chapter 1

Lyra's POV

It was supposed to be a simple day, a meeting, an introduction, maybe even a new friend. But nothing with Angela ever turned out simple. I should have known better.

Angela was always the wild one in my life. While I liked things to be calm and organized, she thrived on chaos. Growing up, I was the one with the organized bedroom, the color-coded calendar, and the carefully planned-out future. Angela? She was the girl who could throw together a killer outfit in five minutes flat, the life of every party, and the one who never seemed to worry about anything. She lived in the moment, always diving headfirst into whatever caught her interest, while I stood on the sidelines, watching, sometimes envying, but mostly cleaning up the messes she left behind.

And yet, despite our differences, or maybe because of them, we were inseparable. She was the sun, and I was her shadow, always there, always following. I didn’t mind it, not really. Angela’s life was exciting, full of surprises and spontaneous adventures. Mine was safe, predictable, until she pulled me into her latest scheme. That’s how it always went.

"Come on, Lyra, it’ll be fun," Angela had said, her voice brimming with excitement over the phone. "You’ll like him, I promise. Just go, have a good time."

Her words had felt like a gentle nudge, pushing me out of my comfort zone. I could hear the smile in her voice, that knowing little grin she always wore when she was up to something. And yet, I couldn’t refuse her. I never could. Angela was my sister, my only family. Whatever she asked of me, I did, no questions asked.

That’s how I ended up here, on this island, waiting to meet Kurtis Wellington, Angela's “special” boyfriend.

As I approached the restaurant where we were supposed to meet, my heart fluttered nervously. I smoothed down my dress, feeling out of place. The restaurant was way fancier than I’d expected. I was suddenly aware of how simple my outfit was, just a summer dress, light and breezy, but hardly glamorous.

When I stepped inside, my eyes locked onto him immediately. Kurtis Wellington was… breathtaking. Tall, with broad shoulders and a sharp jawline that looked like it had been carved from stone. His dark hair was perfectly tousled, and when he looked at me, his eyes, deep, stormy gray, pierced right through me.

“Angela?” His voice was deep, rich, like the smoothest whiskey.

I hesitated, blinking up at him. “I—uh—”

But he was already smiling, that easy, confident smile that must’ve won my sister over in seconds. “You look beautiful,” he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek.

My breath hitched. The way he looked at me, the way his lips brushed against my skin, it felt wrong, and yet, I didn’t pull away.

Dinner was… awkward, to say the least. Kurtis kept talking to me like I was Angela, about places they’d gone together, inside jokes I didn’t understand. I was drowning in confusion. How could he not realize I wasn’t my sister?

I tried to correct him, but every time I opened my mouth, the words got stuck. His charm was disarming. I was in over my head, and I knew it.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, dinner was over. I practically fled the restaurant, my mind racing. The moment I was outside, I whipped out my phone and dialed Angela.

She answered on the first ring. “So? How was it?”

“Angela, what the hell?” I burst out. “He thinks I’m you! Why does he think I’m you?”

There was a pause, and then Angela’s voice came back, a little shaky. “Oh… right. I forgot to tell you.”

“Forgot to tell me what?” My patience was fraying fast.

“Kurtis… he doesn’t really know what I look like.”

“What?” I stopped dead in my tracks. “Angela, what are you talking about?”

She sighed, and I could hear the guilt in her voice. “Kurtis and I… we met online. We’ve never met in person, Lyra. He’s only seen pictures, and I might have, you know, used some of yours.”

“You did what?!” My voice rose to a near shriek, earning me a few curious glances from passersby.

“I’m sorry!” Angela was quick to apologize, her voice frantic. “I didn’t think it would matter. But now… I need you to do something for me.”

“What could you possibly need me to do after this?” I was seething, barely keeping it together.

“I need you to break up with him.”

The words hung in the air between us, cold and heavy.

“Angela, are you serious?” My voice dropped to a whisper. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You want me to pretend to be you and break up with this guy?”

“Please, Lyra,” she pleaded, her voice cracking. “I just… I don’t know how to do it. You’re the only one I trust.”

For a moment, I stood there, the phone pressed to my ear, listening to my sister’s desperation. I had always done whatever she asked. Always. She was my sister, my only family, and I couldn’t say no, even now.

“Fine,” I heard myself say, though my heart was pounding. “I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” Angela whispered, sounding relieved. “I’m so sorry, Lyra.”

We hung up, and I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. What was I doing? Pretending to be someone I wasn’t, deceiving a man I’d just met… It all felt so wrong.

I curled up in bed that night, staring at the ceiling. My mind was spinning with everything that had happened. Kurtis’s face kept flashing in my mind, those eyes, that smile… the way he made my heart race, even when I knew I shouldn’t be feeling anything at all.

I closed my eyes, trying to will the thoughts away, but sleep wouldn’t come. How was I going to face him tomorrow? How was I going to pretend to be someone else, knowing that he would look at me the way he had tonight?

I was in too deep, and I had no idea how to get out.