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Chapter 13

The moment the door shut behind them, Jaden froze on the sidewalk like all the air had been knocked out of Jenna's lungs.

He didn't speak.

Didn't blink.

Just stood there in her body, arms wrapped around himself, breathing fast and shallow.

Jenna turned to him slowly.

"Jaden...?"

His lips trembled before any words came out.

"Sh-She said we—we can't switch back yet."
His voice cracked so hard it hurt to hear. "Jenna... what if 'yet' means never?"

Jenna stepped closer.
"Jaden—"

"No." He backed up, shaking. "You don't get it. I can't—I can't do this forever."
He stared down at his—her—body like it was something closing in on him. "I can't be stuck as a girl. I can't handle the staring, or the hair, or the makeup, or the skirts, or how everyone talks to me, or— or—"

His hands went to his face, voice breaking apart.

"I can't be someone else's body for the rest of my life!"

People walking by glanced at them, but Jaden didn't seem to notice. He was spiraling too fast.

Jenna gently took his wrist.

"Jaden. Hey. Look at me."

He didn't.

So she stepped in front of him.

"Jaden."

Slowly—hesitantly—he lifted his eyes to hers.

The panic swimming in them hurt her chest.

"You're not going to be stuck like this forever," she said firmly but softly. "I know it feels impossible right now, but we're going to figure this out."

He shook his head hard. "But what if we can't? What if we do everything right and the magic just—fails? What if I get older in this body? What if—"

"Jaden." Her voice softened even more. "You are not alone in this. We're in this together. I'm not going to let you drown in it."

He let out a fragile breath.
His eyes glistened.

Jenna hesitated, then slowly pulled him into a hug.

Jaden froze... then melted against her, clinging to her sleeve like it was the only thing anchoring him.

"It's okay," she whispered. "You can lose it. I can hold you together until you get it back."

He nodded shakily into her shoulder.

After a long minute, he whispered:

"I don't want to be like this forever."

"And you won't," she murmured. "I promise."

The car was quiet—less tense, more exhausted.

Jaden sat with his knees pulled slightly together, staring out the window with the tired, overwhelmed look of someone who cried more in the last twenty-four hours than in the last three years.

Jenna kept glancing at him.

He kept pretending not to notice.

When they pulled into her driveway, the very second Jenna put the car in park—

Jenna's phone buzzed in Jaden's hoodie pocket.

He blinked and pulled it out.

MAKAYLA 💜 calling.