He's Just A Substitute That Doesn't Matter Novels & Stories

“I like it.” “So do I.” Later, as we talked, Riley kept glancing at his phone, fingers twitching like he was holding something back. “Do you ever think about school again?” I asked him. Chloe already told me how he withdrew himself from the foster system, then later ended up dropping out of college. He looked up, surprised. “Sometimes. Why.” “You’re good at what you do,” I said. “Better than most people who already have degrees.” “That doesn’t mean anything without the paper," he said.

“That part sucked. But I get it a little more now.” A soft buzz rolled through the wall behind us, like Brenda was murmuring, he’s an idiot, but his heart was in the right place. “Yeah,” I sighed, “that’s the problem.” I ran my thumb gently along his knuckles. “I don’t want to be her replacement,” I whispered. “I’m not trying to be your new queen. I don’t even know what I’m doing with my life besides not dying and arguing with sentient architecture.” The house lights flickered, amused.

She had made his coffee every morning for three years, knew exactly how he liked it, and when he'd taken that first sip and closed his eyes it had hit him that he'd taken that for granted too. "I missed this," he had said without thinking, and the look she had given him had been so cold it made him want to shake her. Where was the Yvonne who used to look at him like he hung the fucking moon? Where was the girl who used to apologize for things that weren't her fault and smile like she was grateful just to be in the same room as him? Gone, apparently. Replaced by this stranger who looked at him like he was nothing special. "The substitute mentioned you were having trouble," she had said, her v

Because there was no bitterness in his voice. Just truth. “I was used to it.” A small, humorless breath left him. “Being replaced.” My chest tightened. “When she told me she was going to look for my older brother…” A pause. “I just shrugged.” Like it meant nothing. Like it didn’t hurt. “More of the same,” he finished quietly. “Just another day.” Something inside me shifted. Not anger. Not sadness. Something deeper. Something steady. Because we weren’t those people anymore. We weren’t the ones waiting to be chosen.

I dismissed. "Okay, so the joy of that day is gone, guess I have to cancel this." He said the reach "What?! Why did you do that?" "Because that doesn't represent you right now and you're still the sad girl I knew since I started here." "Knew?" "You might not remember but you helped me out with a math problem when we first met." "Excuse me?" "Yes you did. You said the answer was zero to the Integra I was trying to solve and the answer was zero. I over looked the laws of Integra which meant that what I was solving would amount to zero. There was no use solving it."

And break my heart? Ava’s voice echoed in my mind again, like always. "You’re just a substitute." Tears filled my eyes again. Was she right? Had I been fooling myself this whole time? If I was just a substitute, then why had he said all those things to me, those empty promises, those stupid I love you’s that didn't even mean anything to him. My mind kept replaying the event from the restaurant like a movie. The distant honk of a car horn broke through my thoughts but I barely registered it. The world spun around me, and my vision blurred further as tears filled my eyes. Another horn blasted, louder this time, and the screech of tires jolted me.

he says calmly, “I’ll remind you exactly how replaceable men like you are.” Then he adds, almost casually, “Do you understand?”

he said in a mocking voice, letting out a slight laugh and shaking his head in disbelief. “Sorry?” I asked, completely confused. “In case you’re beginning to think you’re special, let me inform you — you’re not. No one is. I wasn’t informed about the new installment.” Installment? What the hell was he talking about? Who was this guy, and how did he even find me? He gave me a pitying half-smile. “I was so curious to see who could possibly replace me. And now that I have… I am beyond disappointed. Oh well, just enjoy the thrill. While it lasts.”

He replied to me, and I pulled a puzzled look. "Tinder official employee? What does that mean?" I asked confusingly, and he shrugged. "I work there as kind of a call guy. Don't misunderstand me. I don't sleep with my clients. I just hang out with them. Kind of dates, just like we are doing now," He explained further, and I slowly nodded. "But you said you took over the family business just now. How come you are..." "Well, let's say that's a side job for me. I really don't enjoy working as a CEO, so I spend less time there and just hook up with girls," He shrugged sarcastically as if it was not a big deal.

I just stood there in the dark, the phone going dead in my hand. Rider had told me just hours ago, while he was tossing me aside for her, that I wasn't the only one who could brew his tea. He’d made it seem like I was replaceable, like I was nothing. And now? Just a few hours after I left, they were panicking because they realized the "replacement" couldn't handle the simplest task.