The Billionaire's Substitute Bride

CHAPTER 2

The Vanishing Bride

Summarized Chapter Outline: Kathrine's sudden disappearance on her wedding day thrusts Olivia into an unexpected role as Xavier's substitute bride, sparking a series of challenges.

Olivia POV

"I hate you," Mia yells, kicking the back of her brother's headrest. Xavier didn'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 hand, had picked up the second ring. I leaned 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 mumbled. Xavier's jaw clenched, and I watched him swallow. I looked 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 took 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'd finished, I mumbled a quick thank you and started 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 giggled 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 flickered at 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 muttered 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 for 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 began to say, but I cut him off.

"Don't." I told him, "I get it, I do; you'd be bored with someone like me, anyway." I said. Kathrin was the fun, talented one, while I was just me. Plain.

"There is nothing boring about you, Olivia," he told 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.