Fallzswimmer Presents: Wattpad Wife Swap

Hi friends! My name is Ali Novak, also known as @Fallzswimmer on Wattpad. For this edition of the Wattpad Block Party, I've teamed up with amazing @knightsrachel to bring you a crossover between our stories "My Life with the Walter Boys" and "Living with the Walker Boys". My story will feature my main protagonist Jackie and Rachel's characters Ethan, Cody, Mason, and Carson. Rachel's story will feature her main protagonist Zoe and my characters Cole, Danny, Isaac, and Alex. Kind of like the TV show Wife Swap, but with characters from Wattpad stories. Confusing, huh? Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Don't forget to check out the giveaway link at the bottom of this chapter for a chance to win a chapter dedication from me! Also, MAJOR thanks to Kelly for all her hard work organizing the block party.

***

Have you ever experienced that terrible sinking feeling when you open your eyes and just know you're late? Instead of a gradual ascent out of lethargy, your stomach bucks and you feel as if someone has plunged a shot of adrenaline into the center of your heart. I'm a Type A personality, so it doesn't happen to me often, but this morning when I rolled over, I was beyond late. When my gaze finally landed on the neon numbers of the nightstand clock—10:54 am—I shot straight up in bed.

How the hell did I sleep through my alarm? I thought, but I knew it was because I'd stayed up until the early morning hours catching up with Sammy. Since moving in with the Walters, I only got to see my best friend on the rare occasion I was in New York. So when we had the opportunity to hangout, we took full advantage of it. Now I was paying the price for my late night escapade. My head was throbbing from the wine we'd drank, and I had five minutes before I was supposed to be meeting the guys in the lobby.

There was no way I would be ready in time, so I grabbed my cell off the nightstand. A handful of impatient texts had already accumulated in my inbox.

Letting out a sigh, I sent Cole a quick response.

After tossing my phone aside, I pushed back the covers and climbed out of bed.

The Walters were on a weeklong family vacation in New York. We'd spent most of our trip at my family's house in the Hamptons, enjoying the warm weather and beach. Now we had two days in the city before flying back to Colorado. 

There were so many of us—sixteen in total—and everyone had their own ideas on what to do, so today we were breaking off into groups: Cole, Danny, Isaac, and Alex were going to a Yankees game; George and Katherine were taking the younger kids to Central Park Zoo; Nathan wanted to visit the Met, and since Lee had no interest in the game, he'd decided to tag along; And Will and Haley planned on walking the High Line. I didn't care much for baseball, but I'd visited the museum and parks more times than I could count. Besides, someone had to keep an eye on Cole and Alex otherwise they'd have hourly spats.

Twenty minutes later, after brushing my teeth, throwing on a dress, and completing the rest of my usual morning routine, I hurried out of my hotel room. Since I was on the top floor, the elevator was empty when I stepped inside. I hit the button for the lobby, but only made it halfway down before the lift came to a stop and a group of guys clomped inside. Two of the four were arguing about something, so I ducked my head and pretended to be busy with my phone.

"...your own damn problem, Mason. Not mine."

"Your inability to use a goddamned alarm clock affects me, so I'm going to make it your problem."

"The more you complain, the less I care."

"Seriously, Carson. Shut the hell up before I make you."

Unable to contain my curiosity, I peeked up at the boy who'd just spoke, presumably Mason. He looked around my age, with brown, almost black hair and matching dark eyes. From the way his shirt stretched across his chest and the definition of his calf muscles, I could tell he was fit. Most likely he was some sort of athlete. Mason was glaring at the guy I assumed was Carson, who had a sharp jaw and dirty blond hair that reminded me of Danny. Out of the four, he looked the youngest.

Before Carson could respond, the elevator jerked to halt. I braced myself against the railing to keep from falling over. Nobody said anything as we waited for the car to start moving again. When it didn't, Carson hit the open button, but the metal doors remained shut.

"Um... was it supposed to do that?" said one of the boys. From what I could see, he had the same dark hair that Mason did, but the Yankees cap he was wearing made it hard to tell.

"Did we reach the lobby?" asked another guy, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He was the tallest of the bunch and probably the oldest. His hair was also a dark brunette, but he had brightest blue eyes I'd ever seen.

The guy in the baseball hat looked confused. "No."

"Then there's your answer, Einstein," the blue-eyed one responded.

"I'll call Zoe," Mason said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. The screen lit up, but seconds later he frowned. "Crap, no service."

Everyone checked their cells in response, myself included. I only had one bar, but I sent Cole a quick text and crossed my fingers.

I immediately received a "Not Delivered" message. Judging by the groans coming from the rest of the group, everybody was having the same terrible luck as me.

"So what do we do?" Carson asked.

"Push Help," I answered, gesturing at the button panel.

Four pairs of eyes flickered to mine. With the entire group staring at me, it was easy to see that they were related. Each boy had the same straight nose and thick lashes. On top of that, they were all beyond gorgeous. In the past, I would have been intimidated by these guys. Especially being trapped in an elevator with them. But after living with the Walters, not much fazed me anymore.

"Jesus," Baseball Hat said. "I didn't know there was anybody else in here."

"That's because you were too busy texting Haley," Mason replied, but I could tell from the expression on his face—eyes wide, brows high—that he hadn't realized I was here, either.

"Are you two blind?" Carson asked. "How in the world did you miss the hot chick standing in the corner?" He made a point of looking me up and down, a smirk growing on his face during the process, and when his gaze finally returned to mine, he winked.

I recognized the gesture; it was the kind of intense stare Cole and Isaac had used to fluster me when I first arrived in Colorado, so I winked back at him in an attempt to beat him at his own game. Without waiting to see his reaction, I moved toward the button panel.

"The lights are still on," I muttered, attempting to talk myself through the situation. "That means the building hasn't lost power, so there must be some sort of mechanical issue." I pressed the help button. It flashed red and a siren started to ring.

A few seconds went by, but then a voice crackled to life over the intercom. "Hi, this is Ashley with EECS: Emergency Elevator Call Service. I've been notified that there's a situation in elevator two at Hotel Empire. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

"Yeah, you can get us out of this freaking box," one of the guys grumbled, but my back was turned and I couldn't tell who.

"Yes, our elevator stalled," I explained to the woman. "The doors won't open, but I'm pretty sure we're stuck between floors anyway."

"All right," Ashley replied. "Please don't try to exit by yourself. Help will be there soon."

When the call ended, I turned back around to face my current companions. They were all watching me as if I'd sprouted a unicorn horn or something else equally fantastical. I had a feeling we were going to be stuck for a while, so I decided I might as well break the tension and introduce myself.

"Um, hi," I said, lifting a hand in greeting. "My name's Jackie."

A beat passed, but then Baseball Hat stepped forward and smiled. "I'm Cody Walker." He gestured over his shoulder at the remaining guys. "Those idiots are my brothers: Carson, Mason, and Ethan."

Mason scowled at being called an idiot, but Carson and Ethan both nodded at me in acknowledgement.

"Well..." I said. "Despite the situation, it's nice to meet you all."

A chorus of you-too's were mumbled back at me, followed by an uncomfortable silence. The awkwardness of our situation was rising with each passing second. Ethan busied himself with a game on his phone while Mason picked at his nails.

Finally Cody spoke up. "We're going to miss the game." Sighing, he took a seat and everyone quickly followed suit.

"Maybe if someone hadn't overslept," Mason said, "we wouldn't be in this situation." He sprawled out across the floor and speared Carson with a glare.

"I need my beauty sleep," Carson replied, his tone unapologetic. "I know that's something you'll never understand since you weren't graced with good looks and a six pack like mine, but that's no excuse to get pissy with me."

"Don't blame Carson just because you're in one of your moods," Cody added.

Mason's jaw clenched. "One of my moods? What's that supposed to mean?"

I could sense a fight brewing, which was a talent I'd picked up after spending a few short months in the Walter household. I quickly tried refocusing the boys attention. "So you guys are going to the Yankees game? Me too."

Cody raised an eyebrow. "You like baseball?"

"No, not really, but my—" I stopped mid sentence. I was going to say my friend Alex, but that didn't feel right. The truth was, I didn't know how describe my relationship with Alex. Or the rest of the Walters for that matter. They were more than my friends, but they weren't exactly my family. Especially since I was dating Cole.

"Your what?" Carson prompted.

"Alex," I clarified. "He loves baseball."

"Your Alex?" Mason snorted. "Does that mean he's your boyfriend or something?"

My cheeks flushed and I rubbed the back of my neck. "No, he's my boyfriend's brother."

He cocked his head. "Why do you sound guilty?"

God, did this conversation become so embarrassing so quickly?

I knew I didn't owe Mason any type of explanation, but at the same time...maybe talking to a stranger was just what I needed. I still felt bad about what had gone down between Cole, Alex, and myself, and it would feel good to get all the built up remorse off my chest. Besides, I would never see these boys again.

"Um," I said, tugging at the collar of my dress. "Probably because Alex is my ex?"

"Oh snap!" Mason let out a bark of laughter. "You dated brothers?"

Ethan shot Mason a look. "You say that as if it's beyond the realm of possibility." He made a point of glancing at Carson before turning back to Mason. "A bit hypocritical of you, don't you think?"

Even though I had no clue what Ethan was talking about, it was impossible not to see that his comment had an instant effect. The grin slid off Mason's face, and the taboo nature of my relationship with Alex and Cole wasn't mentioned again. Cody made a point of changing the subject completely.

"So Jackie," he asked. "Where are you from?"

"New York originally," I responded. "But I live in Colorado now."

"I heard Colorado is dope," Carson said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes at the terrible pun and Mason said, "Dude, stop talking."

Carson opened his mouth to snap back, but I cut him off before the two could start at it again. "What about you guys?" I asked. "East coast? West coast?"

"We're from Cali," Cody said. "The Land of Milk and Honey."

"Land of Milk and Honey?" Ethan repeated. "What shit are you smoking?"

Cody crossed his arms. "It's one of California's nickname. There's also Golden State, El Dorado State, Grape State, etc.."

"Yeah, but those all make sense. What the hell does milk and honey even mean?"

"It's a Bible reference," I explained. "The Promised Land is described in the Old Testament as 'a land flowing with milk and honey', so basically the nickname is promoting California as a land of opportunity."

"Looks like we have another nerd on our hands," Ethan said with an eye roll. "Cody, Jackie—I can tell you two are going to get along wonderfully."

We exchanged small talk for a few minutes, we being Cody, Carson, and myself. Mason was too busy brooding to partake in the conversation, while Ethan seemed content with listening. Cody told me that he and his brothers were in New York because Ethan had received Yankees tickets for his birthday. I also found out that they had three more siblings—Joseph, James, and Chase. Seven boys in total. I nearly laughed. Apparently I was some sort of magnet for families with dizzying amounts of male offspring.

When another five minutes slipped by and we had yet to be rescued, Carson started to get antsy. "We're officially missing the game," he whined after checking the time on his phone.

"And who's fault is that?" Mason asked.

"You two already had this fight," Cody said, acting as referee. "We don't need to hear it again."

Mason shrugged. "Just saying..."

In response, Carson flipped his brother off. Then, unable to sit still any longer, he climbed to his feet and pounded a fist on the metal doors. "Hey! Is anybody out there?"

"Don't," Ethan said, letting out a long breath. "The only thing yelling is going to do is give me a headache."

Scowling, Carson ran a hand through his flaxen bangs. He was quiet for a moment, but something must have occurred to him, because he titled his head to the side. "Hey, can we run out of oxygen in here?"

I did my best to bite back a smile. "Elevators aren't airtight, so no. You don't need to worry about suffocating."

"On the off chance this elevator is," Mason added, "can you do us all a favor and stop breathing if we run low?"

"I bet we could climb out of there," Carson said, choosing to ignore Mason. He pointed up at the safety hatch.

"Not a good idea," I replied. "Ashley told us not to attempt escaping on our own."

"Who's Ashley?" he asked.

"The women from the EECS."

"What's EECS?"

I frowned. "The Emergency Elevator Call Service? How did you miss the conversation I had over the intercom?"

"Oh, I wasn't paying attention."

The smirk on Carson's face made me narrow my eyes. "What were you paying attention to?"

"Trust me," Ethan cut in. "You don't want to know the answer to that."

Carson wiggled his eyebrows at me before returning his attention to the safety hatch. "Someone wanna give me a boost up? I wanna check out the shaft."

Ethan suppressed a laugh. "That's what she said."

"Not going to happen," Cody answered, folding his arms over his chest. "You heard Jackie. Someone will get us out of here eventually. Sit your ass down and wait."

But Carson wasn't listening. In spite of their earlier fight, he turned to Mason and nudged him with his foot. "Help me up."

"I'll pass," Mason drawled. He was stretched out across the back section of the elevator, hands tucked casually behind his head. His eyes were shut as if he were trying to nap.

"Oh, come on. I know you're just as eager to get out of here as I am."

"You're a moron, Carson. I'm not helping you."

"Not even for a brownie? I'll buy you one later today, but that will only happen if we get out of this damn metal prison."

This made Mason pause. He cracked an eye and peered up at Carson. "A frosted brownie?"

"Whatever kind you want."

"You got yourself a deal." Mason stood, craned his neck back so he could survey the hatch, and then cupped his hands to give Carson a leg up.

"You guys, this is really stupid." Cody's brow wrinkled up as he watched his brothers. "Don't do this."

I agreed with him, but I wasn't too worried. Carson wouldn't be able to open the hatch anyway. Contrary to popular belief, you couldn't just pop it open like a trapdoor. Most hatches could only be opened by maintenance or rescue personnel from the outside.

Just as Carson straighten up and found his balance, the telltale crackle of the intercom returned. "Hello? This is Ashley again. Are you still there?" Her sudden, disembodied voice must have caught Carson off guard, because he flapped his arms around in the air for a moment before toppling over and hitting the ground with a thump.

"Yes, we're here!" I answered, as the boys roared with laughter.

"Okay," Ashley said. "The fire department has arrived. They should have you out of there shortly."

As she promised, the five of us emerged into the lobby ten minutes later. Apparently something had gone wrong with the elevator's software, but all it took was a reboot to get the system running smoothly again.

Much to my surprise, Cole was waiting for me. He pulled me into a hug as soon as I stepped off the elevator, and over his shoulder, I spotted Danny, Isaac, and Alex camped out in the reception sitting area. "What are you guys still doing here?" I asked.

"It's kind of a long story," he said, but Cole seemed more concerned with making sure I was okay than elaborating. Holding me at arm's length, he scanned my whole body, checking to see if I was hurt. "Are you okay? What the hell happened?"

His concern was unnecessary, but appreciated. I grinned to myself as a warm feeling spread through my chest. "The elevator broke down and I got stuck inside, but I promise I'm fine. In fact, I made some new friends."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mason embracing a girl with bright red hair. The rest of the boys were standing around with their hands shoved in their pockets, so I waved Cody over. He, his brothers, and the redhead joined us a moment later. She smiled at Cole as if the two knew each other and he nodded in response.

"Cole, this is Ethan, Cody, Mason, and Carson. They were trapped in the elevator with me," I explained. As the guys shook hands, I introduced myself to the redhead. Her name was Zoe, and she pulled me into a hug as if we'd been friends for years.

As I looked around at out huge group, I couldn't help but smile. Getting stuck in the elevator had been inconvenient, but at the same time, I was glad I'd made new friends. Friends I was disappointed to part ways with so soon. Suddenly, a brilliant idea popped into my head.

"I know you guys already have tickets," I said, grinning at the Walker brothers. "But we have a suite and you're more than welcome to join us. There's plenty of room."

Carson began nodding, and he turned to look at his brothers. "What do you guys think?"

"Sounds good to me," Cody answered with a shrug.

"Are we leaving soon?" Alex called from the couch he was sharing with Isaac. "We've already missed the first two innings."

"Yeah," I said, weaving my finger's with Cole's. "Let's go watch some baseball."

***********

P.S. Don't forget to enter the 130+ #WattpadBlockParty Giveaways! Clickable links are at the top of my Wattpad profile! :)

GIVEAWAY LINK ONE:

http://kellyanneblountauthor.blogspot.com/2017/01/giveaways-for-wattpad-block-party_31.html

GIVEAWAY LINK TWO (with Widgets):

http://kellyanneblountauthor.blogspot.com/2017/01/giveaways-with-widgets-for-wattpad.html