Page 22 of Switched

It’s not supposed to be my color, it’s hers.

Kind of always has been.

Our parents dressed me in blue and her in red when we were kids, and we never really grew out of the habit. They weren’t typical parents of identical twins. They never dressed us in the same outfits.

“Your turn,” I tell her, not willing to get in her car and start the long drive to Silver Valley until she shows she’s got to take this whole thing seriously.

She goes to my closet and opens it. “Pick my outfits and tell me what I’m doing with my hair and makeup.”

Basically, I need to pack a suitcase for her for the week that she’ll be around her favorite band every day. I head over the closet and start putting clothes onto the bed.

“No bikini’s,” I start. “You have a tattoo, and I don’t.”

I put a plain black bathing suit in the pile, among my black skirts and pants.

I pick out my nicest blouses, in a range of pale blues and creams.

“Dresses,” Scar reminds me. “You might need to dress up if they go someplace fancy for dinner, or whatever.”

She’s probably right.

I have one navy bodycon dress that’s kind of a date-night dress, and one pale blue designer dress that’s well cut but not skin-tight. I put them both on the bed.

“This is gonna be so weird,” Scar murmurs, as she frowns at the clothes.

I throw in a set of blue checked flannel pajamas.

“That’s probably everything.”

“Besides underwear,” she says. “But don’t worry. I’ll go buy some before Saturday comes around. I wouldn’t want to accidentally flash the lead singer, or anything.”

She’s joking, but I realize I’m about to let her get on a private plane with four Alphas, and she’s actually attracted to all of them. I’d be a little freaked about that myself, and I’m not into their general vibe or look at all.

“You have suppressants, right?” I ask, making sure I look her in the eye.

“Hmm?” she asks, as if she’s caught up in a daydream.

She looks at me, her gaze coming back into focus. “Suppressants?”

“To block your perfume from coming in around Alphas?”

She laughs. “God, it’s been so long since I even thought about those.”

“You can take some of mine. I have a decent supply.”

“I stopped taking them years ago,” she admits. “I’ve never perfumed, Saph, and I’m around Alphas a lot. Some Omegas never actually perfume. No one really knows why, but considering I’ve been out in the big, wide world for years now and I’ve never had even the tiniest trace of a scent awakening, I think it’s safe to say it’s not on the cards for me.”

“Scarlett! It’s not safe to be walking around without protection like that!”

“I can handle myself, Sapphire. It’s not like I’m a defenceless little girl.”

“It’s not about handling yourself! You don’t know how hard it’ll hit if or when it does happen. You could end up in a really dangerous situation that you can’t fight your way out of. You don’t know how you’ll react.”

She lets out a sigh. “Look, if you’re this worried about it, I’ll take them while we’re switched.”

“You should be taking them every day.”

I leave her in the bedroom as I go into the bathroom cabinet and take out the emergency bottle I have that’s been decanted into an aspirin container already.

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