by Arizona Tape
“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?
Chapter 8
“Morning,” a husky voice whispered in my ear. He wrapped a hairy arm around me and never had I felt more... Uncomfortable.
I scooched out of his embrace and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. That was another morning without a strange swap happening. Odd. I assumed it might’ve become a more regular occurrence, but apparently not.
“Morning,” I muttered back, slipping out of the bed.
“You’re already getting up?” Devon asked, his tone confused. No surprise there. I was the snooze queen. I loved snuggling with my pillow and just lazing in my bed for hours. And yet, here I was, getting up immediately.
“I’m just excited to start the day,” I lied, not wanting to explain why I didn’t want to stay in bed with him. That would not go down well. And it would hurt his feelings. And he certainly didn’t deserve that.
No, he had been lovely the last two days. Sweet and attentive, trying to get home from work sooner, bringing me flowers, asking me questions about my gaming, ... He was really happy and I felt guilty. So fucking guilty, because apparently, he really liked what Ayra did. What he thought I did...
He kept going on and on about how much he loved that I cooked for him and how he was so happy that our relationship was evolving. I wasn’t sure exactly what happened between him and Ayra, but she clearly did something that he loved. And it brought out this very... sweet, but slightly clingy side of him. Sure, I liked romantic gestures. But I had only so many vases and I had to mute my phone so his text messages wouldn’t drive me crazy.
Whatever she did, Devon seemed to really like it. But I didn’t. Devon wasn’t doing this for me, he was doing it for the girl that pretended to be me. But how could I tell him that?
How did you explain to
your fiancée that you were swapping bodies with a random stranger, were going on dates with a blonde Vampire, went around town drinking blood cocktails, and that another girl was taking over my body.
Yeah... I could scrap all of that. There was no way he would believe that. Maybe he’d finally believe I had gone bonkers, nutters, lost my marbles crazy?
Maybe I had... It still seemed too surreal.
I briefly touched my lips. These weren’t the lips Blondie kissed, but I could still feel it. Feel her. How soft and tender she was. Of course, she didn’t know she was kissing me. She thought she was kissing Ayra... Damn that Ayra. How did she have a beautiful vampire over on her side, and then Devon fawning over her on this side? Surely, that wasn’t fair? Why did she get all the love?
“Tate?”
“Huh?”
“I was asking if you wanted freshly squeezed orange juice?”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Damn, Devon was so sweet. And I didn’t deserve it. I hadn’t been anything but grumpy toward him the past days. He probably hoped to bring out the sweet side of me again. The Ayra side.
How ironic. Losing my fiancé to... me.
But did I really care? What was making me so bitter? The fact that Ayra was clearly better at being me? That she made Devon happier than I had in the past months? Or that she got to go back to the beautiful blonde that had been haunting my dreams?
“So, we’re still visiting your parents, right?”
Uggggh... I almost forgot. My damn parents. Not that as well.
“Yes?” I replied, hoping to find an excuse to get out of lunch. I hated lunch. And I just knew they’d be making their disgusting mushy peas again.
“Ah, that’s great. I’m really sorry I missed out on your family lunch last week.”
“Yeah, you and me both,” I muttered under my breath. As weird as I felt around Devon, at least he made the weekly lunch somewhat bearable. My parents adored him and he seemed to really click with them. And he ate my peas for me. I really hated peas.
“So, Tate, what’s new in your life?” Mother asked, glancing at me from behind her wine glass.
“Not much.”
Devon gently kicked me under the table, nudging me to go on. I held a groan back and refrained from rolling my eyes.
“I bought a new... spatula.”
Four pairs of eyes turned to me and I felt them just bore into me.
“Tell them why, honey,” Devon encouraged me, clearing his throat as he tried to laugh the awkwardness away.
“I’ve taken up cooking.” Lie. I hadn’t. But I couldn’t tell Devon that. So I pretended. And now I had a brand new spatula. I’d bet my gaming computer that I’d set it on fire if I ever used them.
“Really? You?” Mother mused, her fork screeching over her plate. Ouch. I hated that sound. Why wouldn’t she just eat like a normal person?
“Yes, I thought it was time...”
Devon patted my hand and kissed me on my cheek. “One day, she might turn into a real housewife,” he joked, but I could tell from his voice he didn’t want it to be a joke. If he could, he’d really turn me into a stay at home wife. Or even better, a stay at home mum.
Yikes. Bah. No way, José.
“Maybe one day, but I wouldn’t get your hopes up too high. It’ll take some hard work to turn our little mess into a proper housewife,” Mother smiled, “affectionately” pinching my cheek.
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, racking my brain on ways to change the topic. But luckily, my little brother came to the rescue.
“Oh, oh, Devon, I learned a new trick!” Evan happily exclaimed, pouring his glass of water out on the table.
“Oh yeah? Why don’t you show me, little man,” Devon enthused, his full attention on my brother.
A warmth spread through my chest. Even if things between me and him weren’t perfect, he was a really sweet guy. And him playing and chatting with my little brother definitely confirmed that. He really was good with kids. And I had no doubt he’d make a great father... But me, on the other hand? What if I sucked? What if my child hated me? Or worst of all... What if my baby inherited my bad shifter’s luck?
I would never forgive myself for putting a child on this world that I knew would be shunned and loathed. I would never wish that on anyone. Especially not on my kid.
I glanced at Devon.
Especially not on his kid.
“Sis, sis, look. I can turn my water into a sword,” Evan grinned, breathing at the droplets dancing above his head. He really had a gift. He’d grow up to be a strong dragon someday.
“Woooosh!” he exclaimed, sending the sword to a straight trajectory to Dad.
“Stop it, Evan. Not at the dinner table.”
Disappointed, Evan wished the water back in his glass. “Sorry, Dad...”
“So, Tate. Have you found a new job yet,” Dad asked, shifting the conversation from Evan back to me. How inconvenient.
“Ummmm...”
“Tate’s been really busy writing code,” Devon interjected, patting my hand again. “Haven’t you, sweetheart?”
“Yesss...” I replied, not really sure why he was saying that. I hadn’t had any real projects in the past months.
“I still don’t understand why a pretty girl like you sits behind a computer all day,” Dad sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. Like he always did.
Ugh. I hated family lunches, hate, hate, hated them. What did I ever do to make my parents dislike me so much? Oh wait, right. I couldn’t shift into a dragon. Yes. Their little Tate was the disgrace of the whole family. Oh, how my ancestors wept to watch me taint the holy grounds with my unshifty feet. Tsss, they probably preferred if I didn’t come around. Or maybe they would like Ayra-me better.
Hmmm… Now there was an interesting thought. Ayra did get me out of the burned situation before. Maybe she’d enjoy having lunch with my parents as well?
But how did I summon her? Did I just wish to be someplace else?
No, that couldn’t be the case. If that was the trigger, I’d have spend my whole life in her body.
There was always pain though. Maybe slamming my head into my plate would help? Or I could stab myself with my butterknife. It might not work, but at least it would get me out of dinner?
“You okay, Tate?” Devon asked, concern clear in his eyes.
Realising I was practically sawing through my plate, I stopped. Telling them what I was trying to do would probably not go over well.
But damn, I could really use Ayra.
How odd. I didn’t even know this girl, yet, I was hoping she’d show up and run my life? That was a bit bizarre.
Or was it just so that I’d be able to spend time with the blonde vampire on the other side?
Whatever the reason was, the sudden flash of pain stabbing in my skull, was a welcome relief. It ached. It hurt. It was excruciatingly painful. But I didn’t care. It beat listening to my parents ignorant and uptight talk. I just hoped I’d get to see Sian.
Good luck, Ayra. Have fun with my parents.
Chapter 9
“Ayra?”
That name again. Ugh. I was already getting sick of being called Ayra. But hey, at least it meant I was back in her body. Which meant she was now stuck at the family dinner with my awful parents.
Haha, suck it, Ayra. I hope you enjoy the peas.
Alright, so where was I now? Was I with Blondie? I hoped so.
“Hello?”
Nope, that was definitely a man’s voice. What a shame.
I shook the dizziness out of my head and opened my eyes. The bitter note of coffee hit my nose and a rather handsome man was waving in front of my face. Well, at least, his face was handsome. The rest of his attire was just... Strange. Why did he look like a cheap version of Dracula?
But, he seemed to know me. Well, not me. Ayra. But I was pretending to be her, so... At least, for now. What would happen if I just denied I was Ayra and started a new life? I could... Who would know?
But then a
gain, there would be no Sian... And this swapping thing seemed to be rather irregular. I didn’t want to ruin Ayra’s life. After all, she had the power to ruin mine. Not that there was much to ruin...
“Ayra!”
“Yes?”
“You completely zoned out again. What’s going on? And it’s your turn to order coffee.”
“Huh?”
Real elegant, Tate.
“Coffee?”
“Oh, right...” So I was in a coffee cart with a man. Oh no, was I on a date? I couldn’t be, could I? Ayra was clearly in a relationship with Sian. That’s what Blondie told me the first time. They’d been together for... Three years? Four years?
I wasn’t too sure, but she had definitely confirmed their relationship status.
Wait...
Where vampires polyamorous?
Oh no, did Ayra have multiple partners I needed to pretend with?
Shit. How did I figure that out? I couldn’t really go and ask him if this was a date, right? What if it wasn’t? Oh no, what if it was!
Fuck. Don’t panic. You can handle this.
I clacked my tongue, flicking it against the sharper canines. Right, I had fangs as well. I shouldn’t forget that.
“I’ll have aaaaaaa... blood coffee,” I ordered, wondering if this was another bloody Mary situation. Would there be actual blood in here?
I should probably worry why I actually wanted to drink blood, but that cocktail had just been so delicious. Now that I was back here, I better make the most of it.
The guy threw me a strange look as I placed my order. Oh no, was he not a vampire? Did I just give away a big secret?
Shit.
“Your name?”
“Huh?”
The barista rolled his eyes impatiently, hovering a marker over the paper cup.
“Ta—... Ummm. Ayra.”
Wow, almost gave away another secret. Damn, I was on a roll. But wow, pretending to be this Ayra was one thing, using her name as if it were my own? Now that was something else. How strange. And no, I did not like it.