Chapter 3He Loved Me In Her Skin

At breakfast, I watched Celeste, in my own body, perch next to Adam, batting her lashes as she cooed into his ear. “Honey, I need those peeled. I’m too tired.”

“Babe, I want a bite of your bagel.”

“Darling, I heard they have private couples’ mineral baths here. Should we go try one later?”

The scene was a physical assault. My eyes burned. I hunched over my plate, blindly shoveling food into my mouth.

Suddenly, a hand reached over, silently placing a fresh napkin in front of me.

I looked up. It was Gale.

His lips were pressed into a thin line, his expression clearly unhappy.

I belatedly realized he liked Celeste. He must think I (Celeste, in this body) was jealous of my own sister—or rather, my own body—and was sulking. That certainly wouldn't please him.

I sucked in a shaky breath, forcing a small smile, and took the napkin from his hand. “Thank you.”

But then Adam’s chopsticks reached out, placing a piece of Truffle Parmesan Fries on my plate.

I snapped my head up, staring at him.

Adam cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. “You mentioned last night that you can’t eat seafood. I saw you really liked these fries, so I ordered a second batch.”

My heart plummeted.

I was in Celeste’s body.

Celeste’s recent allergy to seafood was something Gale mentioned briefly last night. And the fact that she liked those specific fries was also a new, small detail.

He was attentive. He remembered. He was caring—about the wrong person.

I pushed back my chair. “I… I’m not feeling great. I’m going back to the suite to rest.”

Gale was blocking my path. When I didn’t move, I had to prompt him. “Excuse me? Could you step aside, please?”

“I’ll walk you back,” Gale said, standing up and following me.

On impulse, I glanced back. I met Adam’s eyes.

The look he gave me was purely, openly worried. And it was directed at me—at Celeste’s body.

Walking back, I stayed silent, terrified of betraying myself.

Gale broke the silence first. “Are you sick? Should I get you something from the pharmacy?”

“No… thank you. Just a headache, maybe from not sleeping well. I’m sure a nap will fix it.”

I stopped at the door, saying goodbye. He really was a good-looking guy—taller than Celeste, with ink-dark eyes that, for some reason, felt strangely familiar.

“Your sister… she seems a little different today.”

My heart skipped a beat. I tried to sound natural. “Does she? No, I think she’s just being normal with her boyfriend. That’s what girls in relationships do, right?”

I was inwardly panicked. How could he be so perceptive?

Gale watched me, a flicker of something knowing in his deep-set eyes. “Not every girl. At least—I don’t care for that kind of attention-seeking.”