Chapter Twenty-Two

HE SWORE if something bad happened with his two beloveds, he would never forgive himself.

According to the doctor, Avon got abrasions, and she lost consciousness due to a concussion. She was safe now, as well as the baby. However, Roeden could not be at peace until he saw her regain consciousness.

“Avon, please wake up now.” Roeden gently caressed her cheek.

He watched her closely and listened to her breathing as he cried silently. Then, he suddenly remembered something.

Roeden fished out a small purple velvet box with a shaky hand from the pocket of his coat. He bought Avon a ring before he flew to Jeju Island. It was more like a promise ring, a gift that he wanted to give Avon once they settle their misunderstanding. But now, after that accident that scared the hell out of him, Roeden thought it would be better to put the ring on her finger before it’s too late. So, he opened the velvet box and pulled the ring.

Carefully, he put the ring on her finger. And that was when Avon slowly opened her eyes.

“Avon…” he cried out of happiness. Roeden was beyond thankful that she was finally awake. He was about to hug her when he noticed something strange.

She was staring at him intently with furrowed brows as though she saw a stranger. Why was she reacting that way?

Could it be…

“Where am I?” she asked. Her voice was almost a whisper.

“You’re in a hospital right now.” He took a deep breath. “You were involved in an accident.”

Avon attempted to rise. But he stopped her from doing so.

“You should lie still and get a little more rest.” Roeden wanted to make sure that she and the baby will be fine for the next hours, so he decided to let her stay in the hospital for a day.

“Who are you?”

Roeden froze for a moment.

“Y-you don’t know who I am?” He tried to remain as calm as possible. Scaring her was the last thing that he would want to happen. But her question already gave him a hunch that things were about to get serious. Avon’s gaze reverted to her hand, the one with the finger that has a ring on it. “It’s me, Roeden… your husband.”

A deafening silence ensued between them, giving him the chance to pull himself together.

He pressed the buzzer. After a few minutes, the nurses and doctor came in.

They checked her vitals, and everything was fine except her brain. The doctor diagnosed it as temporary amnesia. It rarely happens to patients who suffered from a concussion, but the doctor said that shock may also cause the brain to forget. The worst part, it may last for hours, days, or it could be months. And no one could tell when Avon will be able to regain her memories.

Roeden thought the amnesia thing was a blessing in disguise. Looking at the brighter side, he would be able to stay beside her for the meantime. If she has a clear memory now, for sure, Avon will run away from him again.

Avon fell silent since the doctor and nurses left the room. She just stared at him blankly. Seeing her like that made his heart ache even more. Sighing, he sat on the edge of the bed and reached for the loose strands of hair that covered her face. Roeden carefully tucked them behind her ears and caressed her cheek. She was literally in front of him, but she seemed distant. Maybe because she sees him now as a total stranger.

“Why are we here?” At last, Avon spoke again.

And once again, Roeden has to lie.

“We are on… our honeymoon.”

“Really?” She observed the ring on her finger, caressed it, spun it.

Roeden could only nod as his response to her question. A lump was starting to form on his throat, making it hard for him to speak. It was all because he was not good at lying, and he was a bad actor. He just wished that he was able to convince her. It was not that he wanted to make a fool out of her. Roeden simply wanted to stay beside her, to take care of her in tough times ahead, and to make her feel his love.

“When will we go home?” Avon heaved a sigh. “I wanna go home.”

“Soon…” Roeden planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “For now, have some rest.”

BEFORE they even got home, Roeden explained everything to Avon’s family and their friends. He was thankful that her parents understood his intentions and let him stay at their house to take care of Avon.

“Oh, my dear baby girl…” Avon’s mom welcomed them with tears.

Her father looked teary-eyed too, but he managed to hold back his tears as he hugged his daughter. The sight almost tore Roeden’s chest apart.

“D-do you know who we are?” her mom asked.

Avon gave them a nod and turned in his direction. “My husband told me.”

Her parents’ gaze reverted to Roeden.

“I told her everything she has to know. And we have to wait patiently until her memories come back.”

“If you’ll excuse me, I want to rest,” Avon said and smiled faintly.

“Ah, yes. That’s right.” Her mom patted her cheek. “I’m sure you’re tired.”

Tita Yolly ushered her daughter up to her room, and he followed them, carrying their luggage.

“W-what are you doing here?” Avon moved to the side when she saw him entered the room.

“Well, we’re husband and wife, so we’re supposed to use the same room,” he said nonchalantly as he put the luggage down in a corner. As days go by, he was learning how to act.

Avon plopped down at the edge of the bed, her eyes surveying the room. It looked like she was searching for something.

“Something is off,” she said and fixed her eyes on him. “If we are married, there should be a wedding picture hanged by the wall.”

“W-we… just got married.” He cleared his throat. “I haven’t moved my belongings yet.”

“You’re moving here?” Her brow arched. “I mean, why you not me?”

“I thought you don’t want to leave your parents since you’re an only child.” Roeden pocketed his hands on his jeans.

“Really?” Avon lay down on the bed. “Could you please get me something to drink? I suddenly feel thirsty.

Roeden smiled. She may have lost her memories, but some things never changed.

“Sure.” He went out of the room and headed to the kitchen.

Avon’s parents were having a serious conversation when he arrived there. Their voices were low, but his distance was enough for him to clearly hear every word.

“O-oh, Roeden.” Tita Yolly looked shocked to see him.

He beamed. “Avon asked me to get her a drink.”

“Roeden, I’d like to talk to you,” Tito Andy said straightforwardly. It looked like he did not want to beat around the bush.

He turned to him. “About what, Sir?”

“Do you really love my daughter?” There was a hint of doubt in Tito Andy’s voice.

“Yes, Sir. I love Avon,” he said sincerely.

“Then why won’t you marry her?”

He heaved a deep sigh and started to explain everything from start to finish. Roeden made sure that he did not miss even a tiny detail. At the end of his explanation, Avon’s parents understood his reason.

“Avon used to tell me that you are her happiness in life. They were times that you’ve hurt her, but she always chose to forgive and love you again.” Tita Yolly looked at him with teary eyes. “As her parents who love her dearly, all we ever wanted is to her happy. We want her to have someone who will love and cherish her, someone who is patient and will understand her. We pray to God to give her a man who’d stay by her side no matter what.” Tita Yolly handed her a glass of juice. “If you’re the one, then we’re rooting for you.”

“Thanks, Tita…”

Roeden left the kitchen with a happy heart. Getting her parents’ approval despite all the things that happened matters to him. His feet were always floating as he took the stairs up to Avon’s room.

He opened the door carefully and saw Avon video chatting with one of her best friends. Her back was facing the doorway, so she was not able to see him.

“You’re crazy, Avon! Why did you do that?” He heard Carmela’s voice.

“Well, I thought that’s the best way to avenge my broken heart,” said Avon.

“Girl, it’s not a good joke. What will you gain for pretending that you have amnesia? It’s not just Roeden, Avon. You’re fooling your family too!” Carmela scolded her friend. “You should stop now. Doing this won’t resolve the problem. You’re only making it worse.”

AVON was about to say something when she heard the bedroom door creaked. Someone came inside the room, and she did not notice it! And that someone must have heard her conversation with her best friend! She ran to the door and opened it, but there was not even a shadow outside her room.

Who could it be?

“What’s the matter, Avon?” Carmela asked.

“I think someone came in.”

Her heart started panting when she saw Roeden climbing up the staircase carrying a glass of juice.

“Talk to you later.” She ended the call and shoot the phone inside her pocket.

Roeden handed her the drink without a word. With shaky hands, she accepted it and went inside the room. He followed her silently, which gave off this odd feeling. And what bothers her was that he never spoke a word. Avon decided to break the silence between them.

“R-Roeden…”

“Yes?” He sat on the end of the bed, facing her direction, with his hands folded over his chest.

Avon put the glass down on the bedside table and sauntered towards him.

“Why are you so silent?” She swallowed hard.

“Why? Do you want me to confront you now?”

Her eyes widened in shock.

“Y-you—”

“Yes, I heard your conversation with Carmela. You only pretended to have amnesia because you wanted to get even with me.”

Her chest tightened, making it hard for her to breathe.

“I-I’m sorry…” Tears welled up in her eyes. Roeden stood up and hugged her. She tried to move away, but he would not free her. “Let me, Roeden… you should hate me by now.”

“No, Avon… I understand why you did that.” He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “You wanted to avenge your broken heart, right? But you don’t have to. Because I already regretted everything.”

Her silent cried became loud.

Roeden distanced himself a bit and cupped her face. He looked at her straight in the eyes. With her blurry vision, she met his gaze.

“I don’t have the time to hate, you know. All I want is for us to get back together. Yes, you were wrong, but I’m the biggest jerk here for hurting you and making you cry. Forgive me for that, Avon. There is nothing we could do to turn back time and undo what happened. But you and I can try to solve this together…”

It seemed that she lost her tongue; she could not speak.

“I know this may be too late, but I want to say sorry. I thought staying friends with you was the best way to keep you in my life. I thought it would hurt you less, but I was wrong because it caused you so much pain instead. I admit I’m a coward… a jerk. I don’t know how to play this love game, Avon. I don’t know how to deal with this twisted fate. All I know is that I’m happy whenever you’re near me. For the past five years, my life feels like hell. It seems that there was a missing piece in my heart. I felt empty and lonely. But there’s nothing I could do. Perhaps that’s my punishment for hurting you…”

She sniffed and sobbed as she listened to him.

“When I saw you again in that café after five years, I suddenly realized what I’ve lost for the past five years. So, I made a promise to myself that this time I won’t let you go.” Roeden’s thumbs brushed away her tears. “Avon, do you still love me? Because I love you so damn much. I am now ready to spend my whole life with you and…” His gaze reverted to her tummy.

“Y-you know that I’m pregnant?” Her eyes widened.

He nodded slowly. “Even before I went to Jeju island to follow you, I already know about it.”

“Tell me who’s that cracked nutty shell!”

But whether he tells her or not, she knew it was one of their friends. Roeden must have asked for their help. Well, it was fine. He would know about it eventually.

“Listen to me, Avon. Pregnant or not, I will marry you. It’s just that I need some time to settle my personal issues. Let’s not make things complicated, okay? Let’s make it simple. I love you.”

Roeden pushed her to bed and pinned her with his body. She could not say no when he kissed her. If he only knew how much she yearned for that kiss for the past few days.

“We are really meant to be together,” Avon said after the kiss. “Fate keeps throwing me back at you no matter what I do.”

“If you believe that we belong together, then why did you break up with me?” he said with pouted lips.

“You said you don’t want marriage. You can’t expect me to stay if that’s the case.” She started crying again when she remembered the fight that they had that night. “Of course, I’d like to stay with the man who can make my greatest dream come true.”

“What’s your greatest dream, Avon?” He caressed her cheek.

“To marry you and have your kids!”

“Mine is to make your dreams come true.”

“Prove it, dummy!” She lightly punched his chest.

THE END