MR. BILLIONAIRE’S SUBSTITUTE BRIDE

FABIOLA

My hold on my purse wasn’t steady, in reality, nothing about me was steady, my heartbeat, the movement of my legs, nothing. 

I was a few seconds away from speaking to my high school crush and every ounce of me was urging me to back down, but I kept reminding myself. I am not the girl I used to be back in high school. This Fabiola right here wasn’t a shy nerd who was liked only by teachers. My college year was going to be different, good different, and this is one of the ways I can make that happen. 

He stood at the corner of the pitch, a bottle of water in his right hand while his left hand carefully dabbed his sweaty face with a white towel. 

“Hi.” My words came out soft and unsteady. 

Lan lifted his head, a brow raised.

Exactly, that was the face he always made, the one I loved, the one I see in my dreams. 

“Hey,” his soft eyes scanned me as he straightened to his full height, towering over me. 

He smelled like soap, a very intoxicating soap that I felt was edible. 

I stood still, taking in his scent, his green eyes on me, his body towering over me. I lost my voice, my words. I couldn’t speak nor could I recall the words I rehearsed. His gaze danced with curiosity, I guess he was wondering what was going on because I was too. 

I didn’t give it a second thought before pushing the bottle of water to him, pressing it against his chest I could swear was rock hard. He narrowed his eyes, his brows weren’t the only part that was arched, his head was too. But he was Lan Hawkeye, the calmest and most charming guy I knew. Even though he was a hot commodity, he had always been so humble. He accepted the bottle of water although he already had one. 

“Thanks?” He held the bottle expecting me to say more but I just turned around hurrying away, with strides so long and fast I nearly broke into a run. 

“Okay, that was weird,” I heard him mutter behind me. 

Yes, that was weird Fabiola. What was that? I was supposed to walk up to him and start a meaningful conversation but I failed and would never be able to show my face before him ever. 

………

I arrived home and pushed the door harshly like it offended me. Taking off my shoes at the entrance, my ears perked up at the yelling voices. My Uncle and Aunt, arguing again. 

They always had something to disagree on. 

Usually, I don’t pay attention to whatever their arguments were about but this time, my name was being mentioned repeatedly. Was I the reason they were fighting? Why? My curiosity got the best of me, I dragged my feet up the stairs to listen closely. 

“Fabiola is not a child! For a matter of fact, she owes us!” That was my Aunt Cathy. . 

“Owe you! What does that mean? She lost her parents, she lost them because…….

“That doesn’t matter, we could have chosen to drop her off at the orphanage but we didn’t.” Aunt Cathy harshly interrupted him. 

“Can you hear yourself, I can't do that to an innocent child!”

Do what? My brows creased. Whatever was going on didn’t seem like it was going in my favor. 

“Then what is your plan? You know you can’t go against the Hawkeyes, you know what will happen if you do!”

The Hawkeyes? Wait, what?. 

“Fabiola.” Penelope, my ever-so-sweet cousin, disrupted my listening. She looked at me differently today, she didn’t have that withering look on. 

“What’s going on?” I walked closer and she moved back like she could be able to avoid the question by giving me space. 

“Fabiola.” Aunty Cathy’s sharp firm tone sounded from behind. “Robert will tell you.” She tipped her chin towards Uncle Robert who was standing beside her. 

He couldn’t meet my eyes, but Cathy sized me up.

“My dear,” he said, approaching me, his eyes wandering everywhere, never settling on me. “What do you think about getting married?”

“Married?” I projected my gentle voice as loudly as I could. 

“Yes, you would have to marry into the Hawkeye family,” Aunt Cathy chirped in, she lacked the patience to let Uncle Robert do the talking. 

“I don’t understand,” I restlessly tucked my hair behind my ears.

“Tobias Hawkeye needs a bride and you shall be his bride.” She articulated each word making sure I caught every single one. 

“Tobias Hawkeye? The footballer?” I darted my eyes from my cousin to her father. 

“Look on the bright side, Fab, he’s a billionaire,” Pen made a poor attempt to ease the tension. 

“Then why don’t you marry him?” I snapped at her. 

“He doesn’t want Pen, he wants you.” The lie fell smoothly from Aunt Cathy’s lips. 

“He doesn’t know me!” I usually do not talk back, but this was a hard fate to accept without a fight. 

“You think so?” Aunt Cathy moved towards me with an intimidating confidence. “You’ll marry Tobias, the topic isn't up for debate. If you really appreciate the roof we’ve placed over your head, education, good meals, and dresses you would….

“Cathy!!!” Uncle Robert stopped her before she could go further. “You will not speak to her like that.”

“What’s the need to sugarcoat?” She gave her head a slight tilt. 

She was right. In the end, that’s what they all wanted me to do, to marry a man almost twice my age. I raced to my room, my eyes brimming with tears. I owed them everything, they took me in and sheltered me, it is only right that I grant them this one favor. But still it sounded and felt wrong, so wrong. 

I was just twenty!