by J.M. Cagle
Chapter Six:
Riding the elevator back up again, Luke felt he left a piece of his heart on each floor he passed, and by the time he reached the 26th floor he would have no heart left. He wished he could blame alcohol on why he felt so lousy, but knew that it wasn’t the case. He had found the girl who he had clicked with, and lost her in the span of a few hours. He was a cluster of fighting emotions, and anger at the men who were supposed to love and cherish her, but instead they had broken her and left her fighting the idea of love. Sadness and tenderness for the woman who was resigned to live such an empty life, and resolve and determination that he would mend her heart. Though, how to find her and get her to allow him into her heart was another obstacle, especially since all he had from her was a name. It was frustrating, as he was a man of means, with money and people at his disposal, but he had never felt more uncertain and powerless. What was the point in having all this money when he had no one to share it with, and could not even use it to help capture the woman he loved, or could he?
A plan began to form, names of private investigators that needed to be gathered, no limit on how much it would cost to use what information he had to track her down. As the elevator opened up on the 26th floor, the room was emptier than he had left it, and spotting his brothers, speaking in the center of the room, Luke resigned himself to going over there and dealing with their interrogation; then he could excuse himself and begin sorting through his ideas. With a heavy sigh, he began to trudge over, but not before a flash of forest green caught his eye. His heart leaped to his throat, as for a second he thought it was a flash of Elle’s dress, and her coming back to him. But sadly it was just a clutch. Going over to it, he curiously opened it and saw nestled inside the folds a few dollars and an ID card with the name Elle Cinder, and her address for his eyes to feast on. Quickly placing it back inside, a new and more intricate plan began to form in the back of his mind. A plan to show her she could trust him with her heart, and hopefully win her over to the idea of loving again.
With those thoughts, he felt his head perk up again, and his resolve strengthen. In the romantic novels he loved reading, never did the man ever give up on his lady love, even when it seemed like gaining her affection would be impossible. He would emulate these literary characters and hopefully in the process gain his soul mate.