LOVER MONSTER!
69. Freezing In Time.

After cramming Jessica into the passenger seat, Demian drives the black car towards an old building squeezed by motels and cheap gambling houses.

The building is an old apartment building that is occupied by people with financial problems because of the low rent. Putting aside his reot building, the place was also quite well maintained and clean.

Demian was one of the residents in the building. He rented two rooms there. The first room in his real name, the room he used as a diversion in case anyone looked for him. The second room in Adam's name, it was Demian's real residence.

Demian takes Jessica to her private residence while Adam stays in the other room just in case Erthian's spy comes.

"You know this is a kidnapping, right? I'll report you to the police." Jessica protested once more.

Today, he had already been dragged twice by Demian. First, when Demian forced her into the car. Second, when the man took her to this room. Room on the 5th floor, with number 30 stamped rusty on the door.

"Don't say anything you won't do" Demian said. She put Jessica in her bed later. "Want to get some coffee?"

"I want to go home!"

"Unfortunately, that option is not available." Demian responded, this time grabbing both of Jessica's wrists. He sat down in front of the girl, his eyes softening begging for pity.

"Jessica, just listen to me today, let me spend some free time with you. Okay well? I'm so tired and busy these days, I need you to be my charger."

Demian needs Jessica after all the trouble Erthian created for her.

"If you need a friend, you should find Angela. Do you think it's natural to be in touch with me while you have Angela as your lover?"

"Me and Angela aren't dating."

"Waaaah, you tell lies easily in front of me. Just in case you forgot, I watched as you acknowledged Angela as your lover in front of Erthian."

"Well, about that, I have my own reasons."

Demian wanted to give Jessica an explanation, but it was too complicated and dangerous. Demian was afraid that Jessica would find out her black background. No, rather than being afraid, Demian was not confident. He felt.., if Jessica knew the black of her world, the girl would turn her face and leave him.

"Forget the trouble of Angela, Erthian and whoever it is for a second, Jessica. Today, as I said, let today be the special day of both of us. Like the usual days when we were together.., when it was just you and me...,"

Demian doesn't need anyone. Yet.z...,

Jessica looked at Demian. The man's offer sounded so painful to her. He also wanted the same situation. However, that sweet-sounding situation in the ear was like a mirage. Her beauty is not real.

When all this is over, he will only find reality painful. Demian who wanted it, Demian who was in front of him, the man was not his.

"Jessica..," Demian sweetened her voice. Spoiled, he cupped both of Jessica's palms on her cheeks. Framing her face with the warmth and tenderness that the palm gave her.

"All right, I'll budge now." Jessica made a decision. For the last time, Jessica thought, she would let Demian do what the man liked. Jessica too, in closing of her greed, she would accept Demian's offer.

But only this time.

After this, Jessica would completely cover her heart from Demian. He would never give the man one more chance. This is the end. FINALE.

The bargaining session that Demian gave was finally covered with victory. A smile then spread on the face of the man. She was excited just to see Jessica in her room, in her safest room. It felt like Jessica had entered his heart.

"This..., where?" Jessica spoke while watching Demian's room.

Initially, Jessica concluded that this place could have been Demian's residence. However, given the many mysteries that the man had kept, from the black car who had no one, the luxurious hotel room, and everything about Demian's own existence was a mystery. Jessica doesn't want to guess.

"This is where I live" Demian replied.

"You sure you live here?"

Jessica was quite impressed by the room's neatness. Although the aroma of instant noodles still lurked in the room, mingling with the scent of tobacco, all sides of the room was quite clean. There is no clothes, garbage or just cigarette dust.

"What's with your question? What kind of place do you think I'll live in?"

"So, I never imagined where you live." Jessica had a hard time imagining Demian's personal life. In addition to the man being full of mystery, Jessica also still remembered the spooky sight of Demian in the alley a few months ago. Jessica had thought that Demian was a loan shark, or perhaps a demon from another dimension?

Whatever it was, imagining Demian needing sleep was something that was hard to imagine in general.

He's like a bat.

"So you live here, huh..."

Jessica walked around a room smaller than hers. He stared at the shoe rack, the fur carpet lining the wooden floor, a comfortable sofa opposite the mini kitchen set, and a bed that fit only one person.

Seeing this place, Jessica so imagine how Demian is doing in it.

He who will cook noodles in the kitchen, will pitch to the sofa to eat his noodles. After that he would wash his face and sleep because he had no entertainment whatsoever in his room. There is no television or books. He was also not the type of man who would be glued for hours in front of his phone.

Imagining Demian and her normal daily life, "Looking at her instantly must be adorable," Jessica muttered to herself.

"Why did you bring me here?" Jessica spoke again and this time, she sauntered towards Demian who was making her coffee.

"Because I want you to know where I live" Demian replied. She welcomes Jessica and embraces the girl into her arms. Although Jessica showed discomfort in her greeting, Demian had no intention of loosening her embrace from the girl.

His eyes and Jessica's eyes were together. Green emerald is like a magnet for a pair of dark irises. "Welcome to my life, Jessica Cerise. Since you're already here, I'll never let you go again."

"That's a big talk" Jessica said, dismissive.

Jessica will not allow herself to be consumed by Demian's sweet talk. However, hearing the man's words was quite pleasant. Demian must be good at seducing women, seeing how smooth he is at talking.

"I wonder how many women have fallen into your seduction?" Jessica pinched Demian's stomach, her strong enough pinch made Demian spontaneously let go. Demian grimaced as she rubbed her stomach as Jessica passed from before him while carrying the cup of coffee she had just made.

"If you fall, you'll be the first."

"That's other bullshit?"

"It doesn't mean to be arrogant, Jesse. So far, I've never seduced any woman. They're the ones who'll fall for me."

Demian caught up with Jessica who was now sitting on her couch. The sight was like a mirage, Demian had not expected there would be a day Jessica appeared in her room, sat on her sofa and drank from her favorite cup.

"Says a man who's been showing up at my cafe every day to seduce Angela." Jessica commented cynically.

"I went there because I wanted to greet him" Demian said. "I never seduced Angela into being lured to me or anything."

"Alright, whatever. I'll trust you." Jessica answered half-heartedly. He doesn't want to care too much. "By the way, what happened to Jake? You didn't do anything bad to her, did you?"

"Huh?" Why is Jessica talking about Jake now?!

Demian didn't like the topic, geez!

"You know..., you didn't..., hit him?"

"Am I a bar-bar guy? Why are you asking me that kind of thing?" Although Demian did order Adam to sabotage Jake's plans, Demian did not intervene directly against the situation.

She can be said..., clean?

"Eventually..., you're a bar, right?"

"Haaa?"

"I didn't mean to be evil or anything, Demian. I believe your way of life is your own business."

"Wait a minute, what do you really think of me?"

"You.., I've seen you beat up an all-out guy in an alley. We weren't close then, I just knew you were my customer so..."

"Ahhh, so..., did you see me? Are you sure there's no wrong people?" Demian felt flushed by the water comberan. He felt dirty when Jessica caught a glimpse of his depraved actions. Demian felt his image was tarnished.

"I'm pretty sure it's you. Also, haven't you always appeared on Elixir with a battered face due to frequent fights? Even though I don't know your line of work, I think I can still understand bruises from fights and accidents." After a long speech, Jessica took a sip of Demian's coffee.

That's delicious.

"In fact, somewhat surprisingly.., lately you have rarely been battered. Hehe."

"That's not something to laugh about, is it?" demian's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

All this time, without her knowing it, she had exposed the darkness of her world to Jessica. Demian knew Jessica was relaxed about the fact, but Demian couldn't relax. Demian was embarrassed. She wanted Jessica to see it in the lens of the perfect man. Not the guy who broke another guy's nose on the weekend.

"Why are you being so grim?" ask Jessica.

Demian grabbed the tip of Jessica's hair that fell gently on her shoulders. He then wrapped the hair in his index finger.

"It feels a bit embarrassing" Demian said, to be honest. "I'm trying to be cool in front of you, but you're exposing my dark side."

"You..., you think of that kind of thing?"

"of course. I'm a normal guy too." Just like men in general, Demian also wants to look amazing in front of the woman he loves. Jessica knows that, right?

"I don't know what you mean, but you're pretty cool anyway.., in some ways, I guess." Jessica tried to comfort Demian with her words. But there are no lies there.

Demian-without effort-was cool from there. In terms of appearance and personality, sometimes Jessica feels like a bad boy character jumping out of a romance novel. He was extremely rare with all his dazzling vices. He is skilled in his ugliness, in seducing women, and in hitting people as well.

"Your face is too high, Jessica..." Demian smiled faintly.

On the sofa, sitting next to Jessica, Demian took the opportunity to anchor her chin on Jessica's plain shoulder. The sweet aroma of strawberry that lingered softly on the girl's body made Demian take her breath in deeply, full of longing.

"I hope time stops now." Demian's murmur on his shoulder resonated with Jessica's heart.

That, just like Demian, he also had the same hope. He just wanted to freeze in time, with Demian by his side. He put her in the warmth she so desired.

But, that's not the truth.

*