Page 81 of Exchange of Heart

I gave Nora a subtle nod while Mum glanced at Lucky meowing at her feet.

Nora released a sigh of defeat. ‘Sure, Mum. Sounds great, we’ll be there.’

Mum turned to me, a delighted smile taking up half her face. ‘You’ll need a floor-length gorgeous gown. Corey can take you shopping for something divine. He knows exactly what kind of dress you’ll need for the event.’ Then she turned to Nora. ‘Black tie, darling.’

Her mug remained untouched on the bench as she picked up her red handbag. ‘I’ll leave you two love birds alone, and I’ll see you then, six p.m. Don’t be late.’

Squished in the door frame as we waved goodbye to Mum one last time before the elevator doors closed, Nora knitted her eyebrows together in a sickening look that reminded me all too much of my father.

‘Now we’re dating?’ she cried. ‘I might have started tolerating you, but it doesn’t mean I’ll be sharing my bed with you. And there sure as hell won’t be any more kisses.’

My body tingled at the memory, her declaration hurting me more than it should have.

‘I’m sorry, I panicked when she asked. I couldn’t exactly say you were living here as a friend. She’d never believe that.’

Nora moved into the kitchen and picked up Mum’s full mug to tip down the sink. ‘First Paddy – who we’re lucky forgot about your revelation – now your parents? Are you going to broadcast to the whole world we’re together, or something? You could have told her I was between places at the moment, and you were helping me out. Or that my apartment was being renovated.’

‘Well, I didn’t because I didn’t think of that.’ My jaw tensed. Why was she making such a big deal out of this?

‘At least this way we can still see our families. Right?’ I waited for her to agree that this would be the best way forward.

She stomped her feet a few times then sighed. ‘Fine. You’re right. But I hope you realise it means we’ll probably need to hold hands occasionally.’ As she rolled her eyes, they paused on the sketchbook on the bench. ‘Also, want to tell me about what I flicked through in there?’

I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing anywhere but at Nora’s curious eyes. ‘I don’t know what you want me to say.’

‘I want you to tell me why you’re living under your father’s thumb when you can draw like that.’ She pointed to the black leather book on the benchtop. ‘Is that what you’re always doing with your notebook?’

When we swapped bodies, I knew there was no escaping Nora discovering the physical side of me, but my heart pounded as she figured out this personal side. I could handle her thinking I was a terrible businessman, but it would tear me apart to hear her pick apart something I’m passionate about.

Lying would be pointless now the truth was there in her hands, so I nodded and waited for her to continue.

She picked it up. ‘This is really good.’

She held out the landscape drawing of a house by the river my family had stayed in one summer during the holidays. I remembered the trickle of the water as I sat on the grass for hours, refusing to miss a single detail.

‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ I turned away from the picture.

She took a deep breath and cocked her head. ‘I know you were accepted to art school.’

Ice trickled through my body with each word. I was conscious of every breath she inhaled, her daunting stare, and the painstaking disbelief written all over her face. Keeping my brothers from being stuck in the Flemmington insurance cycle came with two reasons. One, they’d get to live their lives. Two, I was a coward, and now she’d know it.

‘What if I’m not cut out for it?’ I finally admitted.

‘I think you’ve made it clear that you are.’ Nora flicked to a random page. ‘I can’t believe those drawings in your briefcase were all by you.’

‘Sure, friends and family think it’s all great, but art school? They’re professionals. I could be the worst illustrator there.’

‘You can’t stand the idea of failure.’ Her soft words hurt my ego more than she would ever know.

I wandered to the kitten picture on the wall and blinked back the pain. I’d treated my life as a game plan so my brothers could live the lives they wanted while I used the Zealy obligation to avoid disappointing myself. Disappointing my father was easier.

Sensing a need to change the topic, Nora let out an extra-ordinarily long sigh and managed to summon some cheer to her voice. ‘Geez, I hope the solution to switching back comes to us before this bloody event, eh?’

I bent down and picked up Lucky like he’d been hoping I’d do for the last week. I supposed it wasn’t his fault I looked like his owner. I wondered if this would be our new normal. ‘You don’t want to come to the black-tie event?’

‘More like I don’t want you to have to have me at another family event. It’s getting complicated.’

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Having Nora around had been an anchor during the shitstorm of the Flemmington get-togethers, but for her, it must have been torture.