide open. Looking at a man, staring at her. It's not the same man, this time, it's different.

Reis pushes Felix away from her, running towards the corner of the sofa and hide herself. The man frowns, as he slowly trying to reach out for her.

"Miss Ratchana–"

"Don't come closer! Don't!"

"Miss Ratchana... It's me... Felix..." Felix slowly reaches out his hand. The smell of his cologne–a deep white musk with a strain of mint–sipping through Reis's senses.

It's not Tony. This man is Felix. That's was just a dream.

"Fe...lix...?"

"Come. Let me help you..." Felix carefully stretches out his hand. Looking at his soft gesture, somehow, Reis feels secure. She slowly reaches out her hand, but as those two hands are about to touch, she stops.

Felix sighs. With patience, he points out his index finger, softly taps the tip against Reis's soft but sweaty palm.

"Don't worry. You're safe with me."

Reis blinks her eyes, as she wraps her fingers around Felix's index finger, just like a newborn baby. Her face turns softer and calm as she slowly stands up with the help from Felix.

"You're fine. You're safe. Don't worry..." says Felix. He softly pulls away his finger, but Reis refuses her fingers away from it.

"Don't leave me..."

"I'm not. I'm here.. See?" Felix's lips draw a smile, melting Reis's heart. She immediately pulls Felix into a deep embrace, burying her face onto his shoulder.

Felix pats Reis's back with care, even though he feels awkward to place his hand on her back. The act seems to cross a lot of lines between a boss and a personal assistant. But, at this moment, it's all about Reis's wellness.

Felix genuinely worries about her.

Not just as his boss.

But also as a human.

After a while, they parted from each other. Reis fixes her stance, while Felix scoots away, creating a slight gap between them.

"Axl Arena in two hours, Miss Ratchana..."

"Yeah.. okay... I'll get ready–"

A knock on the door cuts off the awkward conversation between them. The door eventually opens, even without Reis's permission, revealing someone behind it.

"Reis..."

Felix blinks his eyes in confusion upon seeing Phaya, casually calling Reis by her name. He takes a glance at her, as the lady stands there, unfazed.

"I'm going to Axl..."

"Board me in. I'm coming as well..." says Phaya. His eyes then shift to Felix–standing firm but awkward– before he leaves the room and shuts the door.

"I... I need to change..." Reis hastily walks towards the bathroom inside her office, as Felix decides to leave the room and wait outside.

***

Axl Arena is bustling with people coming in and out, here and there. The concert crew are busy with a dry rehearsal.

Upon entering the arena, the LCD screen welcomes the arrival of The Bubbles team; The CEO and COO, with a gold pink banner. After a while, the e-banner switched to a new banners; a picture of Axiata, the nation number one boy band. They are the group under a management company; ResonAte, owns by Gi. This concert is a mega collaboration between The Bubbles and ResonAte, and that's why the team is here.

"Everything's fine, Khun Tayo?" asks Reis, as the concert director smiles at her.

"Everything is set, just as we all agree. Today is the dry rehearsal, Day One. We'll conduct another dry rehearsal before the sound check," says Tayo.

Reis smiles as she monitors everything through the two big monitors under the stage. The group is not on the stage yet, as today's main focus is on the lighting and sound.

"I wanna check the venue..." says Reis.

"Come this way, Miss–"

"It's fine. You can stay here. I'll bring here around," Phaya steps up, creating a gap between Felix and Reis. The boy stares at Reis, looking a bit concern.

"It's fine, Felix. Phaya always come here to check on the concert's progress. So, he knows the way around. You can wait for me at the backstage..."

"But Miss Ratchana–"

"See you at the backstage, okay?" Reis takes her leave as Phaya follows her from behind, not before he takes a sharp glance at Felix.

"Chill, Mr. Harit... Phaya is the project manager. He knows this arena as if this is his playground," says Tayo.

Felix sighs. He tries to calm himself for a while. But, something inside him feels restless. He can't understand, why suddenly his

heart beats so fast when he sees another man drags Reis away from him.

Don't tell me I'm being jealous over that? Felix's eyes enlarge.