Prologue

“You’re going.”

Ivy Hart slowly looked up from her book, disbelief filling her face immediately. “Absolutely not.”

Scarlett leaned against the bedroom doorway with her arms crossed, looking flawless even in irritation. Their identical dark hair fell in soft waves over their shoulders, their matching gray eyes sharp with opposite emotions, to strangers they looked exactly alike, same height, same face and same beauty.

But personality changed everything, Scarlett carried confidence like a crown, Ivy carried silence like armor.

“Stop being dramatic,” Scarlett said impatiently. “It’s just prom.”

“You’re asking me to pretend to be you in front of your boyfriend.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “Please. Sebastian won’t even notice.”

Ivy’s stomach tightened painfully at his name, Sebastian Cole, Scarlett’s boyfriend, the boy Ivy had secretly loved for years and she hated herself for it.

“You should go with him yourself,” Ivy whispered.

“I can’t.”

Scarlett smirked slightly before sitting on the edge of Ivy’s bed.

“I met someone better.”

“What?”

“A college guy named Tyler.” Her eyes glittered excitedly. “He invited me to a private beach party tonight.”

Ivy stared at her in disbelief. “You’re abandoning your boyfriend on prom night for some random college guy?”

Scarlett laughed lightly. “Sebastian is fun for high school, but Tyler actually has money.”

That sentence alone told Ivy everything, Scarlett never loved Sebastian.

Sebastian came from a poor neighborhood outside town, raised by a struggling single mother while balancing school and part-time jobs. But despite everything, he was still popular, handsome, and captain of the basketball team, perfect prom king material and perfect for Scarlett’s image.

“I’m not doing this,” Ivy said firmly.

Scarlett’s face darkened instantly.

“You are.”

“No.”

Scarlett stood slowly. “Then I’ll tell Mom and Dad you’ve been sneaking around kissing boys behind school.”

Fear shot through Ivy immediately.

“You wouldn’t.”

Scarlett smiled coldly. “Try me.”

Tears burned Ivy’s eyes, their parents worshipped Scarlett, even though they looked identical, people always chose Scarlett first, Scarlett was charismatic, Scarlett was social, Scarlett was easy to love, Ivy was simply just there.

“They’ll believe me,” Scarlett continued softly. “They always do.”

The painful truth settled heavily between them.

Yes, they would, Ivy looked down at her trembling hands.

“What exactly do you want me to do?”

Victory flashed across Scarlett’s face.

“Wear my backup dress. Go to prom with Sebastian. Keep him distracted until midnight.” She grabbed her purse. “After that, make an excuse and leave.”

“This is insane.”

“No,” Scarlett replied calmly. “This is you paying for sharing the same womb with me.”

Then she paused near the door.

“Oh, and try not to bore him to death with your weird book conversations.”

The door slammed behind her, Ivy sat frozen on the bed for several seconds before covering her face with shaking hands, this was wrong, but fear always won where her family was concerned.

An hour later, Ivy stood nervously outside her house wearing Scarlett’s second prom dress while trying not to panic, when Sebastian’s car pulled into the driveway, her heart nearly stopped, even after all these years, he still affected her instantly.

Sebastian stepped out wearing a black tuxedo, his dark hair slightly messy from the wind. He looked effortlessly handsome in a way that never seemed fair, then he smiled at her or rather at who he thought she was.

“You look beautiful,” he said softly.

Ivy’s cheeks flushed immediately.

“Thank you.”

Her voice came out quieter than Scarlett’s usually did, Sebastian frowned slightly but opened the passenger door for her anyway, during the drive, Ivy barely spoke, terrified she would say something too revealing, but Sebastian kept glancing at her curiously.

“You okay tonight?”

“Yes.”

“You seem nervous.”

I am nervous, because I’ve loved you forever and this isn’t my life.

“I’m fine,” she whispered.

Prom was overwhelming from the moment they arrived, music thundered through the ballroom while students danced beneath glittering lights. Everywhere they went, people smiled at them.

“Prom king and queen!”

“You guys are definitely winning!”

Sebastian stayed close beside her all night, his hand resting gently against her lower back.

“You know,” Sebastian admitted during dinner, “this is the most peaceful conversation we’ve had in months.”

Ivy blinked.

“What?”

He gave a small awkward laugh. “You usually spend most dates talking about popularity rankings or social drama.”

Guilt twisted painfully inside her, because tonight he was accidentally talking to the real twin not Scarlett.

As the night continued, Sebastian looked at her differently, like he was finally seeing someone worth knowing, by the time they slow danced beneath golden lights, Ivy’s heart was already doomed.

“You smell like vanilla tonight,” Sebastian murmured quietly.

Scarlett wore floral perfume, Ivy froze, Sebastian’s eyes met hers and something shifted between them, for one impossible moment, Ivy forgot this wasn’t real and she wasn't Scarlett.Then rain started pouring outside after prom ended.

“You should wait at my place until the storm calms down,” Sebastian said while driving carefully through the dark streets.

Ivy should have refused, Instead, she nodded silently, that became the biggest mistake of her life, the rain trapped them inside his small house for hours, they talked, laughed, shared pieces of themselves honestly for the first time, Ivy fell even deeper in love.

"You're shivering," he said softly.

Ivy hadn't noticed until he pointed it out. Her bare arms were covered in goosebumps, but it wasn't from the cold. It was from him. From being here. From the way he kept looking at her like she was someone worth seeing.

"Here."

Sebastian pulled off his tuxedo jacket and draped it over her shoulders. The fabric was still warm from his body, carrying the faint scent of his cologne and something deeper. Something that was just him. Ivy pulled it tighter around herself and tried not to breathe too deeply.

"Thanks."

He sat beside her on the worn couch. Close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his body. The space between them felt electric. Charged with something that had been building all night.

"I don't want tonight to end," he admitted quietly.

Ivy's heart stuttered.

"Me neither."

He turned to look at her, and his eyes were different now. Softer. More open. Like he was seeing past the surface for the first time in months.

"Can I tell you something weird?"

She nodded, barely breathing.

"I feel like I'm actually talking to you tonight," he said. "Like... the real you. Not the version you show everyone else."

Guilt twisted in her stomach, but something else bloomed alongside it. Hope. The desperate, dangerous kind.

"Maybe you are," she whispered.

Sebastian's hand found hers on the cushion between them. His fingers were warm, calloused from years of basketball and odd jobs. They intertwined with hers like they belonged there.

"I don't want you to leave," he said.

The rain answered for her. Thunder rolled across the sky, close and loud, and the wind picked up, shaking the windows.

"I don't think I can," she replied softly.

He smiled. That slow, genuine smile that made her knees weak even when she was already sitting down. "Guess the storm decided for us."

They talked for another hour. Real talk. The kind Ivy had always dreamed of having with him. He told her about his father who left when he was eight, about working at the grocery store since he was fifteen, about the scholarship he was praying for so he could go to college and take his mother out of the neighborhood she'd been trapped in her whole life.

And Ivy listened. Truly listened. She asked questions. Remembered details. Laughed when he made jokes and went quiet when his voice got heavy.

He leaned in slowly. Giving her time to pull away. Giving her every chance to stop this, Ivy didn't stop him, his lips met hers, and it was nothing like she imagined. It was better. Fuller. His mouth was warm and gentle, tasting faintly of the cheap punch from prom. His hand slid to the back of her neck, fingers threading through her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss.

She made a sound against his mouth. Small. Needy, Sebastian pulled back just enough to look at her. His breathing had changed. Quicker. His eyes darker.

"Tell me to stop," he said quietly. "If you want me to stop, tell me now."

Ivy's heart was hammering so hard she could feel it in her throat. She knew what she wanted. What she had always wanted, even when she knew she shouldn't.

"Don't stop," she whispered.

The words felt like a confession. Like a sin she was choosing anyway, he kissed her again, slower this time. His hands explored her with reverence, sliding down her sides, tracing the curve of her waist through the borrowed dress. Every touch was deliberate. Worshipful.

"We should move," he murmured against her lips.

He stood and offered her his hand. She took it, and he led her down the narrow hallway to his bedroom. The room was small—a twin bed pressed against the wall, a desk covered in textbooks, posters of basketball players tacked to the walls. But it was his space. His sanctuary and he was letting her in.

Sebastian turned on the small lamp beside the bed. The warm glow cast soft shadows across his face, making him look even more beautiful. He stood in front of her, hands resting on her hips.

"Tell me if anything feels wrong," he said. "At any point. We stop immediately."

Ivy nodded, a lump forming in her throat at how careful he was being.

He unzipped her dress slowly. The sound of the zipper sliding down was loud in the quiet room. The fabric loosened around her body, and he helped her slip it off her shoulders, letting it pool at her feet.

She stood before him in nothing but her underwear, suddenly feeling exposed. Vulnerable. But Sebastian just looked at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"God," he breathed. "You're stunning."

His hands found her waist, pulling her close. He pressed a kiss to her collarbone, then her shoulder, then the sensitive spot just below her ear. Ivy's eyes fluttered closed, her hands gripping his shirt.

"Can I touch you?" he asked against her skin.

"Yes."

His hands roamed her body with patience. Learning every curve, every dip, every place that made her gasp. He unclasped her bra and slid it down her arms, then paused to look at her fully.

"You're so beautiful," he repeated, like he couldn't say it enough.

He lowered his mouth to her chest, kissing the swell of her breast before taking her nipple gently between his lips. Ivy gasped, her back arching instinctively. The sensation shot through her, warm and electric, pooling low in her belly.

His hand slid down her stomach, past the waistband of her underwear. His fingers found the wet heat between her thighs, and he made a low sound of appreciation.

"You're so wet for me," he murmured. "Is this all for me?"

"Yes," she breathed, barely able to form words.

He circled her clit with his thumb, slow and deliberate, watching her face as she reacted. Her hips bucked against his hand. A small moan escaped her lips.

"Tell me what you want," he said softly.

"I want you," she managed. "I want all of you."

He kissed her deeply as he guided her onto the bed. The mattress creaked under their weight. He pulled off his shirt, and Ivy's hands immediately found his chest, tracing the lines of muscle, the warmth of his skin.

He hooked his fingers into her underwear and pulled them down her legs. She lay bare beneath him, completely open, completely trusting.

Sebastian looked at her for a long moment. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were soft.

"What?" she whispered.

"You feel different," he said quietly. "Not just tonight. Right now. Like I'm seeing the real you for the first time."

Ivy's eyes stung with tears she refused to let fall.

"Maybe you are," she said again.

He leaned down and kissed her. Deep and slow and full of everything he hadn't said yet. His hand traveled down her body, between her legs, and she gasped into his mouth as his fingers slid inside her.

"Tell me if it's too much," he said.

"It's perfect."

He opened his pants, the sound of the zipper sharp in the quiet room. He kicked them off along with his boxers, and then he was above her, skin against skin, warmth against warmth.

He positioned himself at her entrance. She felt the pressure, the heat of him, and her body tensed with anticipation.

"Look at me," he said softly.

She did and in that moment, she wasn't Scarlett. She wasn't the backup twin. She wasn't a secret, she was just Ivy and he was looking at her like she mattered.

He pushed inside her slowly. Carefully. There was resistance, a sharp sting that made her gasp, and he stopped immediately.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," she breathed. "Keep going."

He pushed deeper, inch by inch, giving her time to adjust. The pain faded, replaced by a fullness she had never felt before. He was inside her. Connected to her in the most intimate way possible.

When he was fully buried in her, he paused. His forehead rested against hers. His breathing was ragged.

"You feel incredible," he whispered.

"So do you."

He began to move. Slow, deep thrusts that rocked her body against the mattress. Each movement sent waves of pleasure through her, building and building until she couldn't think anymore.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"Don't stop," she begged.

He sped up slightly, his hand finding hers and interlacing their fingers beside her head. He watched her face as he moved, reading every expression, every reaction.

"You're so tight," he groaned. "So perfect."

Ivy's body was building toward something she didn't fully understand. A pressure coiling in her core, tightening with every stroke.

"Sebastian—" His name fell from her lips like a prayer.

"I know," he said. "I've got you. Let go."

He reached between them and rubbed her clit in firm circles, and that was all it took. Ivy shattered beneath him, her body arching, her inner walls clenching around him as waves of pleasure crashed through her.

Sebastian groaned at the sensation, his hips stuttering. He pulled out just in time, his release spilling hot across her stomach as he gasped above her, for a long moment, neither of them moved.

Then he collapsed beside her, pulling her into his arms, pressing kisses to her forehead, her temple, her lips.

"I don't know what happened tonight," he said quietly. "But I don't want it to end."

Ivy buried her face in his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her cheek.

"Me neither," she whispered.

They lay there as the rain continued to fall, tangled in each other, secret still safe between them, but she knew even then that this moment would haunt her forever, because she had given him everything and he still didn't know she wasn't Scarlett.

Sebastian arrived at the Hart house the next day carrying flowers and a hopeful smile while Ivy stood frozen near the kitchen doorway, Scarlett walked downstairs wearing silk pajamas and immediate annoyance.

“What are you doing here?”

Sebastian blinked in confusion. “I came to see you.”

Scarlett noticed the flowers and laughed, Ivy’s stomach dropped.

“Sebastian,” Scarlett sighed dramatically, “we need to stop this.”

His smile faded slowly. “What?”

“I’m breaking up with you.”

Silence filled the kitchen, Sebastian stared at her like he genuinely couldn’t understand the words.

Scarlett crossed her arms casually. “You’re sweet and all, but let’s be honest. You’re poor.”

Ivy flinched.

“Scarlett—”

“Stay out of it,” Scarlett snapped.

Then she looked back at Sebastian with cruel amusement.

“I only dated you because you were handsome enough to help me win prom queen.”

The flowers slipped slightly in Sebastian’s grip, pain flashed across his face so quickly Ivy almost cried.

“You didn’t mean last night?” he asked quietly.

But Scarlett just shrugged.

“Nothing special about attending prom together, Move on.”

Ivy could barely breathe, because unlike Scarlett last night meant everything to her, Sebastian stood there silently for a long moment before placing the flowers carefully on the counter.

Then his eyes lifted and landed on Ivy, something strange flickered across his expression but it disappeared almost immediately.

Without another word, Sebastian turned and walked away, leaving Ivy standing there with tears burning her eyes and a secret growing inside her that would change all their lives forever.