LOVER MONSTER!
117. Fever.

Lisa enters Jessica's room. As usual, at ten o'clock in the morning, she would bring Jessica a light snack. At such times, Lisa will take her time to observe Jessica's condition for the fifth day in Rhoden Manor.

Unlike yesterday, when Jessica looked down and very full of hostility, Jessica who was present in front of Lisa today looks cute. His jelly face that was always full of energy paled deathly. He also wears thicker clothes and sneezes occasionally. Looking at Jessica's condition, there was only one conclusion that came to Lisa's mind.

"Miss. Jessica, are you sick?" Lisa's tone of voice implies anxiety.

"What do you care?" Jessica is venomous. However, it was not enough to make Lisa take a hit back.

Although Jessica was very hateful, Lisa still moved forward and checked Jessica's body temperature, oh God, very hot in the palm of her hand.

"Miss. Jessica, how did this happen?" Lisa was panicking. "I'll call the doctor, rest in bed and don't..."

"Don't set me up" Jessica said. Despite her unusually high fever, Jessica breezed towards the balcony and sat out there. "I don't care if I die here. It's better than having to live and fall."

"Miss. Jessica, don't say anything like that. Please, now go back inside."

"Are you going to drag me now? Is keeping me locked up not enough? If you want to force me, Lisa, I suggest you bring a chain. Don't treat me like a human being anymore. Only pets have no freedom at all."

Lisa's face was blown away. She was afraid Jessica's condition was getting worse. However, hearing Jessica's words as well, Lisa did not know how to take Jessica into the room. Lisa won't take Jessica's freedom, actually. But this is an order from above. Lisa has no intention of hurting Jessica and treating her like an animal. For God's sake!

"Leave me alone" Jessica said. "If you bother me, you might actually be a witness to my death."

"MISSES. JESSICA!" Lisa exclaimed without being able to hold her voice. "Please stop saying such horrible things! You're not gonna die! You can't die!"

"Why?" Jessica laughed faintly. "What if I die, you'll die too?"

"Miss. Jessica, please, I'll call Mr. Demian. I won't let you die or anything."

"You don't have to call her" Jessica said. "I don't want to see that fucker's face here."

"I'm sorry, Miss. Although I know your relationship is not good, but I can't let you suffer alone. You're sick, you need treatment. I have to tell Mr. Demian about your condition."

Hearing Lisa's words, Jessica closed her eyes. He did not care about Lisa's words, not when now his head was dizzy.

The power of the night wind is incredible. Jessica did not expect it at all, leaving the balcony door not closed overnight was enough to give her a severe fever and flu. 

Jessica thanked the autumn wind for helping her in carrying out her plan. It's just.., damn it, Jessica hopes she won't really die from the flu that's weighing on her head right now.

Jessica didn't really want to die. It is not so dramatic or melancholic to expect death.

Jessica may be heartbroken but. It was not enough to make him want death. He had not made Demian suffer because he had injured him and did not believe him. Jessica had not given the man a lesson for already daring to treat him like this.

Before Demian obtained her karma, Jessica would not allow herself to die.

"Yeshaatchii!" Jessica sneezed back, the cold air on the balcony was colder than usual. His gaze at the trees that lay near the balcony of his room began to overshadow. Like looking from the glass walls of a steam-covered bathroom, everything was faint and oh shit...

"MISSES. JESSICA???"

...*...

Jessica lost consciousness.

Thanks to the information Demian received from Lisa, Demian who was supposed to attend a family meeting, left all her affairs and went to Rhoden manor to check on Jessica's condition directly. Without saying anything and greeting anyone, Demian rushed towards Jessica's room on the third floor. 

Demian passes Lisa and Robin standing at Jessica's doorstep. She kept going through the door and upon arriving at the yellow room, Demian finally found her life, her Jessica, asleep in bed with a female doctor checking her condition.

"What happened to her?" Demian asked in a low and weak voice. He felt weak to see his pale-faced Jessica. A faint black circle was painted under Jessica's eyes, followed by her thinly-tipped face.

"Only fever and the common cold, followed by anemia and fatigue. I've given him vitamins and fever medicine. For a while, let him rest."

"You sure that's all?" Why does Jessica look so cute? Even if he has a fever, is it possible to make him frail and fragile?

"Just calm down, Mr. Demian. It's just a mild disease. He'll recover after taking the medicine and get enough rest."

After speaking words that meant to be a tranquilizer for Demian, the doctor who had devoted his services to the Rhoden family finally left Jessica's side.

The woman gave Demian space to spend with her now-deep lover in a thick blanket and scarf. She was wrapped in warm, but pale in skin like she was in the atlantic.

"I'm sorry" Demian whispered softly. She drowned her face in Jessica's arms while guilt began to overwhelm her chest, haunting her.

Demian did not know what to do, so she delayed meeting Jessica. Delaying and delaying, and unknowingly, he ends up ignoring Jessica. He had locked Jessica in this place, making her depressed. Demian didn't want this at all.

"I'm sorry." In the end, in the presence of Jessica, Demian could only apologize.

Three hours later, Jessica regained consciousness. Little by little. He who lay low on the bed, tried to open his eyes. Trying to peek at the light from outside that dazzled him. While trying to open her eyes too, Jessica tried to move and stretch her body. However, the thick blanket that wrapped him made it difficult for him to move.

"Erghs..."

Moans finally escaped Jessica's lips, clashing with her heavy and riled breath.

What the fuck? Who wrapped it up like a mummy?

"Jesse.." a familiar voice greeted Jessica's ears, faintly.

"Jesse, how are you feeling now?" The speech came back, accompanied by a light touch on his cheeks and forehead. Little by little Jessica managed to gather her consciousness and opened her eyes, staring at the blinding light before looking at the man who was now clasping his hands.

"Demy?" jessica's voice raspy. "Am I hallucinating?"

"It's me, Jesse." Demian said as she rubbed Jessica's forehead, her soft touch made Jessica frown dislike.

"Right...., what are you doing here?" Instead of getting a warm reception, just when Jessica managed to confirm Demian's whereabouts there was really real, not an illusion created by her headache, Jessica was instead struck by frustration. Demian looked at it fiercely.

"You're supposed to ignore me until the apocalypse," Jessica said.

"I know you're mad at me, but don't move much. Be rested. Don't waste your energy trying to abuse me." Demian said as he rubbed Jessica's dense black mane and fell apart on the satin pillow.

"Why did you come?" Jessica obeyed Demian's orders, inevitably. He could not get up, not with his head still hurting. "Originally, even if I die here, I won't follow your will at all."

"I know."

"Not only because I hate your background, but. I'm disappointed in you."

"I know."

"I know."

"I want to go home."

"I know."

"Do you have no other response than that?" Being given the same answer over and over again irritated Jessica as well. It was as if Demian was not serious in responding to it, not caring.

Jessica opened her eyes once more and found Demian's shady look still faithfully staring at her. Still faithful to put ears and listen to his rapprochement.

"I understand what you're saying, Jessica. I understand that you hate me and expect me to die..."

"I'm not that extreme," Jessica replied instantly. Why was Demian so happy to assume as he pleased?

"So, does that mean you don't want me to die?"

"If there's anything I want now, then it's back to Elixir." Jessica chimed in tired.

"I know."

"You know..., does that mean you're gonna let me go home?"

Demian speechless.

"No, huh? That's definitely not, is it?" Jessica grunts bored. "Forget it then."

"Jesse.., I don't want you to go." Demian knows this is not the right time to negotiate, especially when Jessica's condition is not good. However, Demian did not want Jessica to leave. Demian would never let the girl escape his grasp, leaving her. Jessica is a very meaningful figure to Demian, more meaningful than anything she has now.

"I also know you don't want to go, right?"

Fuck if they've only been in a four-month relationship. These four months Demian was feeling very happy, happier than his entire life. These four months were more than enough for Demian to draw the conclusion that Jessica was the most valuable figure to him. Demian could not possibly let that happiness escape his clutches.

"Lately..." Jessica looked at Demian and pulled a strand of Demian's curly mane beside her earlobe. Jessica rolled Demian's hair between her fingers, like a ring. "I think a lot about Angela" Jessica continued. The name that Demian did not expect would come out of Jessica's lips made Demian somewhat widen his eyes.

"I hate her because she's poisoned my drink but.., thinking back on her relationship with Jake, I think I understand a little bit of the situation Angela was in. Maybe, because of that as well, I never really blamed him. I'm just not happy that he's being wishy-washy about trying to get back with Jake who he's dumped."

"..."

"Angela can't love Jake's background, and Jake."

Demian slightly understood Jessica's direction. It was likely that the girl was assuming herself and Angela were in the same position, and it wasn't really wrong either.

"You must feel like our relationship with them is pretty much the same, right?" Jessica chuckles miris.

"Jess..."

"I won't change my opinion, Demian. The person I love is Demian Bellamy who ran away from Italy, I like you because you chose a normal life in Vegas, you chose a good life."

"..."

"Even though you say all the choices you made were for me, but.., I don't want anything from you if that means you have to sacrifice yourself."

Jessica took a breath.

"I don't want to be the one you'll blame when you're facing an unpleasant situation."

"I would never do that, Jessica. I'll never blame you."

"You don't know" Jessica's finger playing with Demian's curl mane moved to the man's thick forehead. He gave a light swipe at Demian's forehead, giving her calmness.

"When you make a decision for someone else, you'll just end up hating that other person. When you're unlucky, when you're angry, you're gonna blame me for making that decision."

"Haaaa, forget for a moment that matter..," Jessica's smile then flashed faintly. "After I thought about it, even though my bedroom window was facing the beach and I was content to go around Italy with you that day, I had never been to the beach at all."

Jessica's change of topic that impressed suddenly made Demian frown in wonder.

"Do you want to go to the beach?"

"I guess I'm caged in here like a chicken."

"I'll take you to the beach when you're better."

"I want to go now..."

"Huh?"

Jessica looked at Demian right in the eyes. "I'm having trouble breathing here, Demy. After taking me to the beach, you can lock me up for one more week, just let me breathe for a while. I'm not gonna hate you today, I'm serious. I'll delay my anger until tomorrow."

Demian helped Jessica who was about to rise from her lying position. He cupped Jessica's cheeks and felt a faint heat still lingering on the girl's pale skin. Getting out to the beach now is not the right choice. However, hearing Jessica's lethargic voice implying a wound, Demian softened in pity.

"This once in a while." murmured Jessica. "I thought I'd be better off if I could put my feet in the sand and oh. I also wanted to feel the sea breeze."

"Are you sure you can?"

Jessica nodded with a faint enthusiasm. "M.m.," murmured Jessica. "I'll get ready."

Demian did not know if what she was doing now was the truth, but seeing Jessica smile enthusiastically in her decision made Demian feel so relieved. At least, Demian thought, he could see Jessica smiling cheerfully towards him. It's better than being looked at with hate.

"I'm ready, '" said Jessica. He wears a thick brown coat on the back of the cream-colored knit sweater he wears. Looking at Jessica's appearance, Demian's smile flashed as well.

"Is it natural to appear as adorable as that?"

"Don't question the unnecessary" Jessica said, her cheeks flushed red. "I've always been adorable."

"Totally so." Demian approached Jessica and pulled the girl in her arms. "You are adorable."

...***...