LOVER MONSTER!
49. Disappear for a moment.

Angela's tears had not dried up when Demian arrived before her. Angela was still sitting on the stairs behind Elixir, hugging her knees. He raised his face and looked at Demian's arrival. Without saying a word, Angela immediately stood up and hugged Demian all over.

All his stuffing that was about to subside again exploded when he met Demian.

Understanding that Angela was in a quite emotional state, Demian also replied to Angela's embrace while rubbing her back as a tranquilizer.

Demian was very disappointed in Angela's situation. He thought, when the girl decided to leave Jake Allendale, she would at least be stronger. However, he was not strong at all.

Of course, not everyone has the strength to face separation. However, this matter has been dragged too long.

If Angela doesn't want to go back to Jake, she shouldn't put her nose on everything that Jake's involved anymore. Why hurt yourself by meddling in the affairs of the man you left behind?

"Angela, why did everything happen?" Demian voiced a question, he grabbed Angela's wrist and brought the girl back to sit on the stairs.

"Did you meet Jake today?"

"He's coming here, Demian." Angela replied while holding back a sob. His face was red and wet. Mascara melts mixed with her tears.

"The bastard dared to show his face here?"

"He came to see Jessica." Angela's answer made Demian's jaw tighten.

Demian dislikes Jessica's connection to Angela and Jake's conflict. Jessica shouldn't have any involvement, nor should she be mentioned. Jessica - by God - has nothing to do with this problem.

Why won't Jake stop bothering Jessica? Should he teach that man a lesson?

"She said she liked Jessica," Angela's sobs escaped without pause. "Demian, Jake's lying, right? She wouldn't like another woman that much, would she?"

Demian wanted to give 'impossible' in response. Because Angela is a girl who is not easy to forget. He is the embodiment of the angel who spread his love here and there. He-in another sense, is easier to love than to forget. Jake Allendale couldn't possibly be that easy to get Angela out of his mind.

Yet...

Although Demian understands Angela's influence, Demian also knows Jessica.

Jessica, if it's Jessica, Demian believes nothing will be impossible. Jake, most likely, has already anchored his heart to Jessica. In addition to being a sociable girl, Jessica also has the ability to steal men's attention without doing anything.

He just needs to be there, and the eyes will follow him.

*

After a small showdown with Angela and Jake that day, Jessica realizes that Demian has come and calms Angela down. Jessica knew this not by chance but because she found Demian - with her own eyes - running in a small alley beside Elixir.

The man was in a hurry, anger overpowered his face.

She must be mad that Jake made Angela cry. How romantic.

Jessica wanted to laugh, but at one time felt a small pinch on her chest. Being tossed into reality is a good thing, but at one time is also quite painful. Thanks to the fact that was in front of her eyes, Jessica again realized her position in the heart of Demian Bellamy.

He cannot have any excess expectations.

"I've guessed, things like friends with benefits aren't my style at all." Jessica muttered as she bit her exhausted ice cream stalk. He lay on his back on the bed, his hair dangling to the floor.

A romance novel she read this morning had been dumped in a closet.

"Jessica Cerise.., if you fall in love, you'll be done, doomsday! Stupid, don't ever put your hopes on a bastard. They're just romantic in novels, not in reality. Sadarlaaaah, awarla-"

A blink on her phone made Jessica stop talking.

Messages from Demian appeared there, adding to his annoyance.

[Where are you? I'll see you now. Let's talk four eyes.]

Jessica responded at the same moment. He was quite amazed at his speed in replying to Demian's message.

[No, just talk to the wall!]

....

[Other problem now?]

Demian was definitely astonished.  As he recalled, the last time he separated from Jessica, no problems occurred between them. Why did Jessica now respond to her message ferociously.

[Do I have to have any problems first to refuse to meet you? Don't bother me!]

"Just have your Angela there." Jessica nagged while replying to Demian's message. "I hope you live well and have as many children! Get away from me, okay? Motherfucker!"

Jessica really doesn't want to meet Demian right now. He hated that man. His frustration peaked like hot lava about to explode.

Jessica thought, if she met Demian, she would end up cursing the man.

"I wish I'd never met you" Jessica muttered.

In his mind, he once again recalled the expression of Demian running towards Angela. How the anger rising in his expression was a form of his abundant concern. She must have loved Angela a lot, right? He's that angry!

"If she loves Angela, she shouldn't come near me!" Jessica was stricken by the nelangsa. The irritation and disgust he felt softened into sadness. He changed his sleeping position to get down to suppress the pain that was seeping in his heart now.

He pressed against his chest with a pillow and hands, as if covering an open wound and hoping that his blood would not seep everywhere. But it was a futile act. His heart still shrieked an invisible pain. There is no cure for disappointment and despair.

"I don't like it at all. Not likely. I.." murmured Jessica out softly and weakly.

At that time, he tried to convince himself that the pain that now grips his chest is not love. However, the tears that seeped out when he blinked his eyes were the answer that his lips had uttered a lie.

That love had existed before he realized it, and now he was struck by multiple disappointments. Disappointed in a heart that he is unable to control, and disappointed in reality. Demian Bellamy would never put more meaning into the existence of Jessica Cerise.

*

"What's wrong with her?" tanya comes out of Elliot's lips when he finds Jessica coming down from his room using a thick, red hoodie. The hood of the hoodie covered his head, shaved until it resembled a dumpling.

Jessica got down from her room, waving a glance at her friends at the counter, before finally waltzing out.

No one knows where Jessica is going.

"His mood has gone up and down lately" Ethan gives an answer, but even in his tone, Ethan also has his own confusion. Jessica is weird. He is sometimes happy, happy, and sometimes like that...

"He's like a kasmaran teenager." Dania draws a conclusion that makes Ethan chuckle.

"We are eyewitnesses" Elliot's words support Ethan's remarks.

"Are you both blind?" Dania held firm to her theory, she to the point of ruffling against her two male friends whom she now accused of being 'blind'.

Dania then continued her words. "Jake Allendale, Oscar Brown, Demian Bellamy? They all came to Elixir to see Jesse, you idiot. Something must have happened.."

"I want to support your theory, Dani. I also really want Jessica to feel in love and happy like a girl in general. However, Oscar Brown and Demian came here just for coffee."

Elliot agrees with Ethan. "Partially, if I used your theory, wouldn't that mean all the regular single male guests came here to see Jessica?"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Dania shook her head. "You don't know the aura at all, huh? No wonder you two have been single for too long." Dania's concerned.

Unlike Elliot and Ethan who are 'blind', Dania always observes the surroundings. She feels that, every time Ethan visits, Oscar visits and now Jake visits, they all orbit around one person, Jessica. There is a possibility, spring has approached the boss earlier this year.

"Despite that, isn't Demian Angela's boyfriend? Even if she likes Jessica, I wouldn't agree if someone approached my best friend in a way." Elliot made his vote first.

"The man with commitment and quick decision-making is the best man, I agree."

Ethan listens to Dania and Elliot's words in turn.

While stirring the coffee for both of them, Ethan recalls the situation that has happened lately. Ethan wants to find out if Dania's speech has truth in it, or is it just delusion.

"By the way, where did Jessica go?"

"Either.., you see for yourself he came out without further ado."

"Did she know that the weather forecast tonight would rain?"

Ethan paused his coffee. He then looked at the newly voiced Dania. "Try to call him."

"Awhile..." Dania-while fiddling with her phone, then trying to contact Jessica. He needs to remind his boss to come out not too long, because reportedly there will be heavy rain tonight.

"He couldn't have gone far, could he?" Elliot talked to Ethan. "Finally, he was just wearing a hoodie..."

Jessica often comes out with a neat appearance. If the appearance is neat, clean and semi-formal, it usually means that he will travel for a fairly long period of time. However, if he came out just using hoodies and black hotpants like that...

Erms...

It happens rarely, actually...

"Oh, he didn't pick up the phone at all." Dania complained as she moved her lips.

"eeeeeh? Maybe he's just going to the mini market." Elliot tried to think positively.

Ethan, on the other hand, feels a sense of worry. He stared at the door where Jessica's back disappeared. Inwardly, he hoped that the girl would return soon.

"If it rains, I'll find it later..." Ethan makes the initiative.

While the three friends await Jessica's return from her mysterious journey, a man comes to them. Wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans and a white t-shirt, the man came across as exotic. His tan skin looks so fitting with the color combination he wears.

Demian Bellamy appeared as a model in a men's magazine. From the tip of the foot to the head, his appearance was worthy of a man who often appeared in love poems. Men are often described as female heartbreaks.

"Hi..." Demian knew two of the three heads that were pointing at him were now putting some displeasure on his visit. But how else? 

Demian had already climbed onto Jessica's balcony and looked for the girl's whereabouts there, but nil. Demian only found Jessica's phone lying no man on the bed.

Demian hoped he could find Jessica at the cafe, but seeing the counter only filled by the three friends, the answer was no.

"Hi, Demian." Ethan gave a reply. "Are you going to order the same coffee today?"

"Actually.., err.., no."

"..."

"I'm looking for Jessica."

Dania nengernyit was not happy. "Did you come here as Angela's heartbroken representative? Don't tell me you want to hit my boss with your bullshit. Just so you know, yeah, Jessica didn't approach anyone. The ones approaching him are you!"

"Did I say something?"

"Huh?"

Demian looked at Dania with quite a frightening firmness. "Did I say something that indicates that?"

"Your boyfriend has said that to Jessica before, not ruling out the possibility of you doing the same." Elliot became Dania's opinion crutch. He didn't want his pal to be intimidated by the growing Demian.

"I'm just asking where Jessica is, whatever I want to tell her is none of your business."

Even if he says something hurtful, Elliot and Dania have no right to interfere in anything outside of their business.

"Jessica's outside." Ethan's the only one who doesn't antagonize Demian.

Ethan feels he has enough to say that he does not like the existence of Demian in Elixir. It did not need to be a thorny hedgehog and rolled around Demian as a form of hostility. Ethan is wiser than his two friends who are ready to spew lava from the head.

"Obviously where?"

"Eitherway. He didn't say anything."

Demian was confused again. What is Jessica doing now and where is she going? Did he see Jake again?

"Demian," said Ethan. "It's raining soon. From the weather report, the rain will be overnight and quite windy. Jessica didn't wear enough warm clothes earlier, nor did she carry an umbrella..."

"I'll look for him" Demian said for a moment.

His reaction made Dania and Elliot throw each other astonished glances.

If the Demian reaction was like that, what would Dania's theory mean?

Did Demian Bellamy put a special taste towards their boss?

*