Nyssa had grown up with the knowledge of the tragedy, but it acted more as a tiny speed bump in her life. Rux did not blame her, of course. She was far too young to understand exactly what death meant and how many lives it destroyed with its ripple effects.
They drove on, eventually hitting the shoreline. Rux tried to avoid looking at it, but he also thought he had to. He had to face what had happened to his father so he could somehow find a way to go on without the weight constantly on his heart.
What were the odds of him meeting someone? He had heard that Gerri Wilder had successfully matched all of her clients, but Rux felt he was different. Sure, he was career-focused and wealthy, but he was also sorrowful and closed off.
What woman wants to dive headfirst into that?
His driver dropped Nyssa off at her home and then took him to his penthouse. He stood in the elevator, feeling solemn and even a bit regretful.
Maybe my family is right that I’m the one holding myself back when it comes to finding a mate. Perhaps I’m just not open enough to the feeling to recognize when I’m having it.
But Rux knew that was bullshit. His parents often regaled them with the story about how they met as children and how his father thought the goddess of thunder had come down from the sky and kidnapped him.
“She was hovering, I swear to god,”his father had said.
Ellen would usually have been giggling somewhere, trying to hide that bashful look as her husband complimented her endlessly. It was a look that Rux longed to have between someone who knew his very soul, who would tread into dark places and not turn back.
The elevator opened with a shrill ding, and Rux walked alone into the dim light of his penthouse. He watched as the clouds parted to reveal a crescent moon lighting the streets below with its luminescence.
He looked out the window for a long time, thinking about his father and holding back tears.