Chloe noticed the box straight away.

It wasn't a particularly  exciting box; the red rectangle was sitting smack-dab in the middle of  their kitchen counter, crammed among fliers and half-eaten take-out.  Like an alien space ship that landed in the middle of a demolished city.

It was the card on top that caught Chloe's attention, though.

More specifically, the scribbled chocolate orange.

"What," she said sharply, "is that?"

"It's a gift," Rowan said.

"Obviously."

"From Jack," Rowan added, and Chloe almost jumped out of her skin.

"He was here?"

"Just now." Rowan blew on her fingers, examining the red nail polish. "He said you wouldn't want to speak with him."

Chloe swallowed. She did want to speak with him, actually. Among other things. And that was exactly the problem.

"Well, what is it?" she demanded.

"How should I know?"  Rowan shrugged. "I've hardly developed X-Ray vision, have I?" She  frowned at her nails. "Do you think Lewis likes red, or should I have  gone with nude? I really don't know."

Chloe rolled her eyes. She approached the box carefully, eyeing it like a bomb liable to explode at any moment.

"Well, go on, then," Rowan urged. "We haven't got all day."

"I'm not opening it now."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm upset with him," Chloe huffed. "And anyways, it's not Christmas."

Rowan hopped to her  feet. "Fine. If you don't open it, then I'll do it for you." She seized  the box, shaking it lightly. "Do you think it's chocolates? I really  fancy some of those dark ones, with the almonds at the—"

"Nice try," Chloe growled.

She snatched the box  back, then walked straight to the bin. She hesitated, the present hovering over top of it. Rowan pulled a face.

"Really?"

"Okay, not really," Chloe sighed, cradling the present to her chest. "I'll open it."

She pointedly ignored Rowan's smirk as she tore open the card.

Dear Chloe, it read.

If you're reading this card, it means that you decided not to chuck the present into the bin. I consider that my first victory.

I'm sorry for what I  put you through this Christmas. I can't remember if I said that at the  hospital already — I was pretty high on pain meds. But I am sorry.  Truly.

The truth is that I  would do it all again, though. Spending time with you this December was  the best part of my year. My whole life, maybe. I know you're rolling  your eyes right now, but it's true; I could spend a lifetime on that  skating rink with you.

I'm not very good  with words; Logan has always been better with them. But I guess what I'm  trying to say is that tomorrow, at the party, I hope you choose to go  out on the balcony with me this time. Knowing that it's me.

Love,

Jack

Chloe read the card twice.

Three times.

She blinked. "I think I'm reading this wrong."

"Which part?" Rowan leaned over her shoulder, scanning the lines. "Looks pretty  straightforward to me." She shrugged. "He's in love with you. What's  new?"

Chloe dropped the card.

She felt like she'd been  prodded with an electric taser. She sank on to a stool with shaking  hands, and Rowan gripped her shoulder.

"Chloe? What's wrong?"

"Jack's in love with me?" she squeaked.

Rowan let go of her. "Of course he's in love with you, you idiot." She shook her head. "Why  else would he have kissed you at the party?"

"Because..." Chloe licked her lips. "Well, he was pretending to be Logan, right? I thought it was part of the act."

Rowan stared at Chloe  as if she had just announced that the ducks in Hyde Park were actually  just feathered hamsters in disguise.

"Open the present," Rowan demanded.

"I—what?"

"Open it!"

Chloe did so. A silver  cuff lay in the red box, and she held it up to the light, admiring the  elegantly engraved vines and flowers. It was beautiful. And also very  expensive, if the packaging was anything to go by.

"It's gorgeous," she murmured.

And also very out of character, for Jack.

"I was there, when he  picked that out," Rowan said softly. "That's how I recognized Jack the  other day; he got it from Harrods." She shook her head. "That boy is  mad about you, Chloe Cartwright. I've never seen someone so nervous in  all my life."

"You really think so?" she asked.

"I know so."

Chloe nibbled her lip. She slid the bracelet on, and the cool metal was comforting on her wrist. Odd, but comforting.

"I'm just so confused," she murmured. "About my feelings for Jack, I mean. All this time, I thought he was Logan—"

Rowan snorted. "No, you didn't."

"I did!"

"Honestly?" Rowan arched an eyebrow. "Chloe, you know those boys better than anyone. Are  you really going to sit here right now and tell me that you didn't even suspect that it was Jack? Even a little bit?"

Chloe opened her mouth, and then paused.

Had she?

No. Definitely not. She thought she was dating Logan.

She fiddled with the  bracelet. Okay, so Chloe knew something was off the whole time.  Obviously. She had admitted as much to Rowan. But she hadn't known that  she was kissing Jack, had she?

She gave Jack peanut  butter cookies, for god's sake. There was no way that she consciously  knew the Winters twins had switched places.

But subconsciously?

Chloe's eyes fell on the card, and she froze.

Orange chocolate.

Her mouth went dry. Both  times, Chloe had thought about the fact that the man she was kissing  tasted like orange hot chocolate. And there was only one Winters boy  that loved orange hot chocolate.

"Oh, my god," she whispered.

"You see?" Rowan looked smug. "I told you."

Chloe gripped the bracelet. "What the hell am I meant to do?" She felt suddenly dizzy. "Row, this changes everything."

"Tell him!"

"Tell Jack what?"  Chloe couldn't keep the hysteria out of her voice. "That I've actually  been deluding myself and I've fancied him the entire time?"

Rowan shrugged. "Sounds about right."

Chloe was already  shaking her head. Nope. No. She couldn't do it; she wasn't brave enough.  It was one thing to confess her feelings to Logan — well, Jack pretending to be Logan — but it was quite another to march up to Jack and declare her love.

Far more daunting.

"Maybe I don't love  him," Chloe said desperately. "Maybe I'm having a quarter life crisis."  She took off the bracelet. "This is too much; I'm going to give it back  to him."

Rowan gave her an exasperated look. Chloe fiddled with the jewelry box, and a piece of paper fell out, fluttering to the ground. She snatched it up.

Cartwright, it read.

Don't freak out about  the bracelet. It looks fancy, but I got it because it reminded me of  the time you dressed up as Blossom. You looked stupid, and utterly adorable.

I'm still me. You're still you. That's why we work.

Jack x

Chloe snorted. Then she  covered her mouth. There was a terrible prickling in her eyes, and her  throat felt tight. Another giggle escaped her. And then she was  hysterically laughing, clutching the counter for support, tears sliding  down her face.

Dear god.

She was going mad.

Rowan gave her an odd look. "Are you alright?"

"No," Chloe gasped. "No, I'm really not."

Her chest was filling up  like a helium balloon. She loved Jack; there was no denying it any  more. And she would tell him tomorrow.

At the party.