Look at Me, Elle
Chapter 5 Suspicious

Leonathan is fit, looking fresher than he was a while ago. Sunglasses hang on short-sleeved black shirts a tick image on the right edge. Knee-length gray shorts add a dashing and handsome impression to anyone who accidentally or blatantly looks at Leonathan.

The caramel brown hair looks neat because of the touch of water-based pomade. Grabbing his wallet and car keys, Leonathan steps away from his bedroom.

"If I don't find you there, I'll make sure I find you one day, Elle."

Yes, you could say Leonathan is now more eager to find Brielle. It's enough she's drawn out with sadness plus slumped because three months Brielle has not been found. Now is the time for the old spirit to appear and tempest.

Before leaving the house, he had to bring food and drinks before hiding in the car for hours. Men who since the early hours have made three servings of sandwich, do not forget to put it in the food box, Cold Brew coffee is always available in the refrigerator also do not forget Leonathan take from there. All of that was his supply when watching Brielle's boarding house from the car, as planned last night.

Leonathan's main destination on this dark morning is Brielle's boarding house. There was a part of him that asked, forcing Leonathan to go back there. The man's feelings were always directed to the cost of the room Naomi had visited as well.

As he sat down and started the engine, his lips muttered, "Somehow I feel you're still there, Elle."

It is true, from Naomi's annoyed expression as well as the woman's unexpected treatment of daring to slap, Leonathan could not cover the curiosity to see Brielle's boarding house. After contemplating at home, the owner of the Mixture cafe seemed invited by his little heart to go there, like being forced to check on the whereabouts of Brielle at the boarding house. Although Naomi was angry, sad, and shouted that Brielle had left, her heart seemed to refute, not accepting if Brielle left her own residence.

"Yes, there's no way you're running, Elle. Like your friend said, you're a woman who doesn't attach much importance to what other people say about you."

The man was convinced with all his heart that Brielle was just aloof and hiding in the boarding house all this time. Naomi could have come just to visit. Therefore, Leonathan will keep an eye on the boarding house where Brielle lives from a distance. If there is a right time, he will enter and ask the permission of the homeowner to be able to show the room occupied by Brielle.

Long drive, it's been over thirty minutes the black machine wagon got Leonathan's running around on the road. He had found a rest stop, and was ready to watch from a distance. The reason for doing this is simply to get sorry from a beautiful woman of Indonesian descent. Knowing the true nature of Brielle who is always independent, not easy to give up and plain, makes Leonathan so fond and increasingly fall on the charm of the pure Mother Earth.

"If I haven't seen you out by late afternoon, I can't help myself getting in, Elle."

Elsewhere, Alice who had not been able to sleep all night was just crying on the bed. His condition in this dark morning was much better as there were only the remains of tears on his cheeks. Different from last night who screamed like crazy.

How could it be quiet if Leonathan's attitude towards her changed drastically? Even his message from last night has not been answered. Always the one asked on those blushing red lips was just, "do you love her so much, Nath?" Alice still asks.

Hugging the bolster that had been in her arms since last night, this wavy blonde woman opened her mouth again, "you won't care about me anymore, Nath? Just because of that woman?"

Alice is not a bad person. However, the woman was only lacking the attention and affection of her parents since she was in Junior High until she became friends with Leonathan in high school. While in High School, the only male friend who was always polite and attentive to him was Leonathan.

It was the only man who looked so sincere to her. Even among the ex Alice had all this time, it was still Leonathan that Alice could make a place to lean on. The man who is always there and never gets tired of listening to his story.

"If I may turn back time, I would like to accept you as my lover, Nath. Because now I can feel the pain when I see you've found someone you love."

Shifting her bolster, Alice slowly got up from the bed and sat down cross-legged. Tying her hair carelessly and leaning on the head of the bed. The white woman who was the same as Leonathan's skin again grabbed the roll in front of him and hugged him tightly, and suddenly he poured out his tears on the roll in that embrace. He poured out all his regrets for not accepting Leonathan as his lover.

"If I had accepted you, I wouldn't be crying right now, Nath...." It was still teary-eyed and the pair of eyes looked puffy, hitting an innocent bolster on its lap many times. "I want you to stop worrying about that woman, Nath. All my problems, I want you to know everything I've been through as long as you've been busy looking for it, Nath. I want you to care about me like you used to, Nath!"

Yes, the rice has become porridge. In fact, if it may be pulled back, the opportunity for Alice to reciprocate Leonathan's feelings is not just one month, two months, or three months. A lot of time Alice can take to accept Leonathan's love.

It's just that his feelings for Leonathan when they were not there and Alice herself did not think to be in love with her own friends. Alice who used to be only curious about the number of men who chased after her with sweet words and pseudo attention.

"Can we go back to what we used to be? I miss the old you, Nath .. I miss your attention so much! Come back, Nath .." - Alice said before she fell asleep in a cross-legged sitting position and both hands hugged the bolster on her thighs. Don't want to think about Leonathan's cafe like the last two months, because Leonathan himself thinks more about Brielle than he who also needs the full attention of the handsome man.

Time cannot be silent, only Leonathan who sits behind the wheel while looking at the big house that provides many facilities. Even Leonathan did not enter the parking area, the distance of his car was enough from the house, approximately five meters from the parking area to the stop of his car. The glasses that originally hung on the black shirt, now have been perched on the nose of the owner of the charm.

The man who had a nice body, with both muscular arms was focused on staring at the mansion and level with his mouth chewing on a sandwich. The bread can only be eaten until noon, while in the afternoon he will have to find the nearest restaurant from here. "Isn't that Naomi?!" Shut up for a moment, his slanted smile rose instantly. "It's suspicious, you must be working with Elle." Turning on his car engine, Leonathan left after seeing Naomi's taxi ride moving. "You must be there, Elle. Your best friend must be visiting you," he said confidently and immediately drove his car. There's something she has to do to get into Brielle's boarding house.

Leonathan parked his car at the Mixture cafe led by Alice. Because the location is closer to where Brielle boarding house, he will have dinner by night there. Grabbing the handle of the cafe and pushing it, Leonathan walked in with a brief smile pointing at the workers alone. If he used to like to spread smiles to many women, now no longer. Even in his brain to smile was dead. The goal is back again, the main center is only on one woman who is none other than Brielle Putri Adiharja.

After saying excuse me, one of the male baristas approached Leonathan. "Order what, sir?"

"I've had lunch. At six o'clock in the afternoon just prepare the nacho and rice bowl," Leonathan replied as he removed his glasses. Keep it in the collar of the black shirt he wears, then reach into the bag of pants.

"To drink it as usual?"

"White water." Take out your wallet and cell phone. "Wait," prevent it and then open the wallet, take out two pieces of red money. Leonathan gave her two hundred thousand dollars and added, "the rest is for you."

"Thank you, sir."

"Miss Alice just said permission a day for no reason, sir."

"What's wrong? Isn't he now active and a little diligent at work?" ask her and check her phone. Ignoring Alice's message, she chose to call her number directly.

"I don't know, Sir."

"Okay, go" said Leonathan without turning a gaze at his employees.

Slightly bowing, he replied politely, "excuse me."

Leonathan glanced at the employee and nodded. After that immediately attach the phone screen to the left ear while looking outwards. Now her mind had become split in two, not just thinking about Brielle, inevitably she had to know Alice's news.

"Is there something wrong with her?" as soon as his call was not answered. Not giving up, Leonathan called Alice back. "If you don't use your help, who should I ask for help?" Still the same, the intended number did not immediately pick up the phone from him.

Sitting by the window, Leonathan glared. His mind flew away in the previous days, even long before he looked for Brielle. Leonathan was not as upset as in the beginning, he tried to control his emotions and feelings. But why should she be afraid when Naomi got into the taxi?

"I'm sure Elle's still at the boarding house. There's no way she's staying away from Naomi." A small part of the inner heart still signals fear, Leonathan does not want to believe that feeling. But why the more he came here the more worried. This man became worried that Brielle was indeed not there. "Why am I being so unstable like this?" Though a few hours ago he was still confident and so eager to meet Brielle at the boarding place of the woman.

Take out Brielle's ID card from her wallet and look at the photo of the beautiful black-haired woman there with a faint smile. "You can turn myself up like this, Elle. Do you know what that means?"

Staring fixedly at Brielle's photo of her and whispering, very quietly after putting the identification card to her lips, "you are the only woman, the woman God created for me."

The lips that almost touched Brielle's ID card added, clenching her other hand and saying more slowly than before, "during your life, you were only destined for Leonathan Hardika." Then, you can kiss the light blue card before putting it back in your wallet.

Just standing up, going to the bathroom because of the desire to urinate, the phone in his hand vibrates. Alice called him and picked him up without further ado.

"Hello" he said as he stuffed the wallet into the pocket of the right gray shorts. "I'm at the Mixture two cafe, come here. There's something I want to talk about Brielle."

While walking, Leonathan watched the floor as well as Alice's words that made him stunned, not accepting also with the sentence of his compulsion. "Stop worrying, Nath! I don't like to hear your tone of voice that seems so scared of losing that woman. Just believe that he's okay."

"What's wrong? Why are you talking rudely and forcing me like that?" Getting into the men's room, Leonathan tried to put his sense of hearing well. "Explain to me why I shouldn't worry about Elle's situation and whereabouts? Tell me something if you know the truth. Come to the cafe and talk to me now. I'm waiting for."

"I don't like you forcing me just because of that woman."

"What's wrong? You don't like it when I talk about Elle? Do you hate the woman I love?" leonathan asked with emphasis. "Listened from your voice and call to Elle, you don't like or hate her. What does that tone of voice mean?"

Instead of answering Leonathan's questions, Alice turned off her phone after saying, "i'm not well, so I woke up late and couldn't get to work this morning. I'll be there in two hours. See you, Nath." This is completely the opposite of what Leonathan asked.

During the day at the Mixture Cafe, Leonathan actively stood at the bar and focused on making coffee. He did not glance at the customer at all, and just stared at the coffee machine with the coffee beans that he would grind. Until finally, in the afternoon around three o'clock Alice came. The woman called Leonathan and they sat on the same sofa. Leonathan began to explain, and Alice herself immediately listened to what Leonathan had planned.

"It's the only way, I'll wait in the car. You go in and ask someone to take you to Elle's room."

"You sure this is gonna work?"

"Yes, he must have believed that Elle had indeed lost her ID and let you meet her."

"OK," replied Alice, who was trying to be a good friend to Leonathan, however she should appreciate the feelings of the friend who had found a mooring, the mooring of the heart, although one side he himself is not ready to see Leonathan's loving gaze on Brielle if the two really meet.

As ordered by Leonathan, the food arrived right on the table when the clock showed at six o'clock in the evening. Alice who had ordered food since four in the afternoon just looked at Leonathan who was eating with a firm body and a serious face. He only realized that Leonathan's good looks were far from his former friends. The man beside her was so charming, especially the clear blue eyes like the color of the sea, soothing and so shady.

"You still hungry?" leonathan asked who Alice had noticed earlier, and as quickly as Alice shook her head, threw her gaze in the other direction. "Take my food if you want."

"Don't take one bribe from you?"

"No, I can't possibly feed another woman when the woman I love hasn't been found." His gaze was serious, along with a faint smile that made Alice suddenly short of breath, it hurt her heart to hear the confession of Leonathan's mouth that had just finished chewing.

"At the same time you and I are just friends, don't you always like it when I bribe you first? Why do you want me to bribe you now?" Alice who did not know what to answer just shrugged her shoulders briefly.