LOGINShare
Chapter Eight: The Event of the Burnt Chicken
Last Updated:
2025-02-11 03:25:00
Related chapters
The Ex-Change Chapter Nine: Surviving the Night
(Clarice’s POV)The moment I shut the door behind James, I blew out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Then, I let out a groan. Loudly. Even I knew that that was — if I’m being honest — a dreadful idea. I should have never let him in. I should have just ordered takeout in comfortable silence and eaten it in my pajamas while binge-watching Abbott Elementary like everyone else. I definitely shouldn’t have invited my ex — the very same ex I hadn’t talked to in over a year — to dinner in my apartment. Well, his apartment technically.And yet. I look at the empty takeout containers on the coffee table, still hearing his voice echo in my mind. Still picturing the way he sneered every time he got under my skin. Still recalling how shockingly simple it was to slip back into old habits, as if no time had passed at all. And that’s exactly the problem. I sigh and run a hand through my hair. No use dwelling on it now. The evening is
Last Updated : 2025-02-11The Ex-Change Chapter Ten: Anna Banana(s)
(Clarice’s POV) I barely manage to take three steps into my apartment—James’s apartment—before my phone starts buzzing. I don’t even need to check who’s calling. There’s really only one person who senses only my most inconvenient moments, as if she has a sixth sense for when I need chaos in my life. “Anna,” I say, kicking off my shoes and flopping onto James’s couch. “This better be important.” “Oh, you can bet your ass it is,” she replies, her voice practically bubbling with excitement. “I just wrapped up my lesson plan for the week, and now I’m officially free to bother you.” Anna and I have been best friends since Sophomore year at college. She took me to my first party, learned how to do make-up via my face, slept in my bed through all her heart breaks, lived vicariously through mine and she hasn't been able to do without me since. Everybody knew that Anna was crazy. That's why it came as a shock to everyone else to find out that she had wanted to teach kids all her li
Last Updated : 2025-02-11The Ex-Change Chapter Eleven: Wine and Whine
(Clarice’s POV)“Open the dooooorrr! Clar!”I hear Anna’s voice before I even reach the front door. She follows it up with a few overly loud knocks and, for some reason, an exaggerated meow. Anna is weird- an established fact.“Anna!,” I call through the door, “if you keep making noises like that, my neighbors might think I'm harboring a zoo.” “Well, maybe if you opened the door faster,” she shoots back. I roll my eyes and unlock the door, barely stepping back before she dives inside as though it’s her own place. She halts in the middle of the living room, hands on her hips, scanning the area like she's on a mission. “So this is James’s place,” she says, dragging out her words as if she’s uncovering a mystery. “Yes, this is James’s place,” I reply dryly, shutting the door behind her. Anna turns to me, eyes narrowed. “I don’t like how at ease you sound saying that.” I cross my arms. “Are you here to critique my tone or to enj
Last Updated : 2025-02-12The Ex-Change Chapter Twelve: Wine and Whine 2
(Clarice’s POV) The night dragged on, and so did our conversation. Anna had settled in—perhaps a bit too comfortably. She was sprawled out on my couch like she owned it, her legs tossed over the armrest, her hair gathered messily in a bun, and a half-empty glass of wine precariously balanced on her belly. The TV flickered away, some reality show humming quietly in the background, but we were both too lost in our own worlds to really pay attention. Anna was focused on stuffing popcorn into her mouth while scrolling through her phone, and I was savoring my second glass of wine, feeling it warm me from the inside out. “I still can’t wrap my head around this,” Anna muttered through a mouthful of popcorn. “You. Living in his apartment. It’s like some twisted rom-com plot.” She paused, then grinned mischievously. “Except—wait a minute—plot twist! The exes don’t end up killing each other.” “Not yet,” I replied, swirling my wine thoughtfully in the glass. A
Last Updated : 2025-02-12The Ex-Change Chapter Thirteen: Anna Met a Boy
(Clarice’s POV)Anna sank back into the couch, stretching her legs out like she owned the whole place. “Okay, so I wasn’t going to mention this until I was totally sure, like a hundred percent sure, but…I think I have a crush on someone.”I raised an eyebrow. “A crush? That sounds very vague, even for you, Anna… Is it a romantic crush or a let-me-just-have-my-peace kind of crush?”Anna gave me an exaggerated eye roll. “Romantic, obviously. I have standards, thank you very much.”I smirked. “That’s up for debate.”She gasped in mock offense, then broke into a smile. “Fine. Keep your doubt. But listen, this guy? He’s different. He’s—get this—a teacher—at my school.”I paused mid-sip of my wine. “You’re telling me you, Anna I-don’t-date-colleagues Hall, are interested in someone from your own workplace? Anna!”She let out a dramatic sigh. “I know. Hypocrisy at its finest yeah?. But it’s different because he’s not a co-worke
Last Updated : 2025-02-14The Ex-Change Chapter Fourteen: James’ Dilemma
(James’ POV)Work has this unique quality; it’s a realm where everything else fades away. No messy personal dramas, no surprise shifts in living arrangements, and certainly none of the ghosts of relationships past that sternly refuse to stay in the past. Just clean lines, blueprints, and the satisfaction of creating something tangible. The office was buzzing with the usual energy—keyboards tapping, phones ringing, and the quiet hum of voices deep in conversation. Or at least, that’s how it was meant to be.I leaned back in my chair, my eyes fixed on the 3D rendering on my monitor. The design for the new community center was bold—modern yet inviting, structured yet warm. Exactly the kind of balance I aimed for. My team had poured weeks into this project, and we were just about ready for the big reveal to the clients. Usually, I would be fully engaged in perfecting every nuance, every detail, ensuring the structure was not just visually appealing but also h
Last Updated : 2025-02-15The Ex-Change Chapter Fifteen: Girl Meets Neighbour
(Clarice’s POV)I take a deep breath and settle into my chair in front of my laptop. The deadline for the app I've been working on is creeping closer, and this Zoom meeting with the clients is crucial. They've been requesting a few updates, and I know they’ll want a thorough explanation of the changes I’ve made. With my coffee on one side and a notepad on the other, I mentally gear up. This is my moment to shine.I check the clock again—five minutes left. Perfect. I launch the Zoom call, the clients’ faces popping up one by one on the screen. There's John, the marketing guy; Hannah, the project manager; and Juliet, the one who seems to manage the budget. I greet them with a polite but warm smile.“Good morning! How’s everyone doing?” I begin, striving to keep my voice upbeat despite the pressure to impress them.“We’re good, Clarice. Thanks for checking in. Let’s get started,” Ben replies, nodding as he adjusts his glasses.The next hour flies by as we delve into
Last Updated : 2025-02-15The Ex-Change Chapter Sixteen: The Neighborly Distraction
(Clarice’s POV)I got ready and changed into something casual. I soon found myself at the café, gently stirring my latte while keeping an eye on the entrance. This wasn’t a date, I had to remind myself. Just coffee with a neighbor. A neighbor who was friendly. A neighbor who had noticed me in James's apartment and was curious enough to reach out.A few minutes later, Ryan walked in, scanning the room until his gaze landed on me. A smile crept onto his lips as he approached. “Clarice,” he said, settling into the seat across from me. “You actually showed up.”I raised an eyebrow. “Of course, I did. I said I would, didn’t I?”“True, but you had that look,” he teased.I took a sip of my latte. “What look?”“The ‘I’m going to say yes, but I might backtrack later’ look.”I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s not a real thing.”“It definitely is.” Ryan waved to a passing waiter. “I’ve seen it often.”I smirked, not wi
Last Updated : 2025-02-15
Latest chapter
The Ex-Change Chapter Twenty-Seven: Square One
(Clarice’s POV)Anna came over to help me move out of James's apartment. I didn't have much to pack, but it was Anna—naturally, she wanted to be a small part of it. Standing in the middle of the living room like a foreman inspecting the site, she planted her hands firmly on her hips, her eyes roaming around the space with a blend of curiosity and mild criticism. “I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that you lived here for a while,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not terrible, but…” She gestured vaguely at the place. “It’s so… him.” I let out a breath, dropping my bag near the couch. “That’s what it means to be in someone else's space.” Anna turned to me, a playful grin stretching across her face. “Did it ever feel like home?” The question took me by surprise. I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out right away. The truth was—somewhere along the journey, it had stopped feeling temporary. James's apartmen
The Ex-Change Chapter Twenty-Six: The Shift Between
(Third-Person POV)Silence lingered between them, thick and uncertain. Clarice could still feel the weight of James’s words hanging in the air. But I never stopped loving you. Her heart raced unevenly, her thoughts tangled in all the things left unspoken. Yet neither of them moved or sought an easy escape. James exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair as if trying to shake off the intensity of the moment. When he finally turned to her again, there was a softness in his eyes. Not forgiveness. Not just yet. But something close. “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked, his voice lower now. “Tea, wine… or I still have that awful hot chocolate you used to love.” Clarice blinked at him, taken by surprise. It wasn’t the response she had anticipated. But maybe that was the point. She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “You mean the one you claimed tasted like melted candles?” “Exactly,” he replied, lips qu
The Ex-Change Chapter Twenty-Five: Re-Declared Emotions
(Clarice’s POV)I can’t say how long we stood there, the atmosphere weighted with unspoken feelings. James had just confessed it—he wanted to see me. His words were quiet, almost hesitant, yet they rang with sincerity. And that sincerity caused my heart to ache like never before. I inhaled deeply, my hands curling helplessly at my sides. “James…” He shook his head, dismissing it. “Forget it.” He turned away, heading toward the kitchen as if he needed space, but I couldn’t let this moment fade. Not when it was the first genuine thing he’d said since he opened that door. “I don’t want to forget it,” I said, moving closer to him. “I need to understand why.” James let out a sharp breath, leaning against the counter. His back was to me, his muscles tense beneath his shirt. “Does it even matter?” “Yes.” A dry laugh escaped him. “Why? So you can soothe your conscience? So you feel better about what went down with Ryan?” I flinched but held my g
The Ex-Change Chapter Twenty-Four: Words and Silence
(Clarice’s POV)The silence lingered between them, heavy with unspoken words.James was gone.For some reason I remained frozen on the couch, feeling Ryan’s presence too near for comfort. I hardly registered what he was saying—something about how soft my lips were, how he’d wanted to kiss me since the first day we met. My thoughts however, were caught on the expression in James’s eyes.The pain.The betrayal.The heartbreak.I hadn’t intended for it to happen this way. Not like this.My breath came in shaky bursts, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Ryan sat beside me, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing within me.“That was… nice,” he said, grinning at me, his voice smooth and relaxed. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.”I blinked in surprise. “What?”“The kiss.” He chuckled, leaning back into the couch. “It felt right, don’t you think?”Did it?I just coul
The Ex-Change Chapter Twenty-Three: Ryan Ruins 2
(James’s POV)The day had been a blur, full of deadlines and meetings that dragged on longer than expected. By the time I got Clarice’s call, I could barely keep my eyes open. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to her—I always wanted to talk to her—but I was buried in work, a pile of papers I couldn’t escape. The office had me in its grip, and I was barely holding on. I didn’t even know what time it was anymore. It felt like it had been a hundred hours since I’d seen sunlight.“Clarice.” I managed to say.“Hey umm, You sound busy. Are you?” She sounded… unsure.Her voice was soft, but I could tell from the sound of it that she was expecting something different. “Yeah, I’ve got a lot to get to today.” My tone was sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t help it. My mind was elsewhere—on the reports, the emails, the presentation I hadn’t finished. It was all too much, and it felt like there was no way out.I could hear her pause on the other end, th
The Ex-Change Chapter Twenty-Two: Ryan Ruins
(Clarice’s POV)I tap my fingers against the edge of the coffee table, staring at my phone as I debate whether or not to call him.James.The name alone stirs something in my chest, something complicated. Something that hasn’t gone away, no matter how much I try to push it aside.I exhale sharply, shaking off the nerves. This is ridiculous. It’s just a phone call. We’re adults. I don’t have to overthink every interaction.Before I can talk myself out of it, I tap his name and bring the phone to my ear. He doesn’t pick and I proceed to dial again. He finally picks up on the third ring.“Clarice?” His voice sounded flustered, kind of like I was a disturbance of some sort.“Hey umm,” I say, trying to sound casual. “You sound busy. Are you?”“Uh, yes. I’ve got a lot to get to today.”I paused. He was being weird. His tone wasn’t cold, exactly, but it’s definitely not warm either. It reminds me of the way he sounded right after we broke up—polite,
The Ex-Change Chapter Twenty-One: Anna to the Rescue
(Clarice’s POV)In the middle of taking a cold shower, the cloud of confusion that had settled over me all week was overwhelming. All I could think about was James—We had a good thing going, he loved me, and I never had to question it. He made me laugh till I cried and my insides hurt. He knew me. He carried me. When I was overwhelmed, he knew how to calm me. He knew how to warm me. He knew how to touch me. He knew where to touch me. When we made love, it was magic, it was insane. He was the only one who really knew how to satisfy me. Now, everything just keeps flooding back and I cannot help but think back to how good things were. James was my person. He was for me. Back then, I always knew that. Why did I have to mess it up? Why did he have to bring up Italy? Damn. I need to get out of the shower before something happens.I haven’t been this confused in a while. This wasn’t me. This wasn’t Clarice who always has everything
The Ex-Change Chapter Twenty: Clarice’s Fear
(Clarice’s POV) I liked Ryan. He was fun, easy to chat with, and objectively good-looking. If I were the type who just wanted a casual fling—no strings attached, no emotional baggage—he’d be just right. The sort of guy who could keep things light, who wouldn’t ask for more than I could give. But I wasn’t that person, not anymore… and as much as I tried to tell myself otherwise, the reality was undeniable. James was back in my life. Not in the way it had been before, but still present. Unavoidable. And no matter how hard I insisted that the past was just that, that I had moved on, the truth lingered like a shadow. My feelings for him had never really faded. They had softened, perhaps. Diminished at the edges over time. But suddenly, they were raw again, like an old scar ripped open. As if the last few years were just a fleeting pause. Like I had simply closed my eyes for a moment, and upon opening them, everything I had buried surged back, fie
The Ex-Change Chapter Nineteen: Failed Intentions
(James’s POV)I told myself I wasn’t going to think about it.It was nothing.Just small talk.Clarice meeting Ryan barely mattered, and it definitely wasn’t meant to concern me. I shouldn’t have cared. I had no reason to.Yet, here I was, two days later, still feeling very pissed. At first, I convinced myself that my annoyance was because Ryan met Clarice before I could even wrap my head around seeing her again. That seemed reasonable, right? I was still struggling and coming to terms with this whole situation, and now there was someone else witnessing my personal chaos. And he wasn’t even discreet. All the time I was at my apartment, I could count how often Ryan and I crossed paths. And now, he’s just lounging around since Clarice got there? Pathetic. As if it were so simple. I tried to brush it aside and concentrate on my work. My inbox was overflowing, my phone buzzing with meeting pings, and I had a design presentation looming for the community c
