The Wrong Twin to Love

Elena’s Pov I never wanted to step foot near the hockey house. My twin sister Elara loves that loud, crazy world, but I am Elena. I just want a quiet life, my books, and a chance to finish my final year at Blackridge University without anyone knowing my last name. We might share the exact same face, but our lives are total opposites. When I walk through the campus gates on my first day, I pull my oversized hoodie tight over my shoulders. I am trying to hide. But the universe hates me, because I somehow take a wrong turn and end up right in the middle of a massive welcome party packed with loud athletes and screaming students. Red cups are everywhere, and the smell of cheap soda and pizza fills the air. I try to turn around and run, but someone grabs my arm. "There you are," a deep voice says right next to my ear. I turn around and freeze. Standing right in front of me is Damon Hayes. He is the hockey team captain, campus royalty, and the most annoying guy at Blackridge. He has dark hair falling into his eyes and a look on his face like he owns the whole world. I remember the last time we crossed paths—he was so arrogant and rude to me that my blood still boils just thinking about it. "Excuse me," I say, trying to pull my arm away. "Don't start that again, Elara," Damon snaps, crossing his arms over his broad chest. His eyes narrow as he glares down at me. "You've been dodging my texts for three days. You walk right past me in the quad yesterday like I am a total stranger, and now you act like you don't know me? What is your actual problem?" My jaw drops. He thinks I am Elara. For a second, I want to tell him the truth. I want to scream that I am not his girlfriend, that Elara is the one who dates him, and that I wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole. But then I look at how angry he is, and how all of his hockey teammates are standing around watching us. A wicked little spark of revenge lights up inside my chest. He was so horrible to me last time. Why not have a little fun? "My problem?" I ask, copying Elara's sweet, mocking tone. I tilt my head and give him my best fake, innocent smile. "Oh, Damon. Maybe my problem is that you are completely boring." The entire room goes dead silent. You could hear a pin drop on the wooden floor. Damon's mouth falls open. He stares at me like I just grew a second head. "What did you just call me?" "Boring," I say louder, stepping closer to him so he has to look right into my eyes. "Honestly, Damon, your texts are dull, your ego is way too big for your helmet, and frankly, hanging out with you is like watching paint dry. If I am ignoring you, maybe you should take the hint." His face turns bright red. "You have never spoken to me like this in your life. What is wrong with you today?" "Maybe I am just finally seeing you clearly," I whisper, giving him a cold little smirk. Before he can stammer out another word, I turn around on my heel and push my way through the stunned crowd. My heart is beating a million miles an hour against my ribs. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins, making my hands shake. I cannot believe I just did that. It was risky, stupid, and completely reckless. If Damon figures out I am not Elara, he is going to be furious. But as I burst out the front door and into the cool night air, I cannot stop a triumphant smile from spreading across my face. He deserved every single word. I walk fast all the way back to our small apartment off campus, locking the door behind me. I drop my bag on the floor and let out a huge breath. I am safe. The crazy encounter is over. I can finally make some tea, open my textbooks, and pretend the hockey team doesn't exist. Then my phone buzzes violently on the kitchen counter. I pick it up with a heavy sigh, expecting a notification for a campus club or a reminder about tuition. Instead, my stomach drops straight to my shoes. It is a text message from Elara. Please, Elena. Pick up your phone right now. I am outside. We need to talk. It is an absolute emergency. I stare at the glowing screen, a cold dread washing over me. Elara never calls things an emergency unless she has done something catastrophic. With trembling fingers, I walk over to the front door and pull it open. Elara is standing right under the flickering yellow porch light. Even in the dark, she looks breathtaking. Her long, dark hair is styled perfectly, her makeup is flawless, and she is wearing a designer jacket that costs more than my monthly grocery budget. But her eyes are wide, and her lower lip is trembling. She looks genuinely terrified. "Elara? What are you doing here at this hour?" I ask, crossing my arms defensively. "If this is about you borrowing my favorite sweater again—" "It's not about a sweater, Elena," she interrupts, her voice breaking. She grabs my hands, and I am shocked to feel how ice-cold her fingers are. "I need your help. More than I have ever needed anything in my entire life." "No," I say instantly, shaking my head and trying to pull my hands away. "Whatever crazy scheme you have gotten yourself into this time, the answer is no. I am not bailing you out. I told you, I am focusing on my studies this year, and I am not getting dragged into your drama." Tears well up in Elara's eyes, spilling over her lashes and running down her cheeks. "Elena, please. Just listen to me for one minute. If you don't help me, everything we have is going to be gone. Mom and Dad's house... it's going to be repossessed next month." The words hit me like a physical punch to the chest. The color drains from my face. "What are you talking about?" "The debt," Elara whispers, sobbing softly now. "It's way worse than we thought. Dad's medical bills, the mortgage... the bank is going to take the house. We will have nowhere to live. Mom is crying every single night." "Why didn't you tell me?" I demand, my voice rising in panic. "How long have you known about this?" "For months," she admits, looking down at the concrete. "I tried to fix it, Elena. I really did. And today... today I finally got an offer. A company in London wants to sponsor me for a massive international modeling and brand contract. It pays an absolute fortune. Enough to pay off the entire debt and save the house forever." Hope flares in my chest for a split second, but I quickly see the shadow on her face. "Well, that's amazing! Take the job, Elara! What are you waiting for?" "I can't just take it," she says, her voice shaking. "The contract starts immediately. Right now. I have to fly to London tonight, and I have to stay there, completely off the grid, for a whole year. If anyone finds out where I am, or if I break the contract, I lose everything." I stare at her, my brain struggling to process what she is saying. "Okay... so go to London! Why are you standing here crying to me about it?" Elara looks up, her eyes pleading with mine. "Because of Blackridge. Because of my life here. Because of Damon." A cold sweat breaks out all over my skin. "What does Damon have to do with this?" "If I disappear for a year, everyone will know," Elara says desperately. "Damon expects me to be by his side for the entire hockey season. There are family agreements, public appearances, and social expectations tied to his future professional career. If I just vanish without a trace, Damon will tear the university apart looking for me. He will find out about London, he will get suspicious, and my contract will be canceled." "So break up with him!" I yell, my temper finally snapping. "Tell him it's over!" "I can't!" she cries, grabbing my arms again. "If I dump him right now, right before his biggest season, his family will cut ties with mine, and the bank will foreclose on our house by Friday! Elena, you are the only one who can save us." I step back, shaking my head violently. "No. No, no, no. Absolutely not." "It's only for three hundred and sixty-five days," Elara begs, stepping closer, her voice cracking with desperation. "Just one year, Elena. You have to pretend to be me. You have to go to the campus events, you have to keep up the appearance, and yes... you have to maintain the relationship with Damon Hayes. You have to make sure nobody ever discovers that I have left the country." "Are you completely insane?" I scream, the absurdity of it all washing over me. "Pretend to be you? To Damon? The guy I literally just insulted ten minutes ago at a party? Do you have any idea how fast he would figure it out? He already thinks I'm weird!" I look into her tear-filled eyes, seeing the reflection of our exact same face, and my heart shatters. I hate the idea. I hate everything about lying, about faking my identity, and especially about having to spend a whole year pretending to be in love with Damon Hayes. It is a nightmare scenario. "You share my face, Elena!" she cries, tears streaming freely down her face now. "If you wear my clothes and act confident, nobody will ever guess. Please. It's for our family. It's to save our home. I am begging you, sister-to-sister. Please help me."