12 Olivia Min

Lucy drove to the highly famous dessert store, Simply Dess, she had promised Vivi to buy her macarons for helping her with the medicine. It was a 45 minutes drive, and she arrived at the said place. Parking her luxurious car in front of the cute but classy decorated store, she walked in. She saw a lot of customers lining up to take their orders.

'Busy as usual..', she thought. Then she went past the counter, stepping into the kitchen area.

The staffs didn't say anything as they know, Lucy was someone very close to the owner. She frequented this store once or twice a month.

Upon walking inside, she saw her best friend, Olivia Min, talking to one of her staffs. Olivia saw Lucy walking towards her, and she smiled, revealing her cute dimple on her cheek. Her blond hair was tied to a bun.

"Hey Lucy, the macarons you ordered are on the counter.", she said smiling.

"Thanks Olivia. It's great having an owner of a famous store taking my order easily. I don't need to line up just to eat your macarons.", Lucy teased her friend.

"Oh come on, sucking up to me won't help you get them for free.", Olivia chuckled, but she didn't mean it. She really meant to give them for free for her best friend.

"Really? I doubt that..", Lucy who saw past Olivia's intention smiled. She knew her friend wouldn't let her pay at all.

"Hahah, you got me. By the way.. you're free right? You told me you got three days off.", Olivia said, changing the topic. She went closer to her friend and she patted her head lightly.

"Yes, why?", Lucy raised a brow. What kind of mischief was Olivia plotting now..

"Well.. you see, my family will hold a grand ball tomorrow night, and you will come.", Olivia said, she smiled sheepishly.

What?

"No way, you know I hate that kind of event! Is this the annual one that you mentioned last time?", Lucy shook her head and she made an X with both her arms.

She knew the Min family was holding the ball every year to commemorate their successful business. It was an event everyone was dying to go.

"Oh please.. I want my best friend to be there! Last year I invited you, you were busy with work! Now is your only chance!", Olivia pleaded with teary eyes, she tried to appear sad.

"No means no, Olivia. I have plan for tomorrow.", she lied.

"You're not my friend anymore! I won't take your future order if you don't want to go!", Olivia said. She changed her pitiful face to an angry one.

"What? Hey! Your threat is old school, it won't work-", before whe was about to finish, Lucy was shoved outside the kitchen, leaving her bewildered.

Huh?

•••

Aubrey was restless, he kept on going in circle, walking here and there. He didn't know what to do. His escape was a success, but what now? He didn't prepare for anything.

Then he suddenly got an idea, he should get in contact with one of his friends. He needed a computer. But he should wait for Lucy to come back before asking her for help. And he waited.

Lucy drove her car to go back home, she wanted to resume her talk with Aubrey, there were so many things they needed to make clear. She had already send the macarons to Vivi's home, knowing that she was on leave today.

They were quite close actually. Although not as close as she was with Olivia. Vivi was the first person to ever greet Lucy when she first came to work at the hospital after her graduation. That was when they became friends.

Lucy arrived in Kalla Villa, she parked her Bugatti at the front of her two-storey, but before she could stepped outside, her phone rang. The caller was her mother.

"Hey mom, what's up?", Lucy picked up her phone on the first ring.

"Listen dear, I want to have a meal with you on Saturday, make sure your day is vacant! I'll text the place! Bye!", her mother hung up, not giving her a chance to say anything.

"What is going on now? Everyone seems to make plans for me without my consent.", she sighed. Remembering Olivia's forced invitation on her, she felt like stomping the ground but decided against it when she remembered something more important to do.

Lucy got inside her house, the first thing she saw was Aubrey writing something on papers. He looked like he wanted to say many things and he voiced it out using the poor papers.

"I'm home.", she said, stepping closer to Aubrey with a bright smile.

She felt good when she knew there was someone waiting for her to come home. Her heart started to warm up to the thought. Aubrey looked at her, he felt weird when she said 'I'm home' to him. Like he was waiting for her. He felt even more puzzled when she asked how he was doing. She was gone for only a couple of hours, but it felt like such a long time.

"Aubrey? Are you alright?", Lucy waved her hand in front of him. He was in a dazed.

"Huh?", he answered.

She was very surprised, she could swear she heard him say a word!

"Aubrey! You just talked!", she said, smiling brighter than before.

Aubrey was the most shocked to hear her said that. He just talked? But it was just a 'huh'.

Lucy on the other hand, was getting excited to hear his voice. She remembered the first time they met, when he was having a nightmare, he shouted. His voice sounded hoarse at that time. It made her worried.

"I knew it, Aubrey! You really can do it if you try! This is a good sign, you're getting over your past and trauma!", Lucy said enthusiastically.

She knew that she was exaggerating it a bit, she was aware that Aubrey could not just get over his trauma in a span of a day. But her aim in exaggerating was so that she could push him to talk more. She really was behaving like his private doctor now. Though it was a self-proclaimed one.

Aubrey didn't say anything, nor did he try to deny Lucy. He knew he should carry on and started living life normally. But he didn't know how.. real yet ordinary life was something that was out of his reach before. He didn't get to spend even a day in that kind of life.

And there was something that worried him too. What if that man found him? Considering his power and influence, finding Aubrey was just a matter of time. Aubrey couldn't stay here for long.

He took a paper and wrote again.

(I just need some days to stay here, and I will leave when I get in touch with my friend. Can I borrow your computer for a while?)

Lucy finished reading it, and her expression became solemn. Her chest tighten at the thought of not seeing Aubrey again.

"Why? I thought we're friends. I can help you. And I'm a psychologist. I need to heal you. I can't let my patient go away just like that.", Lucy said, she sounded disappointed.

Aubrey didn't react to her, it was more like he didn't know what to say. Why was he feeling guilty now? What was up with this woman? Her sad face and manner could easily throw him restless.

'Heh, you're so easy to read. Like an open book.', Lucy further intensified her acting. Looking so pitiful now.

She didn't know why she dared to do this only to make him stay longer. Lucy felt like he needed to be near her. For a reason she herself didn't know. Just then that she realized another point in Aubrey's words. How could he have friends when he was locked up since young?

"Aubrey, we really need to talk. I want to know everything about you, EVERYTHING.", Lucy emphasized the word 'everything' to make herself clear.

He raised his brows.

"How can you have friends when you claimed to be locked up?", she asked, she went to sit at the dining table, making a gesture for Aubrey to sit across her. Their second session of QnA began.