Page 67 of Exchange of Heart

Sympathy exhales, how sweet.

‘You can’t breathe out pain,’ I hissed.

‘No?’ He raised a cocky eyebrow. ‘I’m sure you told someone to do that during class once. Remember that guy who burnt his finger holding it too close to the heater during winter?’

‘I’m a quack, okay? I believe in positive thinking and manifesting unless it comes to experiencing pains a woman should not experience.’

‘Like a man experiencing a period?’

‘Oh, my god, Corey. Can you let me be miserable without one-upping me for once?’

His grin faded and it surprised me how easily pieces of him shined through my face when he pursed his lips to regain his composure.

‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

Second by second, the pain eased until I could breathe normally again. ‘I’m fine.’

He winked and stood, then twisted his head to check out the voices in the distance near the bike path. His stupid wink made me weak in the knees as I pushed myself to my feet. Corey grabbed my arm and steadied me.

‘You sure?’ he asked.

‘I just need a little rest,’ I lied.

I needed more than a rest. I needed to stop thinking something could ever happen between me and Corey Flemmington.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Nora

Once we’d conceded the umbrella was impossible to find in this large town, I swallowed my pride and asked if we could still visit my mum. As much as I didn’t want him involved in my personal life, I knew if I didn’t see my mum soon, she’d appear at my apartment for a welfare check. She answered our phone call, and the contagious delight in her voice rippled through the phone speaker. I’d been so worried about her disappointment in me losing the promotion, I’d forgotten how strong she made me feel.

Never stop fighting for what you want.

I wanted this umbrella so we could get our lives back on track. Being tied to the existence of a man was the exact opposite of what I’d been working towards my entire adult life. My chest tightened and my stomach twisted. My heart thumped, each beat a reminder that I’d maintained who I was despite spending each day with Corey. Balance between a career and the possibility of love. Corey was showing me it was possible.

Don’t ever let someone make you feel less than you are.

Mum believed in me when I started my first job in a retail clothing store, and she’d believed in me when I said I was going to work my way from a shared reception desk in a city building all the way up to management. Sometimes, her belief was the only thing that convinced my feet to walk to my shitty little desk with the hope it might one day become a big desk in a big office.

This visit would be exactly what I needed. Mum’s reminder to keep me on track with my goals.

‘Okay, we eat dinner at like five on a Sunday.’

Corey laughed, ‘I’m sorry, five? What are you, eighty years old?’

‘It’s so me and my brothers’ can still head home and be rested for work the next day. My point is, we probably won’t make it to Paddy’s until eight-thirty, so it’ll just have to be drinks so we can be home before I turn into a pumpkin tonight.’

Corey nodded and texted Paddy.

‘And please remove this.’ I lifted the green hat he always wore from his head. ‘Although it does go well with my eyes.’

‘Oh, come on,’ Corey huffed.

‘No, Mum will immediately know something’s up with me if I look like I’m on my way to coach Little Leagues or something. Now, we should get going. Do you remember who’s who?’

In between people passing us in the park – umbrella-less – I’d refused to let Corey do anything more than study my brothers until he could name them on command.

‘Yeah, yeah. It’ll be fine.’