H.U.R.T
You Have Women?

"You okay? I mean, is your body okay?"

This should be an opportunity for Steve to sleep in the same bed as Lexi. Both are now back in the guest room. Sleep in the same room but not in the same bed. Steve slept on the floor covered with a carpet that was thick enough, but not comfortable enough to sleep all night. Lexi herself slept in bed. Currently, his position was on his stomach with his chin propped up above his hand, staring at Steve who was also looking at him in a lying position where both hands were under his head.

Steve was wondering for answers. It's an opportunity but the other side of him calls it a trap.

Steve cleared his throat before replying, "Sok mornings maybe my body will experience a little soreness. But sleeping on the same bed is too risky." He finally answered honestly. He may have to deal with cold water in the middle of the night. That's very torturous, man!

"I'm used to sleeping on the floor though." Next later.

"Regular?"

"Hm."

"Tell me about you."

"You curious?"

"I wonder what kind of man is chasing me."

"I'm a bad guy who wants my story to end happy ending."

"Everybody wants to end up happy ending. There is nothing wrong with that desire. So tell me about you."

Steve took a breath for a moment, and he sat down to look at Lexi's face even closer.

"I'm a criminal."

A bad start story. But, he wanted to start everything with honesty. His identity is what he is hiding. The rest, let Lexi know about what she's been through.

"Yes, I saw so many wounds on your back. Do you fight often?"

"Yes. I even killed."

"Well! You're terrible."

Steve chuckled, "Your face shows no fear at all. You're not afraid of me."

"You're not gonna hurt me. That's what you said and I trust you."

"When I was a teenager, growing up. Hm, or maybe I've grown up, I've become an inmate."

"Oh, that must have hurt." Lexi's face turned moody. He remembered Steven.

"Yes, very painful for a dozen years old."

The shadow about Riston sneaking in, her heart racing violently, her forehead starting to sweat. Riston makes it look so disgusting. Aib a shame that he will not be able to share with anyone. Goddamnit! Brian even has the video.

"You okay?"

The touch on his arm made him flinch. Iris Lexi's eyes looked at her worriedly.

Steve put on a thin smile, "Yes, pretty good."

"I'm very curious about life in prison. But if it hurts you, you better not tell me."

Steve knows what makes Lexi so curious. Of course it's about him. About Steven Percy.

"Jail means your freedom is taken away. Everything's disgusting. You must mingle with those humans who have no humanity. The weak will be oppressed. You won't find any healthy or decent food there, unless there's a kind volunteer coming in. When the volunteers came, that's when the inmates improved nutrition." Steve smiled bitterly.

"Did you get a wound on your back in prison."

"mostly. In prison, a day feels like a long time. You can't enjoy the sun or the stars in the night sky. The desire to end life often happens, even happens. It's just that God wants something else. It's not time to die yet."

"What is that terrible thing?"

Lexi's tears came out. His heart could feel how terrible it was at that moment, when he saw the condition of Steven who was like a living human who was reluctant to die.

"Yes." Yeah." Steve reached out a hand rubbing tears on the girl's face. "It's terrible."

"What makes you survive?"

"I even gave up in a matter of days. Like I said, my death is not yet the time. There's nothing I can do but follow the path. When I decided to stick to my life path, I did whatever it took to survive including eating disgusting food. Including doing immoral things."

Steve deliberately paused the story, giving Lexi room to ask questions. However, the girl was just silent, looking enthusiastic listening to the continuation of the story.

"Memories about a person are also a compelling reason that I must stay alive to make up for all the sacrifices he made. To make up for the tears she often shed for me and to repay her feelings. To be able to reciprocate his feelings, it took me a matter of years to feel worthy. In the end, though, I still felt unworthy. But at least, I'd be more willing to express my feelings honestly."

"You have a woman?"

Steve nodded his head. "Yes, she's so beautiful, kind and stupid."

"Stupid?"

"Hm, I hurt her repeatedly, rejecting her feelings. But that didn't make him back off. It stays forward, offering its incredible taste. Sacrificing what he could sacrifice. No matter what danger lay before him, he still ran towards me. I was angry, really angry. I feel so bad and so ashamed."

Steve talks about the recklessness of Lexi who came to visit the prison of isolation. Steve will not be able to forget Lexi's face that looks tired with sweat and some wounds on her legs and hands. And what made her feel slapped was that Lexi was still displaying her most beautiful smile with a sparkling bead.

Who is not proud and big-headed is loved in such a great way. Steve was proud of that. But, if he welcomes Lexi and her mother, the girl will keep coming to visit him. Again and again. Steve doesn't want Lexi to get any more injuries, whether it's physical or mental, and Steve doesn't want Lexi to see her at her worst. It hurt his pride. He did not want the love Lexi felt wrapped in pity.

He wanted Lexi to forget about it, that's right. He wants Lexi to get a better man. He wanted Lexi to continue living happily. His hope. However, upon learning that Lexi shuts her heart to any man, she again tries her luck.

A dozen years, not a short time. He wasn't even sure if Lexi would remain shackled with him. On Lexi's 29th birthday, Olivia is in action. Sending off the rat carcass, killing Isla by leaving the PNLZNGX password. The code that psychopaths use to intentionally leave a trail. PNLZNGX means OliviaP. Written code is counted backwards.

Upon learning that Olivia is about to launch the action, the revenge show for Pax turns around. Steve wouldn't have interfered in Olivia's business if she had only harassed the depraved men who raped her and Oleshia. Steve would even help her with that.

Olivia turns out to be quite greedy, unable to accept the fact that in Steven's heart still stored the name Lexi. The question is, has Steve ever betrayed while with him? Answer, no!

If Olivia hadn't bothered Lexi, Steven would have stayed by her side even if she knew Olivia was betraying Arthur. He understood what Olivia felt because he felt the same way, justice is not right.

In the end, it was Olivia who made Steven protect Lexi and began to knit a love that had not been established.

"Is that woman still there?"

Steve nodded his head, "Still and the girl are still the same, similar, nothing has changed."

"Then why are you here?"

"Lantas, where should I go?"

"Return to your woman."

"That's what I'm doing. It's just that I don't dare to show myself completely."

"Why? Because you're a criminal?"

"Because he's hurt."