บท 153: Chapter 153 - Gut Feeling

Once we had finished eating we went to the library which was amazing. There were so many books inside and even though they were in french and I was not fluent in the language, it was still cool to see.

Through my limited language skills I managed to see some titles of my favorite books as well as take some photos inside. Overall it was a great experience.

There was a market nearby with many food vendors so we walked through and tried many smaller plates for lunch. It brought me out of my comfort zone as I rarely ate street food but since Dean traveled often he got really good at finding street vendors and seeing which ones are good.

That was something that I was really grateful for as Dean really made sure I was brought out of my comfort zone to experience new things. We stopped by a different cafe to get some hot drinks to warm us up after being out in the cold for a bit.

I opted for a hot apple cider tea which thankfully had no caffeine and Dean got an herbal tea himself which also did not have caffeine. "You could get coffee if you want. I know you like coffee more than tea." In school he would sometimes arrive late just because he was getting coffee and if not for the fact that he would also bring the teachers a cup he would have gotten in more trouble.

However, I do not see him very often in the morning so I am not sure if he still is drinking any. "When I was in college it was a military school and while it was not banned the sergeant in charge of our division had a personal vendetta against it so I was taken away from it cold turkey. I put myself back on it when I left but soon after I learned the hard way that coffee made my hangovers an absolute hell. So I grew apart from it for that plus since I don't want you to get ill if we kiss I just stopped again."

He shrugged as if it was a normal thing to do but I was amazed. I thought back to any habits I had and if whether I could give it up for him. I knew I could but I doubted it would be as simple as Dean made his journey sound.

"Aw thats so sweet, I really appreciate that." Recalling the two hospital stays I had from my allergy made my skin crawl from the fear I felt in those moments. I brushed off those negative memories to focus on making better ones instead.

The next stop on our itinerary was focused on more touristy things. So we made our way in and around the nearby towns just walking hand in hand viewing the architecture and finding many cool photo spots.

We stopped by the lock fence where lovers can leave a lock to showcase their eternal love. There were some stands which were selling locks for tourists who wished to add one but did not bring their own.

"Lets add one." Dean pulled out a small lock from his pocket which made me laugh. "Oh my gosh have you been carrying that around since we left?" I traded my drink with him to hold the lock and take a better look and what he brought.

It was a vintage lock with ornate details on the large face of the lock. It looked like small vines and flowers were etched on the lock alongside our initials. Just as I was about to comment on that Dean suddenly pulled me close and lifted my scarf to cover my face.

I had initially had my scarf wrapped around my neck in a traditional twist but since the wind was picking up a bit after we ate, I wrapped the wool scarf like a balaclava to cover my head since I did not wear a beanie like Dean did.

So when he suddenly pulled the scarf up and tighter it suffocated me a bit. "Dean what the..." However I caught a glimpse at why he was covering me. It was Frankie Rhodes. She was an old classmate who we went to school with.

It had been years since I have seen her but Dean looked defensive at her and did not let up until she fully walked away and left. "Sorry I did not mean to startle you but I saw her looking over in our direction." He loosened the scarf back to a how I had it.

"I mean I guess but why hide from her?" She seemed like such a random person to hide from, her parents still manage the same company which has not been in either of our families radar nor is she friends with anyone we personally hang out with.

At most she would just say hi but more likely she would just mind her business and continue with her vacation.

"Hmmm I don't really know but I just have a gut feeling. Why don't we put the lock on yeah." Dean redirected us back to the fence and while I was still excited about our day, somehow a small gnawing feeling told me that I was missing something.

We placed our lock and then moved on to head back to the hotel to get changed for dinner. Normally I would stay as I was for dinner at home but as this is a special event both and I decided prior to leaving to dress up a bit for dinners while we were here.

When we reentered the room everything was cleaned up and our sheets were cleaned. They removed some of the little romantic decorations they had initially such as the rose petals and candles but they did replace it with other items such as fresh pastries and flowers in a ornate vase.

Both Dean and I gave one another a knowing look neither one of us commented on it.