The Swap

Alone Again

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I love you.

I kept playing the words over and over in my mind as I looked at my reflection in my bathroom mirror. I was actually driving myself insane.

I dried my hair with a towel, feeling a slight relief at the familiar brown color. I'd really missed my natural hair, the blonde was nice for a while but it wasn't me.

I sighed and threw the towel down onto the counter. I was completely torn, so much that it hurt.

On one hand I was elated. I never thought I'd become this close to someone, that I'd trust someone this much after such a short time, but I did. This was a big deal for me, I had a very short list of people that I trusted and somehow, Jaxon had gotten a spot on that list.

On the other hand I was terrified. He said he loved me, and that gave me the smallest amount of hope that he'd forgive me, but there was also the possibility of him hating me in the end. What if he just completely changed his mind?

What if he never wanted to talk to me again?

I couldn't deny my feelings for him, no matter how much I tried. It would have been smart to have ended this months ago, before I became so attached. Now, I was so far gone, the thought of not being with him was unbearable.

It was crazy, this guy who I'd grown so attached to was the same guy that my sister despised. I couldn't blame her, this was all completely my fault. I should have told her, and him. They both deserved to know the truth.

All she knew of Jaxon was who he was before the swap. Of course she still couldn't stand him, he wasn't my favorite person back then either. There wasn't any excuse for the way he treated her, but I'd watched him change right in front of me. I truly believed he was a different person now.

I didn't know if she'd understand, but for my sake, I was hoping she would. She was my sister, my twin, and she knew me better than anyone. We didn't grow up together but we had a mental and emotional connection.

She would understand. They both would.

At least, I hoped they would.

~ ~ ~

I entered my kitchen Monday after noon and threw my backpack on the counter. The day had been harder to get through than I thought it would be.

Being with Jaxon was overwhelming. He was amazing, he didn't even mind that I never said I loved him back. He assumed I wasn't ready, and he respected it. It just made me dread the day he found out even more. I didn't want to lose him.

I ran a hand through my hair and winced slightly at how dry it was. The hair dye really sucked the moisture from my hair.

Jaxon didn't seem bothered by the change in color, in fact he seemed to like it. He was sweet.

I groaned and shook the thoughts from my head. What was I supposed to do? How could I tell him the truth and risk losing him?

I needed to do it, though. I had no choice.

I glanced around the kitchen with a sigh. Each day this week would be me mentally and emotionally preparing myself for what was to come. Melanie would be back on Wednesday and I knew that time was running out. I would tell them soon.

I heard several feet coming down the stairs and I turned to greet my parents. It brought a sort of calming happiness having them home with me. It gave me the little courage I needed to tell Jaxon and Melanie the truth.

My mom entered the hallway outside of the kitchen with my dad close behind her. I smiled. "Hey guys."

She set a suitcase down at her feet and my smile dropped.

"Oh, hey doll." My mother said. She came closer and kissed me on the cheek. "I didn't hear you come in."

My dad gave me a small hug and a hesitant smile.

"What are those suitcases for?" I asked them. "Are you going somewhere?"

They shared a glance before looking back at me. "There's some business we have to handle with the tv producers. Everything is alright, just finalizing everything." My dad explained. "We'll only be gone a few days, a week at most."

I relaxed a bit, knowing that they weren't going away for months like usual. I gave them a reassuring smile, letting them know that I was alright.

"Just one week?" I asked for confirmation.

"At most." My dad said with a nod.

I pursed my lips. "You're leaving tonight, aren't you?"

"We are." My mom said. "But, we'll be back before you know it."

I was disappointed, I couldn't deny it. Having my parents around made me feel secure and I got to feel like I was a kid again. Living by myself wasn't something I really enjoyed.

I'd contemplated getting a dog more times than I could count. I didn't know why I never did. I was always home by myself, having a dog around would be a great comfort.

Now thinking about it, images of dogs began popping into my mind. Would I like a small dog or a large one? Maybe a guard dog would be nice, I'd heard chihuahuas could be pretty vicious.

My parents hugged me goodbye one last time and I watched them gather their things in the front hallway. I didn't mention it, but as they exited the house and walked down to their silver Lexus, I decided I would get a dog.

I grinned and waved as the car backed out of the driveway. I tried to convince myself that everything would be okay. It would all work out in the end.

It had to.

~ ~ ~

Hey guys!

So, this was more of a filler chapter and it was a bit shorter but fear not, there is another chapter coming very soon!

Remember, voting and commenting gets you faster updates :)

So this chapter didn't really have much going on so I'm sorry. The next few chapters are going to be much more active.

This is unedited so if you see any mistakes, feel free to point them out and I would be more than happy to fix them.

Thanks For Reading :)

~Lori~