Looking for Love Read Online Free Page B

this thing for its true purpose. I
shall assume ownership right away.”
    “ Wait.” Pauline shuddered. “What
if you want to make use of its powers? You can never do
so.”
    “ I can. I’ll just have to hand it on to someone
else.”
    “ But what if you want both? What
if you want answers for your future and also The Album ’s powers?”
    “ I’ll manage. I’m sure I won’t
reach the point where I can’t decide between the two. I mean, I’ve
managed all this time without love in my life.” Her body froze for
a moment as she realised what she had to give up to use The
Album . Her
own need for love versus her need for something worthwhile to do
every day. The opportunity presented to her may never come again.
Love could wait.
    “ But you’ve never found anyone,
have you?” Carol asked, a soft question in her sea-green
eyes.
    “ Nope, I haven’t. I’m not even
looking anymore. I’ve always hated seeing you guys…” Tears flooded
her eyes. “I hate seeing you getting hurt. I despise those jerks
who have broken your hearts and made you cautious and cynical and
single. I want to see you find the right partners, settle down, and
be happy.” She took Pauline’s and Andrea’s hands. “I love you so
much. I can’t believe I’m privileged enough to be entrusted with a
tool to help you. And to help the world. I can’t back down on this
opportunity. The dreams I’ve had for years to read men, to be able
to find the right ones for my friends, well, now they can come to
fruition. I’m not going to pass this by. Even if it’s a hoax, I
have to at least try.”
    They all
looked at her, their eyes holding love and gratefulness and their
mouths rendered speechless.
    “ Pauline, email me a pic of Roan. I’ll print it out. I have a
photo of you somewhere. Are you ready?” Ella caressed the top of
her hand to calm her. “You want to know, don’t you?”
    Pauline nodded, her eyes wide and moist,
her face pale.
    Carol hugged her and then
Andrea. Pauline sat with her phone while the others chatted wildly
and paged through the romance story books. Making use of their
distraction, Ella signed the back of The Album according to the last few instructions in
the letter. She studied the five other signatures, wondering who
they’d been—the people who’d assumed ownership before her. Her
great-uncle hadn’t been one of them, as far as she could
tell.
    “ There, I’ve done it,” she said and sat down at the computer to
print out the photo of Roan.
    “ We’ve decided something.” Andrea touched Ella’s shoulder. “All
three of us.”
    “ What?” She must have missed
their discussion while signing The Album .
    “ We’re all going to assume ownership.”
    “ Huh? You can’t do that.”
    “ Well, sweetie, we’re going to
join you in your quest.” Carol’s eyes still remained surprisingly
optimistic. “This is going to go viral, we know it. You’ll become
popular overnight. You’ll need our help.”
    What had
happened to her friend? Could it be the magic?
    “ But…no…I really wanted to find the right men for
you.”
    “ Don’t you see?” Pauline said.
“If we make use of the powers, we can never take over ownership
of The
Album should
you ever wish to pass it on.”
    “ Why not? It didn’t say that, did it?”
    “ It’s just about implied. Anyway, we don’t want to use it. We
want to help it be used by you to reach the world.”
    Ella shook her
head. “I’ve just assumed ownership so I can help you guys find the
right men and now you’re backing out. Are you being chicken? You
don’t trust it?”
    Andrea turned the swivel chair
so Ella faced her three friends head-on. “That’s not it. We want to
give of ourselves for you. You’re our friend. We love you and we
care for you. We know this is bigger than you alone. That’s why we
were meant to be here tonight when you opened the box. The Album wants us all to run
your business.”
    Business. Did
she say a business?
    “ We thought