Page 57 of Exchange of Heart

Nora’s face scrunched. ‘So? Let them.’

I sighed and shook my head. ‘I don’t want them to have to. Luke’s too talented to sit in an office, Steven’s marriage would fall apart from the pressure, and Ben never wanted it. In fact, these days, Ben probably couldn’t even handle it.’

Her palm grazed my cheek, and her face softened like warm butter. ‘What about you, though? Don’t you care about what you want?’

Something in my chest exploded, like trapped fireworks with nowhere to go. Just like my opinion of Nora. She’s different to anyone I’d ever met, but being trapped in these bodies left me with no way to explore the confusing feelings. No chance to explore them.

She dropped her hand. ‘If you didn’t have to work for your father, what would you choose?’

Illustration. I didn’t even have to think about it. My dream sat on my tongue, waiting for the ounce of courage required for the words to dive out. But today wasn’t the day. Maybe no day would be.

I blew out a large breath of air. ‘Geez, Nora. Deep talk for the bathroom in my parents’ house.’ Nervous laughter followed and I picked at the skin on my lip.

A small smile appeared on her face. ‘I’d do the same.’ Her voice was almost a whisper. ‘I’d do anything to keep my family happy, even if I wasn’t sure it was what I wanted.’

‘A common denominator.’ I couldn’t look away from her face, from her eyes shining through the disguise of mine.

Hope clawed inside of me like a dangerous beast – far too dangerous for me to allow to grow considering I was nothing more than a five-foot-two imposter.

‘Along with fathers that were a total letdown,’ she said.

A desperation to learn more about what made Nora who she was surged. ‘Your father?’

She shook her head and shrugged. ‘He could be the mayor of a small American town for all I know.’

I sighed. ‘Asshole, then.’

‘Asshole,’ she agreed with a small smile.

‘Speaking of fathers, we should get back out there.’ My voice was hoarse.

If we shared too much more, I might never leave the sanctity of this bathroom.

Seated opposite my father at the dinner table, his gaze kept drifting to me. ‘You look familiar,’ he said.

I refused to even entertain the idea of helping his curiosity and shrugged. ‘Just one of those faces.’

‘Is there a reason you brought her here?’ he asked Nora.

She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. ‘Is there a reason I shouldn’t have?’

I lowered my face to hide my smile. She played the game with my father well. Better than me, in fact. While I’d cave and grovel, she used any sense of hostility as a weight to stand her ground. Mum shot a pointed look at Dad in warning, but he just couldn’t help himself.

‘So, you’re over that illness from Wednesday, then?’ he asked her.

Mum gave Nora one of her sympathetic smiles and tried to diffuse the bomb my father was so keen to explode. ‘Ben had that funny tummy, Craig. Remember? It’s probably going around, and Corey caught it, too.’

I didn’t mention that Ben’s ‘funny tummy’ didn’t stop him from enjoying however many glasses of whiskey he’d drank tonight.

Dad clicked his fingers and pointed at me. ‘Ah ha! You were in the meeting today. One of the assistants.’

‘I’m not an assistant,’ I clarified for Nora’s sake.

I’d spent enough time making her role sound more junior than it was, and this week of imitating her taught me she was anything but junior.

‘You cost me that deal.’ His glare could almost be mistaken as pride.

‘If you really want Dreyton, you’re going to have to come up with a better offer.’ Speaking to my father with the confidence of a twenty-eight-year-old woman was surprisingly fun. I finally had the chance to say everything I’d always wanted to. It’s not like I had to worry about him cutting Nora out of his will or firing her.