Page 14 of Exchange of Heart

‘You’re me,’ I whispered, ‘and I’m you.’

Corey shook his head, and the black hair attached whipped him. ‘Argh.’ His hand flew to cup his eye.

What would my mother say? Not only was my life currently revolving around a man – I was a man. My obsessive need to prove my life wouldn’t turn out like hers had been crushed into a tight ball and thrown into a paranormal universe. I couldn’t show her all my hard work had paid off if I was peeing in a urinal!

‘How?’ I sighed. ‘How did this happen?’ I blinked a few times to keep my tears at bay, though if there was ever a time to cry, it was now.

‘You got a voodoo doll around here or something? Been sticking pins in a tall one with curly hair?’ Corey joked but his shoulders were tense.

I scratched at my palm and trailed my gaze over Corey’s – my – body. ‘Okay, okay. Let’s breathe. We can figure this out.’

‘You’re right.’ Corey stopped walking barely a breath away from me. ‘Except all I can smell is this damn citrus smell you cover your body with.’

‘Be grateful you don’t smell like an ancient pyramid anymore,’ I snapped. I closed my eyes and imagined my happy place, just as page 243 of Cool as a Cucumber had explained. ‘I’m the one who smells like an ancient pyramid now,’ I grimaced.

‘All right, we need to focus.’ Corey clutched his head with the dramatics of a theatre student, as though the citrus scent might grow arms and strangle him.

‘Well, I’ve got nothing. My brain is panicking.’ My voice cracked.

The screen of my phone glowed ‘Mum’, and I clenched my teeth. My finger stabbed the red button, because I did not have time for that. As much as I loved her, she wasn’t the kind of mum to hold my hair while I threw up, she was the kind who would stand in the doorway and say, ‘This is a great lesson to learn from’.

Tears pooled in my eyes. I didn’t even have enough hair to hold back anymore. Corey cocked an eyebrow as he glanced between my frown lines and my phone.

I cleared my throat and shoved the heels of my palms into my eyes. ‘Don’t ask.’

‘Okay, okay. We can figure this out. We’ve got all day to try to switch back.’

My palm flew into the air, stopping him from speaking. ‘What do you mean all day? I’ve got to be at work in two hours.’ My breath quickened at the thought of being late.

‘Well, you can’t go into work like that.’ Corey gestured at my body.

‘Oh, no!’ My hands covered my face. I couldn’t let this problem keep me from my goal. Nora Claremont shows up. That’s my thing; and it was more crucial than ever for me to show Mark I was still reliable. ‘You need to go to my work.’

‘I’m not impersonating you at work.’ Corey scoffed.

‘You have to. It’s a delicate time for me and I can’t risk not showing up.’ My stomach churned at the idea, but there was no other option. I wouldn’t let everything slip through my fingers after three months of dedication.

‘I’m sorry, did you say delicate time at work? Because this trumps delicate work crap.’ Corey rested his hands on his hips.

I didn’t realise how much I looked like a seven-year-old who’d been told she couldn’t wear makeup until Corey stood before me, lips pouted, eyes narrowed.

‘Is this about that guy who got the promotion you wanted?’ He rolled his – my – eyes as though my job didn’t matter.

‘The promotion I deserved, and yes. If I call in sick, it’s a reflection of how I’m handling it, and it will look like I’m not handling it if I don’t go in. I can’t risk it.’

What I meant was, I can’t risk them finding out that I am, in fact, not handling it at all. Freddie wasn’t going to last in that promotion, and they needed to know I could swoop in and save the day. It was only a matter of time. That promotion would still be mine.

‘Nora,’ Corey’s voice strained, his fingers pressed to his temples, ‘this really isn’t a good time to focus on your work ethic.’

‘Corey, I need you to go to work for me.’ I held his gaze despite the embarrassing tear that rolled down my left cheek.

‘Fuck.’ The word flew from his mouth with his rushed breath.

‘Thank you.’ I clasped my hands as though giving thanks for the food he’d provided and released a sigh of relief. It was all about maintaining eye contact, a domination technique I’d read about last year. ‘Right then, follow me.’

I led him to my bedroom where he dropped to the bed, hands covering his face.

‘Nora, I’m freaking out.’ His chest rose and fell.