"I hate you," Mia yells, kicking the back of her brother's headrest. Xavier doesn't react. Instead, he focuses his attention more on the road. Mia then proceeds to lean in my direction, causing her to snuggle my elbow. "You're so warm," she says, snuggling closer. Then she looks up at me from under her lashes and says, "Don't you just hate him?" I nod in agreement. Mia and I had taken one too many drinks, and since we both couldn't drive home, we had no choice but to call someone. My sister wouldn't pick up, which was to be expected since she had a photoshoot tomorrow. Xavier, on the other, had picked up on the second ring. I lean against the window, too tired to keep my head up.
Xavier's deep voice cuts through my drunken haze. "How much did you guys have to drink?" he asks; I start to count on my fingers just as Mia blurts out, "Not nearly enough." then, in a hushed tone she adds. "He might be my brother, but it's obvious I inherited all the smarts." She giggles at her own joke, which causes Xavier to shake his head slightly. "I can hear you, you know," he said, but Mia didn't seem to care. She laughs even louder, and I can't help but join her. Yup, I was definitely wasted. Old Olivia wouldn't say she hated Xavier to his face or laugh out loud at one of Mia's jokes, but drunk Olivia did, and it. was. liberating. Xavier pulls up in front of his Condo before opening the door for Mia and me. He attempts to help Mia get down, but she doesn't let him. Mia pushes her brother away and proceeds to sway down the walkway, barely making it to the front door in one piece. I, of course, try to follow in my best friend's footsteps by telling Xavier I'm okay when he tries to help me, but just as my feet are about to touch the ground, I miss. Damn it. I brace myself, ready for the pain I'll feel once my face connects with his pavement, but it never comes. Instead, Xavier reaches out and grasps my waist, steadying me. "Whoa," I mutter as my body sways. "Careful," Xavier murmurs as he tightens his hold on my hip. My heart clamors against my chest, and I silently pray that he can't hear it. His scent surrounds me, and I don't realize when I'm leaning in until I feel him go rigid against me. He smelled so good. I run my nose along his jaw, desperate to get more of his pleasant scent. "You smell good," I mumble. Xavier's jaw clenches, and I watch him swallow. I look at him through my lashes, offering a half-smile. His eyes darkened as he scanned every inch of my face, from my eyes to my nose to my lips. Under the heavy gaze of his cloudy orbs, my tongue darts out, running along the seam of my lower lip. His eyes follow their movement, and just when I think he's about to give in to whatever is happening between us, he turns away. My cheeks flush with embarrassment. I take a step back, not wanting to be near him any longer. Whatever was between us a moment ago was gone. "Let's get you inside," he growls, and I nod. He led me to the front door, where Mia was cursing the door for refusing to open. Xavier opens the door, and Mia immediately kicks off her shoes and stumbles inside. I push past Xavier and proceed to untangle the strings of my heels. Damn it, why won't it open? Xavier watches me struggle for a moment, and before I have a second to object, he's crouching down to assist me. He untangles the strings with ease; the rough pads of his fingertips momentarily brush my skin, causing my breath to catch in my throat. He slips the first heel off and proceeds to unsheathe the second one. Once he's finished, I mumble a quick thank you and start off in the same direction as Mia. I find Mia sprawled out on the kitchen floor with a butter stick in her hand. She muttered something about how lucky the butter stick was for being an only child, and I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips. I walk to the fridge and get a water bottle from it. Xavier appears moments later and helps his sister off the floor. She let out a protest, but her speech slurred with each word. Eventually, Xavier carries her off to one of the spare rooms in his house. He returns moments later to find me lying on the sofa, my legs tucked under my bottom. I hear him shuffle beside me until he's crouched down to my level. He reaches out and brushes my hair behind my hair, seizing the opportunity to toy with a stray piece of hair. Butterflies erupt in my stomach, but I do my best to remain composed. "Any particular reason I'm receiving such hate from you and my sister this evening?" He questions, his voice deep and lush. I giggle before making a zipping motion across my lips and throwing away the key. "It's a secret." he furrows his brows, causing me to giggle. It was nice seeing him confused. His eyes flicker to his hand, toying with my hair as if noticing his actions for the first time. He drops his hand from my hair, placing it on the sofa instead. My stomach sinks. "I think you should get some rest." He says, looking away. "You're doing it again," I mutter under my breath. He narrows his eyes in confusion. "Doing what again, Olivia?" he asks, and the way my heart flutters at the mention of my name on his lips is almost embarrassing. I shouldn't be feeling this way. Trust me, I know. My feelings for Xavier had brought me nothing but pain, and now he was marrying my sister. Whatever hope I had left of him, realizing what I felt for him, was gone the instant he proposed to Kathrine. "You know, all these years, I've waited patiently, hoping that one day you'll wake up and realize how I feel, but as it turns out, I'll be waiting forever because you're marrying my sister in two days." Xavier's thumb reaches out, brushing away a stray tear. I didn't even realize I was crying. "Olivia..." he begins to say, but I cut him off. "Don't." I tell him, "I get it, I do; you'd be bored with someone like me, anyway." I say. Kathrin was the fun, talented one, while I was just me. Plain. "There is nothing boring about you, Olivia," he tells me seriously. I open my mouth to tell him It's okay that I was fully aware of my own shortcomings, but he doesn't let me speak. "I mean it, Olivia. You are far more interesting than you give yourself credit for. I won't tolerate you speaking about yourself like that. Do I make myself clear?" His words tug on my heartstrings, and I can't help the giggle that escapes my lips. "What's so funny?" "You say this now when you're the reason I feel like this." He goes rigid as I lean in closer. "Tell me something; if I had kissed you that night on the balcony all those years ago, would you have picked me instead of her?" he doesn't answer, and that's all assurance I need. I lean back against the sofa, my lids growing heavy as sleep consumes me, but not before I say the words that change everything.The sound of guests cheering filled the room, what did they ever know, blinded by the surface, never understanding what lingered beneath.I looked up to see her, faking her smile like her life depended on it.She was too timid to be true, a victim that was forged out of obligations. Our obligations.I didn’t plan to marry her, I wanted her sister.But fate had a way of intervening and the story checks out.Her bouquet was wrapped back after the wedding play.And we waved goodbye as we entered the black decorated SUV, made especially for our newly wedded affairs.The cameras clicked,paparazzi lashed their lights, waiting for a mistake.But that won’t happen, so I quickly opened the door for her in the backseat, entertaining their lovely wedded act.She entered, traces of her lace sweeping gently into the car.And at that I took a bow at them, and they all took their final sight at us.We were fast driven in the car, silence reigned and none of us could break the air between us.I could
I stood there, the heaviness of my veil weighed down on me, like it was reminding me, clarifying that I was indeed the substituteThe lace scratched over my skin, suffocating as though it knew it didn’t belong to me. That I wasn’t supposed to wear it.The gown wasn’t mine, and this day, thus cursed day was never meant for me.Mother’s sharp voice rang in my ears, reminding me of the title I held and not to screw it up.Not to screw my family’s business in the mud, because my behavior at this weapon would determine my fathers business future.“Smile.. you’ve always kept a borny face; not today”she said, but how could I smile ?How could I laugh and let my cheekbones betray me?when I know the void that is feeling inside of me.Sure they would be happy, but me… no one really knew what I wanted.“Stop fidgeting, when the doors open, you smile, do you hear me?” She ordered again.The repetition of laughter I had to carry.Smile?, when my sister had run off and left me to pick pieces of h
I stood there feeling empty,I knew he felt nothing for me but how it hurt badly was on another volume.It was all because I wasn’t good enough,my sister “Katherine”had all the beauty,all the brains,all the curves,I was only her shadow… only her unexpected creation.No wonder boys I’ve ever liked only seemed interest in me to get to her.SighI let out a deep heavy breath as I counted my chest to make the pain subside. My throat felt sore from screaming silently and before I could ache some more.Mia saw me devastated in the hall corridor.“What happened Olivia?”She asked with a look or worry and disbelief.“He.. he doesn’t like… me”I said, pouncing on every word,split like a fire setting rain.“Then how on earth did he agree to wed you already?”My heart sank into an epilepsy.What?.. How?… Wasn't he like the one who just gave me the worst rejection of my life ?Thoughts spiraled in my mind. It didn’t make sense,none of it did.“Are you sure of what you’re saying Mia?”I asked and she
Something was odd but I couldn’t pinpoint it ,the air was filled with a spring of disappointment and I could sense the coming trail that would await.“Where is Katherine”I asked one of the event manager.Ofcourse they wouldn’t know,how would they,their job was just to decorate and get paid ... .well with free food.I had kept walking through the halls till I stumbled on my family doors,I heard arguments chirping in,from Olivia back to her mother before I finally heard my fathers ruthless voice.I had heard it all,and I refuse to let that happen,never to her.“Whatever plans you have in mind Father,call it till zero”I barged in…speaking without fear to my dad.To him he was the emperor,filled with wrath,I was nothing like him…but I could borrow some characters when needed.To me,he was just a spoiled parent ... .Yes, that was the right word to use for someone who would use their children just to gain a business collaboration.Like we were some scale that marked his profit and loss.“You
Today was the wedding, and Kathrine was nowhere to be seen."Your sister isn't answering any of her calls," my father says, eyes filled with worry as he dialed Kathrine's number for what seemed the hundredth time."The wedding is about to start. Where could she possibly be?" my mother asks, her voice filled with concern. She paces from one end of the room to the other while my father dials my sister's number again. Just like the others, it goes straight to voice mail. This was bad, this was really bad. Hundreds of people were already out there waiting for the bride to show up; how were my parents supposed to go out there and tell them the bride was a no-show?"Maybe she's stuck in traffic," I offer, but even I don't believe my words. The door of the dressing room swings open, and in walked Xavier's father, shit, he did not look happy. Standing at a height of 6'1, Adrian Sinclair stood in the middle of the dressing room, his gaze intimidating as they fixated on my parents. "Where is y
My parents' home looked like something that crawled out of an Elle Décor Magazine. The living room had several pieces of furniture, including a large white sofa which sat at the center of it all and in front of it a large marble coffee table. On the other side of the room was a glass case showcasing my father's priced book collections, and next to it was my father's favorite painting of a majestic horse."Your skin looks dry," my mother examined with critical eyes. She stood across from me, her own skin glowing with a milky opalescent that almost seemed too fake. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a bun, and her eyes did little to hide the disapproval she felt."Have you been attending your monthly facial?" she asks, her eyes lingering on my neck."Yes, Mother," I reply, forcing a smile."Good. You're not getting any younger, you know; it's good that you make an effort to maintain your youth." Ever since Kathrine's engagement to Xavier, my mother has made it a habit to constantly remi