The Subtitute Bride

Chapter 11: The Morning After

Kaela did not sleep all night.

Every time she closed her eyes, she felt Rhys's kiss. The real one. Not the fake forehead kisses for the cameras. The one that ruined her lipstick and made her knees weak.

She touched her lips again for the 100th time.

"Stupid Rhys. Stupid rules. Stupid heart," she muttered to her pillow.

At 6 AM, she gave up sleeping and went downstairs to make coffee. She was wearing her pajamas - an oversized t-shirt and shorts. She thought Rhys was still asleep.

She was wrong.

Rhys was already in the kitchen. Shirtless. Wearing only his black pajama pants. Making coffee like he owned the place. Which he did.

His hair was messy. His back was... Kaela tried not to look.

"Good morning, wife," he said without turning around, like he knew she was staring.

Kaela jumped. "You! Why are you shirtless again! Where are your clothes!"

"My shirt is ruined, remember? You ruined it," he said, turning around. Now she could see his chest again. In daylight.

"I did not ruin it! Vanessa did!"

"And you unbuttoned the rest," he said, smirking. He walked closer with two mugs of coffee. "You slept well?"

"No! Because someone kissed me and broke the rules!" she whispered loudly.

"Ah, that someone," he said, handing her the coffee. Their fingers touched. "Did that someone kiss well?"

Kaela's face was redder than the wine-stained shirt. "I... I don't remember!"

"You don't remember? Should I remind you?" He leaned closer.

Kaela stepped back and hit the kitchen counter. "No! Rule Number Four! Don't fall in love with me!"

"Too late," he said quietly.

Kaela's heart stopped. "What?"

"Nothing," he said quickly and turned back to the coffee machine. "What do you want for breakfast?"

Before Kaela could answer, the penthouse door opened with a loud DING!

"GOOD MORNING MY FAVORITE GRANDCHILDREN!"

Grandmother Eleanor! With two maids carrying bags of groceries!

"Grandma? It's 6 AM!" Rhys said, quickly grabbing a shirt from the chair and putting it on.

"I know! I couldn't sleep after seeing you protect Kaela last night on the news! So I came to make you breakfast! My famous pancake!" Grandmother said happily, then she saw Kaela in her pajamas and Rhys in his half-buttoned shirt. "Oh! Did I interrupt something? Were you two...?"

"NO!" Kaela and Rhys said at the same time.

Grandmother laughed. "You two even answer at the same time now! Love is so beautiful!"

While Grandmother was cooking, Kaela was forced to sit next to Rhys at the dining table. His knee kept touching hers under the table.

"Stop," she whispered.

"Stop what?" he whispered back, his knee still there.

"Stop touching me!"

"I'm not touching you. My knee is touching you. Different," he said innocently.

Grandmother brought the pancakes. "Kaela, dear, eat more. You are too thin. You need energy. Especially after last night..."

"Grandma!" Rhys warned.

"What? I mean the gala! The gala was tiring!" Grandmother winked at Kaela.

Kaela wanted to disappear. She ate her pancake quickly.

After breakfast, Grandmother pulled Kaela to the living room. "Dear, I need to tell you something. Rhys has never brought a girl home. Never. Not even Vanessa. You are the first girl he ever brought to meet me."

Kaela was shocked. "But... but our marriage is fake."

"I know it's fake," Grandmother whispered. "But his feelings for you are not fake. I have known my grandson for 28 years. I know when he is acting, and I know when he is in love. And last night, when he covered you from that wine, that was not acting."

Kaela looked at Rhys, who was in the kitchen washing dishes, pretending not to listen but his ears were red.

"But he said Rule Number Four..." Kaela whispered.

"Rules are meant to be broken, dear. Especially by an Anderson," Grandmother said and patted her hand. "Give him a chance. And give yourself a chance."

When Grandmother left, the penthouse was silent again.

Rhys stood in front of Kaela. His shirt was now properly buttoned, but his eyes were still on her lips.

"About last night..." he started.

"Let's forget it!" Kaela said quickly. "It was a mistake! You were emotional! I was emotional! It was the wine stain's fault!"

"It wasn't a mistake for me," Rhys said, his voice serious.

Kaela looked up at him. His eyes were so intense.

"Kaela, I..."

His phone rang again. This time it was his secretary.

"Sir, emergency at the office. Vanessa's father is here. He's threatening to pull out his investment because of what happened at the gala."

Rhys's face turned cold again. The cold CEO was back.

"I have to go to the office," he said to Kaela. "Stay here. Don't go out. The press is still outside because of last night."

"Okay," Kaela nodded.

He grabbed his suit jacket and walked to the door. But before he opened it, he turned back.

He walked straight to Kaela, cupped her face, and kissed her forehead. A soft, sweet forehead kiss.

"That one is also not for the press," he said quietly. "That's for you. For making me feel... less lonely."

And he left.

Kaela stood alone in the living room, holding her coffee, touching her forehead where he kissed her.

First a real kiss last night, and now a sweet forehead kiss this morning?

Rule Number Four was not just broken. It was shattered.

And the worst part was, she didn't want to fix it.

She wanted him to break it again.