Love Heals Wounds
33. Distracting Focus

"Audrey, baby. Do you have a boyfriend, son?"

"Not yet." answered Audrey honestly.

"If so, om ask, be om's daughter-in-law."

Audrey was flabbergasted, her eyes widening in disbelief. Bram coughed, apparently choking on his own saliva. Aaron fell silent, his body stiffened, his chest pounding waiting for the answer that would come out of Audrey's mouth.

"Ee, um that, this, ummm anu, umm Audrey. Umm Audrey doesn't know Aaron yet, so umm..." Audrey immediately answered this question, her face pajamas, her fingers interlocked. The girl became very nervous.

"Can't get married right away. There is still time to get to know each other. Where are your parents?"

Audrey's face grew pale, she didn't even dare to raise her face.

"Umm, while Audrey lives with her grandparents on the edge of the city area of S om."

"To be exact?"

"On the island of D om."

"Isn't the island managed by PT. Danur Pearls?"

Audrey suddenly lifted her face, she was surprised Om Bagas knew that. Suddenly he felt the oxygen around him become very thin. Aaron saw Audrey's face change, he squinted his eyes.

"Umm, yeah, they're guarding the villa on the hill."

"That's what Satya's villa is?" Bagas stared intently at Audrey. But something that came to his mind made Bagas cut off the intention to keep asking. "Well, if you're fully recovered, you'll be asking Aaron for a hand soon."

"Father, this is too hasty and shocking." Aaron disagreed.

"You want your heart to be taken by people, do you?"

Aaron was silent, and so was Audrey. Their minds wandered off somewhere. One thought of the will of his heart, one thought of his identity.

"Let's eat, otherwise this dish will be cold." Bram tried to melt the atmosphere.

The atmosphere that was once warm turned awkward. Every now and then Aaron glanced at Audrey, the girl looking uninspired to enjoy the dish. But in order to keep Papa Bagas feeling, Audrey still spent the food on her plate.

"Sorry Audrey, Om didn't mean to upset you like this." Bagas started a conversation on the sidelines enjoying dessert.

"Since Aaron's girlfriend left, he never came to bring a girl in front of Om. So yahhh...Om is too excited. Maybe Om wants to immediately fondle grandchildren so as not to be lonely." kekeh Bagas.

"Yes Om, Audrey understands." the girl smiled gently. He understood why Papa Sebastian had pestered Kak Rangga as well. Means papa also already wants to have grandchildren so that someone enliven his days.

Without Audrey, Bram and Aaron noticing, Bagas's countenance changed when he saw Audrey smiling. He looked at the girl in front of him.

"Thank you for accompanying the meal, papa wants to rest Ron first. Audrey, Om first." His interest in the two young men, Bram deftly led Bagas to his room.

Aaron invites Audrey to sit on a terrace overlooking the other side of the villa. Audrey felt her head throbbing at the thought of today's incident.

"Why did you guys tell me Om Bagas died two years ago?" finally he began to discuss one of the many questions that plagued his mind.

"Because that's what the world knows. Bagaskara Saka died in a single accident on the freeway." Aaron fixed his seat to make it more comfortable. Audrey looks enthusiastic waiting for the continuation of Aaron's sentence.

"The accident was a sabotage by Arneta. So when we found out papa was safe, we chose to keep it a secret from everyone. The fewer who know the better." Aaron's eyes glared, recalling the events of two years ago.

"After his successful operation, papa was in a coma for one year. When he realized his body was a bit slow to respond to everything. But I am grateful, the last few months of papa's health progress have been very rapid." the handsome face of the young man revealed a smile.

"Where was Om operated on and undergoing treatment?"

"Here, in this villa. I'm equipping the medical facilities of this place. There used to be some expert doctors on guard, currently only Bram left. Other doctors only come to visit occasionally."

Audrey nodded in understanding hearing the story. Then he looked at Aaron with a probing look.

"You know Arneta did it, why not punish him?"

"The evidence is too weak, people hired to sabotage papa's car first die." Aaron lowered.

"If the law cannot be used, can it not use the law itself?" suddenly Audrey was stirred with emotion.

Aaron looked up and looked at him with a smile. Not only Audrey ever said that.

"I want to be like that, Drey, venting my anger on that woman. But I remember, my mother always advised me. Replying to one's evil deeds by doing evil will not bring peace. It's just gonna turn us into criminals, just like that guy." Aaron took a heavy breath.

"Mama believes that the Creator of the universe will judge and avenge our actions one day. And that vengeance will surely be worth what he did. But if we retaliate, we can be sure we will follow pent-up anger. And our vengeance can go beyond what that man did. We're finally becoming more terrifying monsters."

Audrey felt her heart being pierced by a knife, wound but not bleeding. Suddenly he had trouble breathing. Audrey stood up, feeling that if she remained seated she would soon be unconscious. The girl walked towards the porch guardrail and held on with all her might.

Slowly he draws and exhales to control his feelings. He turned his back on Aaron because he did not want the young man to know his situation. Something raged in his mind, his eyes were hot, he wanted to cry. But he himself was confused what happened to his heart to make his tears suddenly pool in the eyes.

"Easy then?" the tone of disdain is clearly heard in his speech.

"No, it's not easy." Aaron got up and walked over to Audrey. He chose to stand next to the girl but his gaze looked straight ahead.

"I destroyed everything in front of me after meeting him at home. I even consumed an alcoholic drink to vent that annoyance. It all stopped when Edward reminded Papa he would be disappointed when he realized later, if I kept it this way." Aaron smiled wryly in memory of his behavior at that time.

"Then I changed my focus." Aaron puts both his hands in his pants pocket and confronts Audrey.

"I was devastated trying to follow my mother's advice, so I channeled hate into the wrong thing. My focus is on Arneta's evil deeds. As I began to reflect back on my mother's advice, I changed the focus on what Arneta would receive for her evil deeds."

Aaron scratched his head. "I know it's confusing."

"What's wrong, continue. How can you change your focus so easily?" Audrey remains interested in Aaron's explanation.

"I went to see a psychiatrist because I couldn't remember the smiles of my parents and other memories. It turned out that the cause was because my head was filled with evil, filled with resentment and hatred. It covered up the good memories with my parents."

"So, because of the focus on Arneta's crimes, you can't remember anything good with your parents, can you?"

"It's more like that Drey." Aaron smiled gently. "The beautiful memories of my mother's affection made me strong in the face of my days. Because it's one form of gratitude to the woman who gave birth to me, by not wasting my life. And a strong hatred can mask the good things I have."

"Then, what does that have to do with focusing on what Arneta will accept?" both of Audrey's eyebrows fused together, she really didn't understand Aaron's explanation.

"For at some point in time, Arneta will receive the appropriate retribution for his actions. I had imagined, it would be a great relief to be able to witness it. I just need to be patient to wait for that time to come."

"Just like that? That easy?"

"Who said it was easy. I'm not the angel My Lady. I'm just an ordinary human being, who sometimes still gets carried away by emotions when I see it. But at least I tried. I don't want to lose my parents' good memories again." Aaron held onto Audrey's shoulders, every word he spoke with great emphasis.

"I don't want to exchange the memory of your smile with the garbage in my honey brain." Aaron stroked Audrey's cheeks slowly. Being busy digesting Aaron's words, Audrey just let the young man wipe his cheek.

"It's hard to accept it with my reasoning."

"There's no need to rush, you'll understand my way of thinking." Aaron looked into Audrey's eyes deeply, he brought his face closer to her.

Audrey quickly put her index finger on Aaron's lips because she felt that Aaron would kiss her again.

"Enough. My brother stole my first kiss." Audrey stared hard, Aaron chuckling.

"Don't you ever say you just want to be kissed by your future husband? I'm already your future husband." Aaron looked at Audrey with a seductive look.

"My family hasn't accepted."

"It doesn't matter, because I know you'll accept me."

Audrey throttled in annoyance. "So much confidence."

"I don't think so, it's the truth. The fact that you do not feel uncomfortable when I approach you even though accidentally, you do not feel uncomfortable when you know I keep staring at you. You don't get uncomfortable when I touch your hands, touch your hair." Aaron walked down Audrey's face with the back of his hand, his voice growing heavier and deeper.

Her hand moved down from her forehead towards Audrey's cheekbones and chin. Then her finger touched Audrey's lips feelingly, her eyes focused on those pink lips.

"And the fact that you're not uncomfortable when I kiss your lips." Aaron said that while sticking his forehead on Audrey's forehead. The girl felt her heart pounding more and more, her breathing becoming irregular.

"Aaron, I.." Bram suddenly appears, Audrey is surprised, the reflex he pushes Aaron's body away from him.

"Oh God! Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt!" With a cry Bram turned his back on the couple when his eyes accidentally saw the affection of Aaron and Audrey.

Oh!!!

Aaron clucked annoyed to feel the beautiful moment disturbed Bram. Meanwhile, Audrey's face had completely flushed. He did not even dare to look up.

"I'd better go get some rest" he said while remaining down.

"Akan ku antar, kau kan belum tahu mana kamarmu." Aaron menggandeng tangan Audrey. "Tunggu disini ya." pesannya pada Bram saat melewati Dokter muda itu.

"Yes fine." Bram replied as he stared at the floor, he felt bad for Audrey.

All the way up to Audrey's room just shut up, she was completely embarrassed. I'd better not leave the room until I get back to town, he murmured inwardly.

Aaron opens the room door for Audrey and pulls the girl in because he sees Audrey walking behind him looking down.

"Have you got what you were looking for?" said Aaron while smiling amusedly.

"Huh? What's?" Audrey looked up and showed a confused face.

"You keep your head down, are you looking for something?"

"I-it's...I-I was embarrassed because of that.." Audrey couldn't continue her sentence.

"I'm sorry, I made you uncomfortable." Aaron looked at Audrey gently, and the girl's cheeks flushed back.

"I'd better see Bram soon. Too long with you in this room can be dangerous." Aaron rubbed Audrey's head gently then left.

"Gosh, why can't I be so rude and beat him up once?!" curse Audrey while ruffling her own hair.

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