Twin Souls

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

“Tate? Tate? You okay?”

My eyes shot open. f**k. Where was I? Ouch, what was the stabbing pain in my head? Oh damn, another black-out. I really hoped those wouldn’t become a regular occurrence.

“Tate?”

Right... Someone was calling my name, my own name, and I seemed to be on my bathroom floor. I recognised the stain on the carpet. So I was back home? And then the person calling for me must be Devon.

“Yes?” I called back, my voice shaky.

“You’ve been in there for a while. Are you okay?”

I pushed myself up, my muscles trembling in pain. Why did this body hurt so much? Damn it, not this body. My body. This was my life. Whatever went on with Blondie was... Well... I didn’t know what that was. But it didn’t matter. My life was here. As Tate. In this body.

“A body that can’t shift,” I muttered angrily.

“What?” Devon called from the other side of the door.

“Nothing!”

I held myself up over the sink and stared at myself. I looked awful, truly awful. My eyes were bloodshot and my breath ragged. What happened? How did I end up in my bathroom? How much time had passed? And did I really do all those things with Sian?

I quickly threw a handful of cold water in my face and hoped Devon wouldn’t ask too many questions. I was not in the mood to play Doctor with him.

The bathroom door shrieked softly as I emerged from it. Yes, definitely my own house.

“Hey, everything alright?” Devon asked, worry stretched across his face. Damn, he was a really sweet guy. He didn’t deserve me being so lukewarm. And certainly not me dreaming about this blonde.

“Yes, just a little....” A little what? “I think I ate something wrong?”

“You sure? Come here, let me grab you some water.”

I took Devon’s stretched out hand, trying not to cringe from his touch. I never really cared for the physical side of our relationship, but after feeling Sian’s skin against mine? It felt wrong to be touching someone else, even if it was Devon.

Shit, what was wrong with me? How could I be thinking those kinds of things? Devon was my one. I knew he was. I shouldn’t be thinking of other people, much less, be kissing them.

“It smells good in here,” I muttered, inhaling the scent of cookies hanging in the kitchen.

“Yes, it is a nice change,” Devon agreed, handing me a glass of water.

“Ooh, cookies.” I did like cookies. Did Devon make them? But hadn’t he been at work?

Wait... What time was it?

I glanced at my watch and felt my mouth fall open. Almost half past eight? How was that even possible? Had I been unconscious for hours?

“I’m really impressed that you made all this food, Tate.”

Huh? What was Devon talking about?

“Ummm...”

“I mean, I’m surprised you didn’t burn the kitchen down. But pleasantly surprised. Thank you,” he whispered, pulling me into him for a kiss. I tried not to squirm out of his embrace and just nodded. Something really strange was happening here and I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

I glanced at the beautiful, clearly home-baked cookies cooling on a rack. I definitely didn’t make them. No chance in hell. Even if I passed out from a mushroom and got high, there was no way I could’ve made those. But Devon clearly didn’t either. But he seemed convinced I did.

How was this even possible?

“Oh, and the chicken pie looks amazing as well. Where did you learn that?”

Chicken pie?

I glanced at the oven, surprised to find an impressive looking pie baking in the middle. Okay, that settled it. I couldn’t have made any of that, not even if I were high, in a trance, or hallucinating. So my time with Sian must’ve been real. I somehow landed in Ayra’s life and spend an afternoon with her blonde.

My blonde.

I pushed the possessive voice away and stared at Devon’s face. His eyes were beaming with concern, but he looked happy. Not like he missed me... But then again, maybe he didn’t? If I was in Ayra’s body, maybe this ‘Ayra’ showed up in mine?

Eww, that was a weird thought. I didn’t want to share my body with this girl.

“Tate?” Devon pulled me out of my thoughts, his fingers pushing up my chin.

“Sorry, I was thinking. I just watched a cooking show and the instructions were somehow Tate-proof,” I lied, deciding to omit the burned mushroom casserole. He didn’t need to know I did almost burn our house down.

“Well, consider me impressed.”

“Awesome.”

Devon smiled, but there was a sadness in his eyes. “And I’m sorry I got carried away just now.”

“Huh?”

“I know you need your space, I’m sorry. It was just so nice to come home to you and find you whisking away in the kitchen,” he muttered, guilt colouring his voice. How interesting. So I was correct, he hadn’t missed me at all. The whole time I was with Sian, someone else had been playing me. Probably Ayra.

Hey, I might not like this girl, but at least she made us dinner. I looked around for the burned oven dish, but found it washed on the drying rack. Not bad. Maybe this Ayra wasn’t such a bad person? At least, Devon hadn’t seemed to notice it wasn’t me. Meaning, my secret, and Sian, were safe. And I fully intended to keep it that way.

“It’s okay, I understand. Forget about it. Shall we just eat?” I proposed, hoping to change the topic. I had no idea what my body had been up to, or what kind of things Devon thought we’d been doing. Although... This explained the missing memories from the zoo. I hadn’t been the one going around, admiring tigers. Ayra had. In my body. With Devon.

Okayyyy... Not at all confusing...

But not a bad thing, perhaps? He had been in a great mood after the trip and he seemed happy with the home-cooked meal as well.

“How’s the pie?” I asked, inhaling the scent of the savoury filling. It made my mouth water. Damn, thanks, Ayra.

Wow... That was a weird thought. I was thanking a girl I didn’t know for taking over my body and pretending to cook for my fiancé?

Hmmm... Why wasn’t I more upset about it? Shouldn’t I be jealous she might be kissing Devon, touching him, maybe even sleeping with him?

But no, I didn’t really seem to mind. If it made Devon happy? And if she was here, I could spend more time with Sian.

Sian... With her blonde locks and her dark eyes. Who thought I was Ayra... And who was probably kissing her instead now, not even noticing it wasn’t me.

A flash of jealousy shot through me, twisting my stomach in a tight knot. Huh. So I didn’t care about Ayra getting it on with Devon, my fiancé? But the thought of her kissing Sian, a woman I barely knew, that made me tremble in anger?

Shit... This was not good. Not good at all. This was not how it was supposed to go.

I glanced at Devon who flashed me a charming grin. I loved him. He was my one. I wanted to marry him and become his wife. That was what I always wanted. Right? But then why did it feel so wrong all of a sudden?