As A Busy Body As She Was
She felt muddle headed, after crying and getting mad she no longer felt the intensity of the pain upon hearing the word orphan.
She was still sobbing while Gideon squat down in front of Nathan's tombstone.
"I was looking forward for another enjoyable talk with you. Who would have thought that the last time was really the last?"
He glanced at Amber and Ashton, who were standing on either side of him.
"Rest well, I will make sure to take care of your daughter. The enjoyable time you have allowed this old man to have. I'll repay it by watching over your daughter."
Ashton slowly turned his head and looked at Amber, she was still sobbing like a child.
The last times he saw her cry, she cries like a teenage girl, the other time she cried silently.
This time she was crying with no care of her surroundings. As if venting out every wrong that she had experienced.
When Gideon stood up he saw his grandson looking at Amber.
"I'll leave you two for now, I'll wait in the car."
The two of them stood there and only Amber's sobbing was heard.
"I'm sorry," she heard him say but he was not looking at her, instead he was looking at her parents tombstones.
"I have heard of a few stories from the past, you have helped my father quite a lot when he was trying to close off some deals."
"And my mother was like a sister to you, you have guided her with your knowledge in medicine. And if it was not for that, she would have had some difficulties in creating the pain reliever for my sister."
He first looked at Nathan's then at Sarah's.
"I have also heard that it was your daughter's observation that allowed me to survive from drowning, during the private celebration of her birthday. That if she wasn't watching over us, I would have died back then."
Amber looked up and watched him, she had a vague memory of that time. But she had forgotten who it was that they were with.
She just remembered that in one of her birthdays, a week before it, there was another family who accompanied them.
"I have lost someone very important to me. She and I have loved each other but now she sees me as her enemy. The pain from back then triggered me to be cold and ruthless to other people."
"But your daughter, as a busy body as she was, tried to help me out of that slump. A slump I have been for five long years. Maybe she was right, I didn't want to help myself out of it."
"I couldn't forgive myself that allowed someone important to him to be hurt and used just because I couldn't do anything. I became a monster who didn't care about lives and killed those who are blood related to the ones who did it."
"Yet in the end, I couldn't even touch the masterminds. My personality changed because of that and I ended up hurting your daughter, my savior, in the most cruel way."
"For five years, I have pushed all those who worry about me away. And when confronted of such truth I couldn't accept it and lashed out at the person who's trying to make me understand."
"And for all of that, I apologize in front of you. I have hurt the one you protected the most. The one you exchanged your life with in order for her to survive. I am sorry."
He bowed down and his voice was filled with sincerity.
He didn't expect for Amber to say her last words a while ago. No one have said that to him when he was wrecking havoc in the past. All of them have told him to let it go.
His grandparents, his parents, his friends even his sister. No one have told him that they will take revenge for him. They didn't stop him from the blood shed but when things are going out of hand.
They told him it is time to let go. Maybe that was also the reason why he had a thin wall surrounding him from them.
He must have felt like no one was on his side. They all decided that since she no longer remember him and thought of him as her enemy, it is time for him to stop getting revenge for her.
His fragile heart was crashed and stepped on. But no one have showed their support for him.
It was Amber's words a while ago that made him realize all of these. That he felt guiltier for pushing her so hard. For physically hurting her and for making her feel like she was really alone.
He then looked at Amber who was already looking at him. She was sobbing and her eyes were teary eyed, but the tears no longer fall.
"I admit that it was indeed too cruel of me for spouting such words. I apologize for making you feel so horrible. But after what had happened, my personality have greatly changed."
"I know myself that I am colder to other people. I'd rather not get close to anyone because of that betrayal that I have experienced. That is why to you, whom I just met for less than a year, I still have some reservations."
"Even though most of your days were spent with me in the office, we rarely even talk. You have your own business I had my own. So the way you barged in-"
"I know, I know I was at fault as well. I'm sorry for being a busybody and pushing you to your limits. If I didn't know of this then I wouldn't even be talking with you right now."
She is someone who, once she released everything, would be able to calm down and understand the whole situation.
Since she was also at fault she needed to apologize, if she was not at fault then she would not talk to him again. She would treat him as a stranger until the very end.
"*chuckles* Allow me to apologize at least will you? You always take the good part away."
Amber looked at him as if he grew two heads.
'Did he just chuckle?'
Seeing her look, Ashton shook his head, "I am a person, if you have multiple characteristics, then do I only have one? The cold one?"
"I didn't say anything," she pouted.
"Amber, I'm sorry. I genuinely apologize for the word that came out from my mouth. When I realized I have said it, it was already too late for me to take it back."
"And I didn't feel pity for you only admiration, the same way my sister felt. You are very clear of your goals. You didn't allow personal feelings to hinder you in anyway."
"I have also heard that you didn't complain to anyone about me wronging you. Instead you have warned my family that I may end up someone truly cruel if I experience what I have experienced the second time."
"Thank you."
"I am not that great," she puffed her cheeks as a tinge of red appeared in her cheeks.
She was not used to such straightforward words.
"You are not, that is the truth, you have so many shortcomings and you only have this as your strong point."
She couldn't help but to look at him in shock, 'Was he complimenting me or not?'
"*sigh* For now, can we make up? I am not only asking this to feel good and stop being guilty. But I also want to make up because my sister is ignoring me."
"Did she found out about the situation?" she asked curiously.
She didn't say anything yesterday.
"A slip of my tongue. And it seems that she will ignore me for the rest of her life if I don't make up with you."
"Well since it was also partly my fault, then it is fine. I won't ask you to promise anything as well. I went overboard after all."
She extended her hand to which Ashton shook.
"It's also fine, you made me realize quite a few things from what had happened and from everything that you have said."
He gave her a smile, a smile that was filled with sincerity. Something she never saw before. In return she smiled and her eyes brightened.
The silence was then interrupted by her stomach growling.
Amber gasp as she hugged her stomach. Upon looking up she saw Ashton's eyes teasing her.
"Don't dare tease me, this is all your fault. Even though I was prepared for the food to be wasted, I still felt bad that all my hardwork have gone to waste."
"Hardwork?"
"Yes hardwork, do you think I just order all those? Even the cake was baked by me. I woke up quite early for that in order to have it for breakfast. Yet you just wasted everything."
"I'm sorry," he didn't know what else to say.
He didn't expect that she went out of her way to actually cook all his favorites and he just threw everything to the ground.
"It's fine, it's fine. It's over anyway. Why don't you just treat me right now?" she waved her hand and said as she started walking down the stairs.