Love Pretends -Summers Brothers

CHAPTER 11 THE WOMAN I FIRST LOVE

Xiennah's POV

I tried very hard not to fall in love with him and I'm not quite successful so far. He's my only friend and I couldn't risk our friendship just because of this damn attraction but I couldn't control what I feel, I already fallen in love with him. We just arrived at the airport. I wasn't prepared meeting his first love and I shouldn't even care a bit but I felt so damn irritated. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked concerned. He held my hands as worry was so evident on his handsome angelic face. I looked at our joined hands. Sometimes, I wonder why he was so sweet to the point that our classmates thought we we're already couples. "Hey," he touched my forehead. I tried to smile at him, concealing what I truly felt. "Don't mind me. I, uh, just felt nervous," I answered him honestly. He laughed at my sudden confession. "You should be," he smirked showing his left dimple. I frowned at his sudden remarked but he just shrugged it off by saying, "You'll see."

"She's here! Mom, over here!" Chole walked toward a very gorgeous looking lady with black wavy long hair, black eyes and fair skin. She really indeed Chole's female version. But what caught my attention was her being on a wheel chair pushed by a woman in all black suits. But in spite of that, only a fool wouldn't notice how elegant she looked with her obviously expensive plain red dress, silver sandals, and diamond accessories. Not only that, she also looked not just physically sophisticated, but also looked strict and perfectionist. I was glad that Chole wasn't refereeing to his first romantic love but knowing the fact that I'll be talking to his mother soon, I had ironically wished that I was right. I really wanted to meet his mom but not in this sudden way. I was totally emotionally unprepared. They hugged each other and talked but I couldn't quite understand what they were talking about because of their distance from me. They suddenly looked at me and Chole pushed his mother's wheel chair towards me. She looked at me from head to toe, her left eyebrow raised in disapproval. "So, what can you say mom?" She smiled but it didn't even reach her eyes. "I like her," she said sounding so genuine but I know better. I know she doesn't like me a bit and she just didn't want her son to get disappointed.

We drove for an hour and we arrived in a beautiful mansion dominantly painted with cream with dark chocolate colored accent. A huge golden computer controlled gate welcomed us as we entered the place. Three in-lined golden fountains of baby cupids on both sides of the driveway leading to the mansion itself, surrounded with white roses planted everywhere. No other flowers nor any other plants or trees can be seen inside the premise. The owner of the place obviously liked white roses to the point that the garden was filled with it, starting from beside the walls and the main entrance to the mansion surrounding it. If the mansion looked so big outside, it looked far bigger inside. Once we entered, a huge golden chandelier with dangling colourful gems displayed at the center of what seem like a living room, with gray cracked-designed accent of black and white tiled floor. A long golden stairway, a small bar counter and a mahogany colored credenza beside it, gothic black couch, sofa, and beanbag chair with sheep rug, gothic black table, some expensive looking vases with white roses, paintings, some antique displays and so much more! I looked at myself and I became suddenly conscious. I don't belong in this kind of place. I still wonder how I and Chole became close, when we were worlds apart. He was so handsome, rich, talented, smart and a good person. And I'm just a "nobody" with some messed up life. I was still in deep thought when Chole's mother took my attention. Chole went to his room to change clothes and cooked dinner. They have a lot of servants here, but Chole told me he usually spent time with her mother once in a blue moon and he wanted to take this opportunity to at least cook dinner for her. "You're Xiennah, right?" She looked at me; disapproval was still evident on her face. Í just nodded and smiled nervously. I wanted to at least have some positive first impression, but I think that would be too late, knowing how she looked at me with dislike. We sat in a couch as we talked. "I'll be a bit frank. I don't like you for Chole," she said while holding a glass of red wine. "We're just friends, ma'am," I said slowly. I answered carefully, knowing that it was a lie on my part. Chole treated me as a friend and looked at me as one but I felt deeper, more than a friend. And I don't want her mother to know that, that might farther displeased her. "You're just friends," she repeated laughing sarcastically. "Maybe, you're right. For Chole, you're just his friend and nothing more. But I noticed how you looked at him. So please, if you have any self-pride do me a favour. Please get rid of that feeling of yours. If you can, then I'll let you be with him as a friend only. But if you can't, please just get lost. I don't like you and I'll never ever like you for him, understood?" I felt hurt. I was about to cry, but I pinched myself to control this damn tears. Yes, that's my way of controlling my emotion, by physically hurting myself. I smiled trying so hard to look genuine and answered her. "Yes ma'am, I'll be forever in his friend zone and nothing more," I said trying to steady my voice. And besides, no worries because even if I madly in love with him, he'll impossibly like me back. So yes, I guess what I said was true that I'll only be in a friend zone and nothing more. And his mom was right, I have to divert this feeling to something else so that in due time I could move on. But still, why does it hurt so damn much? No matter what I said to myself, that my feeling for him was helpless and impossible, there's still a part of me that hope that someday I'll eventually have my happy ever after with him. "Thank you, Xiennah. You'll just eventually find and love someone else. Please, not my son. Anyone, but him," she said holding my hands. I nodded and for the first time she smiled genuinely. But that only hurt me more. "Hey, I'm happy that you're getting along well. But mom, I'm starting to get jealous," Chole pouted. "Chole, don't pout. You don't look cute," I suddenly blurted out without thinking. I covered my mouth and mentally slapped myself. I used to tease him every time I got the chance to. But I was surprised when her mom just laughed. "No worries dear. That's in fact funny. At least, I know that not all girls fell head over heels with him," she said staring at me as if waiting for reply. I fake a laughed. "Yes ma'am, you're right. I'll never ever fall in love with him. That would be too impossible," I said mentally cussing for my lies. "Thank you for being honest Xiennah," he suddenly said coldly. "Anyways, lunch ready. I'm not hungry so I couldn't join you, I'm sorry." He said then left. What had just happened?!