Her Substitute Groom

Khan POV

I watched Claire sleep peacefully beside me on the bed when I woke up, and I couldn’t help the smile that laced up my lips. She looked so cute when sleeping and I couldn’t help but admire her. Recalling everything that happened last night, I knew that I didn’t have any regret sleeping with her and taking her virginity because I was madly in love with this girl.

“What about Connor? He is not going to be happy when he finds out about this,” My subconscious mind reminded me, and I sighed briefly. Well, I was aware of that, and I knew that this was going to be tough for me in the long run, but I was ready to do anything to keep her.

My phone beeped and I rolled my eyes hesitantly. Who the heck was texting me this early? I lazily reached for my phone that was lying on the nightstand then sat up on the bed and unlocked it. A text from Connor popped on the screen.

‘Hey, dude. I’m coming back real soon. How is my sister? I told you not to mess with her. We’ll stop being friends if you try shit with my sister. You know what I can do. I won’t spare you’ My heart skipped when I read through the text, and I slowly clenched my fingers tightly around the phone and gritted my teeth. I was excited a moment ago, but after reading the text, my mood changed immediately.

“Good morning,” Claire’s sleepy voice sounded behind me, and I turned to face her.

“Hmm. Good morning. Did you…” I was going to be all sweet to her, but when I remembered Connor’s text, I couldn’t just do it. I thought I would be able to let go of my friendship with him, but I realized after the text that I was just deceiving myself. Connor is not someone I could pathways with just like that.

“Morning,” I quickly corrected myself as I watched her struggle to sit on the bed, wincing in pain.

“You should go to your room. I need to get ready for work,” Although I felt guilty for saying those words to her, and when I saw the disappointment on her face, I felt broken, but what could I do? Yes, you would say that I’m a pussy, I’m a fucking coward, but you would understand if you were in my shoes. Connor is the only family I have… He is a friend that has been there for me when everyone else abandoned me, the friend that picked me at my lowest. Connor is that friend I would lay down my life for at once without thinking twice about it.

I stood up from the bed and started walking toward the bathroom.

“Khan? Are you ok?” Her voice brought me to an abrupt halt, and I turned to face her.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I nodded briefly trying to sound rude and arrogant.

“Uhm… Ok. I can’t get out of bed. My legs hurt,” She complained, and I raised my eyebrow.

“Want me to carry you?” I asked her even though I had no intention of carrying her.

“Hmm. Please help me up,” She demanded.

“I’m late for work,” I said to her then turned and walked into the bathroom, slamming the door hard behind me.

“Shit!” I cursed under my breath and slammed my hand on the wall angrily. I was so upset, not with anyone but myself. I just took her virginity for fuck’s sake and I should be nice to her, not make her regret her decision.

“Fuck it!” I cursed again as I crashed against the wall and rested my head on it.

After I finished washing up, I walked back into the bathroom and found that she was gone. The only thing left in the room was the bloodstain on the bed, so I removed the bedspread and took it to the bathroom where I dumped it inside the washing machine. After I changed the bedspread, I got ready and left my room.

Descending the staircase minutes later, the aroma coming from the kitchen welcomed me, and I was stunned at who would be cooking in the kitchen since I didn’t have a cook here.

I counted my steps toward the kitchen and when I pushed the door open, I was stunned to find Claire in the kitchen, cooking.

“You’re here?” She turned to face me with a big smile on her face, and I scoffed silently. She was supposed to be mad at me for treating her that way after taking her virginity, right? I mean, everyone in their right sense would be mad about what I did, so how come she was smiling at me?

“Hmm. What are you doing?” I asked her to be sure even though I saw that she was cooking.

“Oh, I’m making breakfast. I thought you should eat before you leave for office. It’s ready. Why don’t you wait in the dining room while I serve the food?” Even with the smile on her face, I couldn’t help but notice the pain hidden behind it even as she tried to cover it up.

“I won’t have breakfast. Will do that when I get to work,” I mumbled then turned and was going to leave the kitchen.

“Come on, Khan… You should eat something. I had to make breakfast even though I was feeling pain down there. Can you be considerate, please?” I stopped and bit my bottom lip.

“It’s not fair. You shouldn’t be like this,” I turned and found her pouting her lips.

“Just trash the food if you can’t finish it all. Excuse me,” I said to her coldly and turned to leave again, but this time, she held my hand and stopped me.

“Are you kidding me? I should throw the food out? Do you know the stress I went through just to make it for you? Do you know the pain I had to endure just so I could make this?” She raised her voice this time, and I didn’t fail to notice that her voice was teary and filled with pain. My heart wrenched painfully, I wanted to hold her in my arms and apologize for treating her like that earlier, I wanted to tell her how much I was in love with her and how desperately I wanted her, but knowing that things would never work out between us, I didn’t want to give her such a huge hope.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“I didn’t ask you to make breakfast for me?” I yanked her hand off and turned to face her, trying to maintain a straight face even though I was bleeding inside.

“Huh?” She blinked her eyes disappointedly.

“What are you thinking? Just because we had sex you think you’re my girlfriend now or you have a place in my life?” I scoffed and turned my face away.

“Khan…”

“I told you that you are not my style, but you went ahead to seduce me. Are you blaming me for not putting a crown on your head and treating you like the queen you’re not?” I leaned forward and said those words to her that made her eyes glisten with tears.

“Kh… an?” Her lips trembled when she opened her mouth to talk, and I bit my inner bottom lip. I straightened my back and sighed briefly.

“Your brother said he’ll be back soon. You are going to leave here very soon so you won’t bother me again,” I said to her and finally walked out of the kitchen, slamming the door behind me. I released the breath I’d been holding unknowingly once I stepped out of the kitchen.

“Fuck!” I cursed, running my fingers through my hair frustratingly. For how long do I have to keep up with this?