The Accidental Life Swap by Jennifer Joyce

Author:Jennifer Joyce
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2019-07-22T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

‘Why don’t we make this more interesting?’

We’re sitting on the sofa, facing each other from opposite ends while our feet meet in the middle, because it was too uncomfortable sitting on the floor, even with plump cushions. My feet are bare while Oliver is wearing thick woollen socks, and the urge to dig my toes into the baby-soft wool is strong but I force myself to focus on Oliver’s words instead.

‘How do you mean?’ I reach for my glass of wine, careful not to flash my battleship placements to Oliver.

‘Why don’t we make a new rule?’ Oliver eyes me over the top of his Battleships board and I pull a face. We’re a few moves into the game but there hasn’t been a hit yet.

‘We’re not playing strip Battleships.’ I shake my head and plonk my wine back down on the coffee table, in case I drink too much and actually agree to go along with it. ‘No way.’

Oliver barks out a laugh. ‘That isn’t what I was going to suggest, but now you mention it …’ He grins at me over the board so I toss a scatter cushion at him. It misses by a mile, landing behind the sofa, which makes him laugh even harder.

‘What new rule then?’

Oliver shifts into a more comfortable position, his foot brushing against mine. The wool really is super-soft. ‘I was thinking that whenever one of our ships is sunk, we have to tell the other person a secret or confession.’

‘What, like truth or dare?’

‘I guess.’ Oliver shrugs. ‘But without the dares.’

‘What if I don’t have any secrets?’ This is obviously a hypothetical question, because I have a massive secret, but I’m not sure a game of Battleships is the best scenario for admitting I’m not really Vanessa.

‘Then I’ll ask you a question and you have to answer honestly.’

‘Why would we do this?’

Oliver shrugs. ‘I guess I’m intrigued by you.’

‘By me?’ I snort. Why would anybody’s interest be piqued by me?

‘Yes, by you. I want to see what makes you tick, because I can’t work you out. I’ve heard all these things about you …’ I raise an eyebrow to perfection. I’ve been practising in the mirror. ‘Not all of it good. In fact, none of it good.’ Oliver grins at me, but I doubt he’s kidding. ‘But then you turn up and you’re not as bad as I was expecting.’

I splutter a laugh. ‘If that isn’t a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.’

‘You know what I mean. You’re more fun than I thought you’d be – except when you yell at us for slacking, obviously.’

‘Duh.’ I nudge Oliver with my foot. ‘Then stop slacking.’

‘And you do these random acts of kindness. Bacon butties, regular rounds with your tea tray, threatening to nail Harvey’s bollocks to the wall if he performs one more atomic leg drop on Todd. That poor boy was tortured before you came along.’

‘Okay, but why would I agree to play with your new rule?’

Oliver holds his arms out wide.

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