Chapter 16

NICOLE

I stepped into the dimly lit bar in downtown Miami, scanning the crowded room for my old friends. It had been years since I had seen them, and I was both excited and nervous to catch up. As I navigated through the throngs of people, I finally spotted them in a corner booth, laughing and chatting over cocktails.

“Nicole!" they exclaimed in unison as I approached, pulling me into a group hug. I settled into the booth, ordering a drink.

As we chatted, I couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be an underlying tension between two of my friends. They would exchange glances, and their voices would lower when they spoke to each other. I decided to ask about it, hoping to ease any tension.

"Is everything okay between you two?" I asked, looking back and forth between them.

There was a moment of silence, and then Emily spoke up. "Actually, we've been having a bit of a disagreement lately," she said, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"What's been going on?" I asked, sensing that th