Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

"Alright, time to get back to the usual grind. Whatever happens, it's not gonna change how things turn out," Fiona said, sipping her lemonade as she strolled out of the bistro.

On her way, she exchanged nods and smiles with a bunch of familiar faces. Being the sweetheart of Center College came with its own spotlight, and people couldn't stop buzzing about her and Tyler having meals together. Were they officially an item now?

Back at her dorm, Fiona found Amy at the desk, carefully applying her eyeliner, clearly prepping for a night out. Seeing Amy brought back memories she'd almost let slip.

"Fiona, you're finally back! I was starting to think you'd vanished for good!" Amy exclaimed, setting her eyeliner aside. She dashed over with a playful grin, linking arms with Fiona and pulling her inside. "Where have you and Shelly been hiding? You two are like Houdini!"

Fiona stayed quiet, a chill in her demeanor, realizing that she'd forgotten about Amy. After the two-invitation debacle, she had overlooked Amy, and Amy's absence at Josie's party was glaring. Plus, there was the whole Amy-and-Josie connection she hadn't fully grasped yet.

"Where've you been, Fiona? I found this killer Italian place. Let's hit it tonight, yeah? Shelly and the gang can tag along too."

Fiona didn't say a word, just gave Amy a brief look before heading to her bed. She hung her bag on the bedpost, but Amy wasn't done and grabbed her arm again.

"Not in the mood for Italian? No worries, there's this sushi joint that's the real deal..."

Fiona's patience snapped, her eyes flaring up as she pulled her arm free. "No need for the charade, Amy. It's just us."noveldrama

The room fell into a thick, tense silence, the air almost crackling with it.

"Fiona, what are you talking about?"

Still playing dumb. Fiona seized Amy by the neck, her gaze fierce, pinning her against the wall. "Amy, I can't stand being lied to or betrayed. You've done both. Now, what do you reckon I should do with you?"

"Fiona, you've got it all wrong. I'd never lie or betray you," Amy coughed, trying to look uncomfortable.

But Fiona wasn't buying it, her grip only tightened.

"Why does Jane have it in for me? We've got no beef, no reason for her to act like that. She grew up in New York with all the privileges, and I'm just passing through. Even if I shine, it shouldn't lead to this. Jane and Josie go way back, childhood buddies, so she wouldn't know that before Josie took on this new identity, she was supposedly lost at sea thanks to Jackson's schemes. The only explanation is Jane doesn't know the real Josie has been replaced for a while now."

At first, Fiona hadn't connected the dots, but bit by bit, the inconsistencies piled up. Jane and the real Josie were childhood friends, and Jane always mentioned Josie as the Larkin family's eldest daughter. But the Josie now wasn't the same friend Jane remembered from way back.