Look at Me, Elle
Chapter 7 Long Message

Leonathan could not help his astonished look, with his eyelids still wide open. The man still faithfully gave a hug to Alice. Calm the crying woman with that whim and the chin propped up on her left shoulder.

"I changed because I found love. I have to go after him, isn't that what you want from me?"

"But I didn't tell you to stay away from me, Nath. Don't stop paying attention! Didn't you always promise to be faithful beside me and always be there for me?"

"Brielle needs me now."

"So you don't care about your own best friend anymore? Is it true that you're avoiding me, Nath?"

Loosening the hold, Leonathan slightly retreated and gave a gaze that could be understood and infused Alice well. His two big hands clasped Alice's fingers, wrapped her palms together and stroked.

Staring deeply at Alice, Leonathan said, "a friend is always there at the right time. Although not every second I am by your side, I will be there in your difficult times. I'll extend a hand if you need me." Leonathan pulled the corner of his lips until he formed a sincere smile. "We're best friends, and I won't have the heart to see you slump. I'll be with you."

"Promise?"

"Yes, but .. if Elle hasn't been able to get me, I don't stop looking for her and bring that beautiful woman into my life. Anyway, I've felt something a long time I've never felt."

Alice who looked at Leonathan a little dislike hearing the man's explanation, Leonathan himself also knew that Alice was avoiding the topic that smelled Brielle.

"As my best friend, you know my happiness. So stop acting like children. You and I are adults, you're even older than Elle. You should be ashamed to act like this."

Patting Alice's left cheek, Leonathan smiled again and stood up. He continued his lunch, devouring bagel bread that had not yet entered his mouth. Away from the sofa, he swung his legs as fast as lightning until he was standing in front of a window overlooking the outside atmosphere of the Mixtuer cafe.

The teeth inside do gymnastics, continue to smooth the crisp bread outside but soft and supple inside. Looking at the clouds that were clumping in the sky, he was still hopeful. Leonathan tries to believe that God will give him another clue about Elle's whereabouts.

"As for your pregnancy, does the ex you're after want to take responsibility?"

Alice who gasped let out a long breath and her eyes were again covered in water. Not yet able to answer Leonathan's question because his chest was sore and tight.

"If you shut up, I already know the answer. She must have turned down her own baby, right?" The furious and hot Leonathan could only clench his hands, then hit the wall with his two hands at once without looking back. "If you want to vent your heartache, I'm ready to fight him."

"No! No need, Nath!" reject Alice rawly and shake strongly. He who began to move from the sofa began to walk slowly closer to Leonathan who gripped the wall. "I want him to wake up slowly. Just accompany me, I can take care of my son with you."

"He's the one who should be in charge."

"You don't want to help me take care of my baby later?"

"Even though I'm willing to take care of him, he's still his father." So caught off guard when Alice continued to defend the man who was in fact wrong, and did not have to be defended desperately like now. It is obvious that Alice loves her ex so much, but also hopes for Leonathan's attention.

"I know, but she used to ignore my messages, just like I often ignored my messages, Nath."

"His responsibilities as a father need you to pay."

Without excuse, Alice's right and left hands were already coiled around her stomach. The woman hugged Leonathan from behind and did not hesitate to press his face on the back wrapped in the man's black t-shirt. Leonathan who understood this situation was not happy to escape from Alice's embrace. "Don't ignore me, Nath .. I want you to always be with me if he can't be next to me."

"Yes, and I will forcibly demand his responsibilities as a man. He's the one who has to take care of you and your son. Dare to do, must dare to get consequences. Good or bad. Not running away like a loser," he said full of emphasis and sharpening gazes. Leonathan twisted his body, glancing at Alice's eyes that were still shedding tears. "Not to cry."

"I'm afraid to live the days ahead, Nath." Alice looked up and the feeling of sadness also reached the recesses of Lonathan. How not? Alice was already one of the people in this world that she cared about. Seeing loved ones sad, surely Leonathan also felt his sadness. "What's the fate of me and this child, Nath? I'm-I'm scared."

Back closer, pulled Alice's body and then held tight. "I told you a long time ago, just stop connecting with him. Because I know, he's not the kind of guy you think he is." Removing her pair of hands from Alice's body then holding the two shoulders to give strength even though her mouth continued, "now happened, right? And you can only regret what I said before, now you're really dealing with."

Not just saying that to Alice, but rather to herself. The proof, he himself regretted having acted without thinking long.

"Sorry, Nath."

"Come, I'll take you home. For a few weeks you've been working for a while." Alice, who had heard that, simply complied and let her hand be held by Leonathan, walked out of the private room on the second floor.

Naomi, who planned to go to Leonathan's room to ask about the news of Brielle's whereabouts, was actually made to ride a black hole after gawking. Surprised, very surprised by the view on the top stairs. Leonathan was embracing Alice and giving her elusan in her best friend's stomach, and offered a prayer, "may you and your baby be healthy." Naomi was trying to get her chest up and down at a normal pace.

"All I see now is this misunderstanding?" naomi asked as Alice and Leonathan compactly caught her whereabouts that still reached the first rung of the stairs from below.

"How are you doing about Elle?" asked Leonathan, whose brain was directly fixed on the woman of his clan. "You're here to talk about that, aren't you?" added Leonathan who stepped on several stairs, leaving Alice who was still on top with a sad face and throat did not want to make a sound.

"You guys got something? If so, why are you looking for Elle?!"

"You impregnated your own best friend?!" Naomi shakes her head because she does not know she wants to respond to Leonathan and Alice in any way. "I'm sorry, you're not well." Leonathan prevented Naomu by pulling the woman's arm. "What's? You want to say it's a misunderstanding?"

"Indeed misunderstand. I care, pity because she's my best friend and pregnant without a partner."

"You pity or love?" naomi's question made Leonathan laugh. "Look, you just tried to cover it up with that stupid laugh of yours."

Despite explaining many times that she does not love Alice, Naomi still does not believe. The man who was tired of explaining finally resigned and relented. However, Leonathan asks Naomi not to leave his cafe before they discuss Brielle.

Feeling that her arrival was in vain, Naomi decided to leave. Leonathan asks Alice to get in the car first and she chases after Naomi, who has almost left the parking lot of the Mixture cafe.

"Then what does it mean to come here if you don't want to talk about Brielle? Is there really no progress?"

"I'm just here to tell you about my job. I gotta go home. My vacation here is over. Elle's accident left my job neglected."

"You don't care about your best friend?"

"Of course not!" elak Naomi is starting to get angry. "I'm not that kind of person! I'll have someone look for her, and I hope you're really looking for Brielle too!" the spray is ready to rotate the body again, and a few more minutes will completely leave Bali.

"That's for sure" Leonathan replied seriously. "Where are you going, yourself?"

"I live in London and all my work is there. Good bye." Staring at Alice who was already in the passenger seat, Naomi waved. "Eagerness, yes. My message is one, don't go to the club too often. If possible stop, stop drinking alcohol for the health of your child. See you, Al!" Naomi waved and prepared to leave the parking lot. Suddenly, the phone in his left hand rang. There was a message from an unknown number. Seeing Naomi shriveling in confusion, Leonathan asked, "what's wrong?"

Naomi looked up for a moment and continued to stare again at the screen of her phone. Opened the message and read it with a surprised look, but was arrested. "Is there a problem?" leonathan asked again as soon as he observed Naomi's face very carefully.

"No, I think something's important, it's a prankster who wants to prank me. Ordinary, unknown number."

"Are you sure it's okay?" leonathan asked once again to make sure and that second also Naomi showed her best smile as natural as possible so that Leonathan did not see a look of shock on his face. "Because your facial expression says otherwise. If something is wrong and suspicious, just say it. I'll help you, as I can."

"No, this guy just sent the trap pins. Ordinary, fraud." Leonathan nodded in understanding. "All right, I'm leaving now. See you next time!" screech before stepping fast, stay away from the Mixure Cafe area.

Leonathan immediately circled his dark car, got in and sat behind the steering wheel wearing a seatbelt. Making sure that Alice also wears a seat belt, Leonathan runs it. The car that only fit for two people took the owner and his best friend to the destination, where Alice lived.

"I was happy when your hand rubbed against my stomach like it was on the stairs. Can you do it again for me, Nath?"

"It was just an accident." Leonathan turned his head for a while and curled his lips before adding a barrage of pleading sentences, "don't think that I still love you like I used to. The feeling of love for you is completely gone, and replaced by another name. I don't do it with feelings of love, understand."

Yes, it is true Leonathan said to Alice who in fact still hopes full on the man next to her to love her. Alice could not take reality for granted if Leonathan's feelings were completely gone and not restless. Completely leave the feelings that he once wasted, now only leave a sense of pity like a close friend or friend. Painful and very difficult to accept with a chest roomy.

"And finally I was too late to realize how I felt about you, Nath." Leonathan did not answer, even he no longer looked at Alice, but looked at various vehicles in front of his car that was running smoothly. "Did you not give me a chance?"

"Stop saying the no." Leonathan glanced at the left side where Alice sat and faithfully stared at him. "I've been closing my heart to you ever since I received your third repulsion. Now you're begging for that feeling?"

"I just realized, I'm wasting the goodness of your heart, Nath."

"I'm grateful to you, because I also realize that my feelings for you only care, not the feelings of love you just asked for right now." Leonathan stroked Alice's hand for a few seconds and said, "if you need my attention, you can still get it. But not with the feeling of love, because my heart has found the right place."

Alice could hear the brief explanation of the solid. Turning his gaze away from the figure and handsome face of the man watching the movement of the vehicle, he lowered his head while observing his lament. His hands slowly touched and stroked feelingly. Unable to prevent the water from coming out in her eyes, Alice closed and said, "i don't want you to be an uncaring friend, Nath."

"I'll try."

"thank you.

"But I won't stop looking for Brielle. Don't nullify me if you're looking for her, she's still my priority even if you're pregnant." Alice nodded, then threw a glance at the window on her left side and took a deep breath. "Whatever your condition is, I'm still worried about Brielle. He's my purpose in living up to this moment."

While in another car, precisely in the rear passenger seat, Naomi is still busy checking messages from foreign numbers. Not from a stranger, only his number is unknown, but the sender is a person he knows well. Yes, she's Brielle Princess Adiharja who disappeared for months.

"I'm fine, Naomi. Don't worry and don't tell anyone where I am. You're the only one I can trust, Mi. Let everyone else see me disappear or die, my extended family must be grateful I left and will never harass those crazy treasures again. I also want to get away from promiscuity in Bali, and leave behind the dark events that make me angry at this world and God. I hate myself now, Mi. Please remember this, don't tell anyone about me. I've been safe in Semarang since that night" Naomi said in her heart, and her mouth was silent.

In that instant, the curly black haired woman could breathe oxygen that no longer stifled her chest. He replied to Elle's message as fast as lightning, saying that he was really worried about Elle's condition. Then hurriedly wipe away the tears that had suddenly descended to the cheeks. "Finally you're calling your worried best friend, Elle!" the squeals are not too tight because they are ashamed of the taxi driver if they sound loud. "Okay, then I will follow you to Semarang and we will work together! We're gonna make a florist, Elle!" naomi exclaimed again in the mind, but her thumbs did not stop dancing on the screen of the phone, precisely on the keyboard.

Today, that day made Naomi happy and very happy even though she also felt sorry for Leonathan. He could only keep this happy news from the man and his other best friend. How else would you like? She must respect Brielle's decision to still want to hide her existence from many people.