Welcome to

I stood in front of the mirror, examining every detail. The curve of her lips, the way her dark brown hair fell just past her shoulders, the faint freckles dotting her nose. Lena. His girlfriend. The woman whose life I was about to borrow for a night.

My skin tingled as I focused, my muscles shifting beneath the surface, bones adjusting with an almost imperceptible crackle. The transformation was always strange—like slipping into a second skin that wasn’t mine. But I’d done this before. Too many times, if I was being honest.

I exhaled, smoothing my hands—no, her hands—down the soft fabric of her favorite jeans and the loose, cream-colored sweater I’d pulled from her closet earlier. A pang of guilt twisted in my gut, but I pushed it down. This was for him. Only for him.

---

The knock on his door made my breath hitch. Three sharp raps, just like Lena always did. I could hear his footsteps inside, the muffled curse of surprise when he saw me through the peephole.

The door swung open, and there he was—Dylan. His dark hair was slightly messy, like he’d been running his fingers through it, and his gray T-shirt was wrinkled in that effortlessly perfect way only he could pull off. His eyes widened.

"Lena?" he said, blinking. "I thought you left for your trip?"

I bit her lip the way she always did when she was nervous. "I canceled it," I said, my voice an exact replica of hers—soft, melodic. "I… I just missed you too much."

Dylan stared at me, confusion flickering across his face before dissolving into warmth. He stepped aside. "You’re insane," he murmured, a slow smile tugging at his lips. "You were supposed to be gone for a week."

I stepped inside, letting the door click shut behind me. The apartment smelled like him—warm, a little musky, with the faintest hint of coffee. Familiar. Safe.

"I changed my mind," I said, brushing past him, my fingers trailing over his arm. "Don’t you want me here?"

His breath caught, and I felt a thrill run through me. This was the game. I knew how Lena touched him, how she spoke to him, how she loved him. And tonight, I’d be better than her.

Dylan’s hands settled on my waist as he turned me toward him, his gaze searching my face. "Of course I want you …