LOVER MONSTER!
71. Candour.

In a luxurious and stately apartment room, Jake Allendale - the room-dweller - lies on the sofa while compressing his ailing nape.

Jake's sister, Janette Allendale, accompanies Jake there. He looked a little worriedly at his sister. Today, Jake has a robbery. He was struck with a powerful punch that instantly reaped his consciousness.

Jake is unconscious, and when he wakes up, he has lost his car, cell phone and all the expensive accessories that are attached to his body today.

"Are you feeling a little better?" ask Jane.

Jake has been expressing himself since. Jane thought the blow Jake received must have hurt so much. Otherwise, it was impossible for his sister to frown. If he just lost money and a car, Jake wouldn't be as new as he is now.

"Nothing's good, Jane. After what happened today, I've missed an important moment."

"Important moment?"

"I'm going on a date." Jake said.

"Ugh...., don't tell me you're gonna see that cheap chick again? Does knowing that he's only after your treasure isn't enough? You still want to be with him?" Janette spontaneously nags.

"Has the good woman on the face of the earth finished?"

Jake rotates the eyes. "It's a different woman."

Jake's lethargic reply made Janette raise her next to his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

As Jane recalled, her sister was very fond of her former mother, Angela. So, hearing that Jake has started a new relationship with a new woman, that kind of makes him?

Just be careful if Jake tricked him!

"He must be waiting for me today" Jake complained softly.

Foolish with headaches and pain in his incredible nape, Jake is more heartbroken because he has failed to meet Jessica. In fact, this is a rare moment.

All this time, Jessica had always refused to meet with for busy reasons, but now, when the girl gave her the chance, she was instead unlucky.

"I didn't think you'd moved on. That's a good move, but..., did you get a really good girl this time?"

"He's very good, J. You'll know you met him in person."

"You also said something like that about Angela, until I met her and it turned out she was just a prank."

"You don't have to worry about anything, this time I found a really good girl. Because he is so good, it would be a difficult challenge to conquer him."

"Eh, does that still need to be discussed? You don't have any flaws, do you?" There is nothing to deny Jake. At least that's the woman's view.

"Come away.., although I want to say I am not lacking in anything, he himself does not see my advantages as excellence. He treated me with fairness, not exaggeration. It confused me with his own feelings. Plus..."

Jake recalls Demian often surrounding Jessica, like a pest. That man is another obstacle. Jake - unlike Demian - doesn't have enough time for him to waste. Jake still has to work and has to go on a business trip.

He's not like the unemployed Demian who can barge his feet all day in Elixir.

While Jake is pensive, the sound of the phone ringing interrupts. Janette was the first to react. He notices Jake's room phone on the buffet table, before turning to look at Jake.

"Who called you at this hour?"

It's been half eleven nights. Now is not the time to call work.

"Can you lift, right? I'm too lazy to move now."

Janette complied because she still felt sorry for her sister. Just then, after Janette picked up the phone, she spoke for a while there and threw a puzzled look at her sister.

"What's wrong?" jake asked, his voice low.

"It's from the lobby" Janette said, giving an explanation. "A woman is waiting for you downstairs."

"Huh?"

"Jessica, her name is Jessica."

"EH, WHAT?" Jake fell off the sofa.

...****************...

Demian releases Jessica to go home unwillingly.

Demian still wants to spend time with Jessica, actually. He did not want to let the girl out of his arms. But hope cannot be reality. It was Jessica who insisted on wanting that day to end. Jessica insisted she wanted to go home on the grounds that she needed to finish her financial affairs at Elixir.

Not only because of that, maybe Jessica wants to go home because now it's almost ten in the night. Maybe the girl was exhausted.

Jessica forced Demian to drive her home. Demian too, not wanting to make Jessica angry again at him, granted the girl's wish by force.

"I'll see you later" Demian said. He says goodbye to Jessica after lowering the girl in front of Elixir's closed door.

Demian did not want to leave Jessica there, but the short journey had already found her finish line.

"Don't see me again," Jessica replied like a joke, Demian who heard it just chirped unhappily. Never at all did Demian think that Jessica's words held seriousness. He thought, the shady Netra was just tired.

Yet...

Jessica does hope that Demian never meets her again, and, even though they do, Jessica hopes that the man will treat her like a stranger.

Jessica is already bored with everything, all the meaningless tug-of-war, intrigue that does not fit her target, love games that end up just hurting her. Jessica wants to take it all off.

On this very day, Jessica wanted to finish everything. Thoroughly set.

"Don't joke like that, are you sure you can't see me?" Demian spoke while blinking one eye.

"Go, I need a break."

"You're so impatient, when I want to see you for longer."

"Demian, I'm serious." Jessica put emphasis.

"..."

After Demian withdrew from her presence, leaving her alone there, Jessica gave a light wave of her hand before falling down on the street.

Her emerald eyes are flooded.

Jessica held herself back from crying there, not roaring angrily at her defeated self. Jessica doesn't want to curse herself anymore. Jessica is tired of being the one who feels guilty to Angela. His pride was tarnished.

Jessica did not want to be a secret that only Demian would use to fulfill her satisfaction.

This whole thing has to end. This is the last one. He must stop falling in love with Demian. He had to build a strong line of boundaries and could not afford to be crossed by Demian or anyone. He needs to.., Jake Allendale.

With a determination that popped into her head, Jessica finally hailed a taxi and headed for a place she had once visited. Silver Buildings.

...****************...

Nowow.

Jessica was in front of Jake, two cups of tea lying on top of the table.

Brother Jake-Janette Allendale-stands behind the kitchen counter. He watched the two who now looked awkward.

"I'll go, you two please talk." Janette finally broke down.

Jessica feels a bit guilty for making Jake's brother go, but on the other hand, she feels relieved to be able to talk with Jake alone. Because, if Janette heard what she was going to say, Jessica felt that the woman would not be happy.

"I'm sorry I didn't come today" said Jake, bringing up a promise he had broken. "If you can, I'd like to call you right away. But my phone also disappeared and I couldn't go see you because my brother was watching me tight."

"What's going on, actually?"

Jessica looks at Jake's condition and realizes that something is wrong with him. He was not battered in the face, but the condition of his body could not be said to be fit as well.

He curled up occasionally and grimaced. A compress under the table also confused Jessica. Is Jake seriously ill?

"I was robbed this morning" Jake's reply widened Jessica's eyes.

No, don't tell me it was Demian!

"All my things until my car is taken."

"Oh my God, then, what about you. Are you all right? You weren't hurt or anything, were you?"

"Fortunately, nothing is fatal. His attack came in lightning, before I could react, I had already been attacked first until I fainted. It feels a little embarrassing."

"Eeei, what's so embarrassing about that? You're still safe, it's an incredible blessing. A lot of armed robbery going on out there, rather than putting up a fight and putting you in a disadvantage, you'd rather pass out."

Jessica spoke at length solely to deny the words of Jake who seemed to underestimate himself. Foolish, is it because he's a man he feels the need to fight crime? He should be relieved he survived.

Anyway, Jessica was relieved to see Jake was not in a severe condition.

Although Jessica is not sure about whether this robbery was Demian or not, but, Jessica is relieved that Jake is okay. Jessica does not want to bear the guilt because it has been the reason Demian harmed Jake.

"So..., what brings you here, Jesse? I was planning to see you tomorrow and apologize, but I didn't anticipate your visit at all."

Remembering her goal, Jessica then straightened her back and face. He looked at Jake who was still smiling kindly waiting for his response. Jake is loyal and always kind enough to be his friend.

"Jake Allendale" said Jessica. His eyes full of determination made Jake slightly gulp. The man wondered what was wrong.

"May I know why you've been approaching me intensely lately?"

"Huh?"

It's the same question again. Jake remembers Jessica asking him this topic once while in the park. Since the girl did not believe him, the girl needed a reason for their closeness.

"Why all of a sudden? I thought I gave you a clear answer that day."

"Because now I need a serious answer" Jessica said. "I don't need a half-hearted answer you've made for whatever reason it is."

"Are you not really trusting my intensity that wants to be friends with you?"

Jessica nodded. "I need the honesty of your heart, because only with that, can you get what you want."

"Huh?"

"You know what I'm saying, Jake. If you're being honest with me, I'll be honest with you and tell you my intention to see you."

Jake's pair of hazel eyes implied doubt. He tried to digest Jessica's words that kept the meaning veiled in them. The meaning that made him filled with suspicious questions. Because it's impossible. What happened to the girl until she wanted to...

"You.." Are you serious?

Jessica interrupted Jake and said, "I'll give you what you want, instead, I want you to help me."

"Do you think you know what I want?"

"Come on, I guess..."

"Are you willing to take it?"

"If you want to talk about it now, I'll listen."

"All right." Jake smiles in response to Jessica's offer of him. It felt like luck landed on his doorstep, in front of him.

If Jessica wanted her honesty, then...

"Then I'll say, Jessica. All I want is.."

...****************...