Page 30 of Monster

Essa

Three months ago

“How are you doin’today, baby girl?” Dominik asks me as he enters the room. A smile instantly pops up on my face the second I hear his voice. Being alone in here is fucking hard, but his daily visits make it so much fucking easier.

“Better now you’re here,” I say honestly. He really does make everything better. Easier. His lips kick up into a smile at my answer and my heart flutters in my chest. I’ve known him for a few months now and every day I feel more attached to him. I feelmorein general.

“You look so beautiful today.” My face burns as my cheeks turn red from embarrassment.

Still not used to the compliments though.

He takes a seat next to me on the bed and I roam my eyes over him. Today he’s wearing a dark gray hoodie, black sweatpants and his white high-top Nike. His white baseball cap sits backwards on his head and his black curls stick out from underneath it.

He brings his hand up to my face, cupping my cheek in his palm. “I love how you turn so red every time I say that.”

“I’m sorry…” I trail off, feeling even more embarrassed.

“Don’t be, baby girl. I love it.” He winks at me and the butterflies in my stomach return. He makes it so easy to forget everything.

“So… How was therapy this morning?”

Aanndd… everything comes screaming back.

“It was… the same as always.” I shrug. He cocks his brow at me, but I ignore it.

“Essa,” he murmurs as he shifts even closer to me, the bed dipping with his movement. I smell mint the closer he gets to me and my heart beats faster. Whenever he’s close enough for me to touch, things change.

I lose all sense of reason.

His minty scent assaults my senses and with his body so close to mine, I can feel the chill of his skin seeping into my own. Suddenly I feel his warm lips—such a contrast to his frigid skin—press against my cheek and warmth floods my core. I bring my thighs together but stop when I feel his fingers flex against my knee. I didn’t even realize his hand was there, but I feel my cheeks heat again because I know he felt my movement. He knows what I was trying to do and that’s not okay.

He can’t know I feel these things for him.

Right as I go to move away from him, someone knocks on the door—hard—and I jump up, startled. Dominik jerks back as well, but quickly recovers and stands up to move to the door. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I feel the air escaping my lungs.

Fear.

What if it’s Ben?

Or what if it’s Vincent?

I chastise myself for even thinking that, but I can’t help it. Ben has no idea where I am, and Vincent is—Vincent is dead.

Dominik pulls the door to my tiny room open and there stands a nurse with two officers standing directly behind her.

“Um, can I help you?” Dominik asks, his hand still gripping the doorknob, almost as if he’s going to shut it in their face any moment.

“Yes,” the nurse says, “they’re looking for Essa.” She nods in my direction and my heart completely fucking stops all together.

Oh, fuck—they know.

I’m going to fucking jail.

My blood feels sluggish and my head swims, warping everything around me.

* * *

“Baby girl,Essa, are you okay? Essa!” My eyes flutter open and Dominik’s face comes into focus right above my own. His dark curls are hanging low between the two of us, almost long enough to brush against the tip of my nose. When he sees my eyes opening, he pulls back slightly, but not far—just enough to give me space.