Page 92 of Exchange of Heart

Nora’s nostrils flared like a bull at the way I hooked my fingers in the air while I said the words ‘little books’.

‘You’d be down on your knees thanking me if you returned to your body and retained the knowledge I’ve learned.’

‘You think you can bring me to my knees?’ The right side of my lips lifted.

I had no doubt she could bring me to my knees.

Her cheeks reddened; her pupils enlarged. If her face was anything to go off, those pupils weren’t the only thing that grew a little bigger at the thought. She cleared her throat and turned away from me.

‘I couldn’t care less about you and your knobbly knees.’

‘Hey, my knees aren’t knobbly.’ I tried to picture my knees in vain.

She turned back with a grin of triumph. A little win, that’s all she needed for a bit of a pick-me-up. Pride tingled through me as her cheerfulness continued.

‘Let’s get Italian and watch Star Wars.’

Her suggestion punched my chest with a powerful blow, impacting my ability to breathe and hold my composure. My nose stung as tears built in my eyes. I tried to blink them away, but instead, they rolled down my face.

‘Are you okay?’ Nora looked worried.

Not as worried as I felt, though. My heart raced, and my thoughts whirled. ‘It’s that damn soul of yours again, Nora.’ I tried to laugh it off. ‘It’s too good to be in a body like mine.’

Her cheeks pinkened and she tilted her head. ‘You think I’ve got a good soul?’

I couldn’t believe how long it took me to see it. I wished I could shine a torch on her body and show the world how she glowed. ‘The best soul.’

Her lips twisted into a smile, and it felt like a knife twisting into my heart.

She leaned closer and stared into my eyes. ‘Your soul isn’t so bad either, Corey.’

I gulped and looked away. It didn’t seem fair to hear such beautiful words, not when I’d been so hard on her. My soul was filthy. If I had an aura, it would be a black pit of gloom. Nora might have realised she’d lost sight of herself to her job, but I was still me.

And Nora deserved more than me. Even if she turned out to be the only person to dig a groove into my heart and leave a mark there forever.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Nora

We laid on the mattress we’d dragged from Corey’s bedroom to the living room floor as the blue curtains danced in the breeze. I stared at the white ceiling, a thousand opportunities floating through my mind. Opportunities I never asked for and never wanted, but opportunities nonetheless.

Corey could chase his illustration dream, and I could work towards my goal of becoming CFO. My gut twisted at the idea, but getting everything I wanted didn’t feel right when I didn’t feel like, well, me. It wasn’t me, Nora, getting the opportunities. It was Corey. The son of a financial shark. Expectations about the way I act, dress, and, God, even the way I speak, would follow me everywhere I went. Kind words weren’t tolerated by men in positions. They’d expect me to be harsh and brutal. Which I found strange, because I didn’t see Corey like that, even when he’s a jackass.

Beside me, his chest rose and fell beneath his black vest. My chest.

The strangest part of it all was that despite struggling with the idea of staying like this forever, I could get used to certain parts. Like coming home to Corey’s confidence, his jokes, and his understanding. The way he held me together when everything fell apart. Spoke to me like I mattered, then listened like he cared about the words I spoke. The comfort he felt with his green hat on – he was my green hat. Anything felt possible when he was here, and he liked me. At least, part of me. My soul.

The best soul.

The curtains flapped, and the wind increased until it howled through the window like a wolf finding its pack. The night air called for me. I watched the delicate material moving back and forth, covering the stars in the sky then revealing their glory like a parent playing peak-a-boo. As the curtains covered them again, a flash of light burst outside, but when the curtains moved aside, it showed only the sky I’d seen before.

A distant sound prickled the hairs on the back of my neck. Faint, but a sound I would recognise even in my sleep. I’d been hoping for it. Dreaming of it. Thinking of it day and night, imagining what I would do when the sweet call of home finally came for me. They say you’re more prepared and level-headed compared to when emergencies strike.

And that’s what this was.

An emergency.

My brain packed its level-headed ability into a suitcase and panicked. My heart raced, my thoughts dancing around like a carousel.