Page 93 of Switched

Anything is better than this.

I lock the door when I get into Scarlett’s room and ditch my purse on the floor. The bed looks inviting, but I head straight into the adjoining bathroom.

The harsh lighting makes my patchy skin and puffy eyes look worse.

This is what I get for letting myself get close to Alphas.

A bruised heart, and a heavy soul.

I never want to feel like this again.

Splashing cold water on my face, I let out a gasp.

I shiver as I dry my skin off afterward, trembling all over as I set down the towel.

Moving back into the bedroom, I accept what needs to come next.

Sleep, first. It’ll restore my energy, and I’ll feel a little better when I wake up.

The pain of these past few days isn’t going to erase overnight, but it’ll fade faster once I’m back on the right track. The city is where I belong, working at the magazine.

I’m not supposed to be out here.

That’s what’s wrong with this picture.

I should have faced my fear and got on that flight, instead of agreeing to switch places with my twin.

Scarlett’s bedroom is dark, the shades are drawn and they’re keeping the late afternoon sun at bay.

Slumping onto the bed, I kick Scarlett’s sneakers off my feet, and then I roll onto my back.

I sink into the soft duvet. I’m cold, but I’m too tired to care.

My head’s on a pillow, and I’m beyond ready to pass out.

Rolling onto my side, I slip into darkness and the emptiness it promises.

Chapter fifty-four

Sapphire

I wake up and pass back out a half dozen times before I’m finally able to drag my weary ass out of bed. At some point during the night, I found my way under the covers and got a little tangled in them. Getting untangled and out of the bed is enough to leave me out of breath, and kind of tempted to crawl back under the covers for a couple more hours.

I know I can’t. I have a long drive back to the city today, and it’s definitely going to take more than coffee to get me into a fit state to get behind the wheel. Besides the vicious growling my stomach is doing from missing out on too many meals during my emotional hangover, I also have a killer headache, which feels kind of ironic considering I faked a migraine yesterday.

It takes me a few seconds to decide what to do first, and I only end up going for a shower after I remember the protein bars I have in Scarlett’s purse. I demolish one quickly before I step into the bathroom and start getting ready for the long day ahead.

The shower helps a little with my headache.

I’m pretty sure a decent meal and good dose of coffee will get me the rest of the way there. I might also need to drink some water, I guess.

I steal another shirt from my sister’s closet, because I don’t have any of my own clothes out here.

I put the blue Converse on and decide that I’m keeping them. That’s the price Scarlett’s going to have to pay for hauling me out here to play this part. If I’m leaving with a broken heart, I’m stealing a pair of shoes to help me feel a little better about it.

When I’m ready, I sit in front of Scarlett’s bed and I plug her phone into the charger that’s closest to the bed, the one by the side of the nightstand.

I don’t know what to tell my sister about any of this.

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