Get lost novel

Hey everyone, anyone have a free link I can read this? Extract taken from a Facebook post!

Chapter 1 Back From The Dead "Josie, you know you screwed up, right?" Vincent Oldham's voice yanked Josie Pearson out of her fog.

Her eyes zeroed in on his face, sharp and familiar.

'Wait, didn't I die?' she thought.

Two years after her mentor sold her out and landed her in prison, she'd hit rock bottom, crashing her head into a wall to escape the depression.

'So why am I staring at Vincent, my old college buddy?' Josie blinked hard, her eyes burning. 'Am I tripping again?

'Imagining my crew's here to spring me from jail?'

"Look, we get it—you're gunning to join Professor David Lawson's research team. But that's no excuse for throwing Natalie under the bus," Vincent said, his tone sharp.

"You realize what you've done? You accused Natalie of jacking your paper, and now she's so messed up she hasn't shown her face at school in days.

"Keep this up, Josie, and you're gonna push her off the deep end. When did you turn so cold-blooded?"

Vincent was getting pissed, slamming his coffee mug on the table when she didn't respond.

The sharp clunk snapped her out of it.

This wasn't a dream. She was really here, face-to-face with Vincent—ten years younger Vincent. Holy crap. She'd somehow jumped back a decade.

Right now, she was still a senior at Aloville Medical School, fresh off nailing the written exam for Professor David Lawson's elite research team.

She'd crushed it, landing a spot in the final round.

But then came the sucker punch: Natalie Kinberg's thesis was a near clone of hers—same angle, same methods, same vibe. No way that was a coincidence.

While Josie was digging for answers, rumors about Natalie plagiarizing spread like wildfire.

David's project was a big deal—first of its kind in the country, with a team of rockstar researchers, including five of Josie's seniors.

Those five had been her crew since sophomore year, always having her back in class and life. They were family.

Then Natalie showed up, and it all flipped. The support, the late-night study sessions, the laughs—they all went to her.

Even David, who used to praise Josie's grind, started treating Natalie like the star pupil.

When the plagiarism rumors hit, her seniors swore Josie was the one stirring the pot. Even David tore into her, face red with anger.

Josie wasn't Natalie's biggest fan, no lie. She'd been competitive, always trying to outshine her, desperate to reclaim the spotlight.

But she never spread those rumors or accused Natalie of stealing.

"You really blew it," Vincent said, his voice softening a bit. "Professor Lawson's giving you a shot, though. Apologize to Natalie in front of the whole school, and he'll let it go.

"He'll even keep the administration from nailing you with a punishment."

"But if you keep doubling down and dragging her name through the mud, you're done. Expulsion's on the table."

"Fine. I'll apologize," Josie said, her voice flat, eyes locked on his.

Vincent was a year ahead, a small-town kid like her who'd fought his way into this school.

She'd known him longest—four years. She thought he'd have her back, trust her when she said she didn't start this drama.

Nope. He was the first one here, pushing her to eat crow.

Vincent blinked, caught off guard by her quick surrender. Josie didn't cave this easy, not the Josie he knew. Still, an apology was a win, so he didn't push.

"Alright, it's a deal," he said. "I'll tell Professor Lawson. Write that apology letter tonight. You're reading it to the whole school tomorrow."

Josie's lips curled into a sharp, bitter smirk.

She wasn't that gullible girl anymore. She knew the truth: Natalie spread those rumors herself, playing the victim to turn everyone against Josie.

Depression? Just a sob story to make the seniors fawn over her.

But that wasn't the point now. Josie wanted to know how Natalie jacked her thesis without leaving a trace.

In her old life, she'd refused to apologize. The mess blew up, the school investigated, and they found nothing on Natalie.

Meanwhile, Josie got hit with a disciplinary record, her seniors called her heartless, and that stain wrecked her job prospects after graduation.

Not this time. She wasn't taking the fall. If someone was going down, it sure as hell wouldn't be her.

The next morning, Josie steeled herself to eat humble pie and make her public apology.

She threw on her backpack and stepped out of the dorm, chin up despite the knot in her gut.

As she crossed campus, the whispers and side-eyes trailed her like a bad smell.

"There she is—Professor Lawson's former golden girl. Got all jealous and trashed the department's darling for supposedly jacking her paper."

"She thought she was all that with her grades, catching the eye of our five campus hotties. Then Natalie rolls in—just as smart, drop-dead gorgeous, and actually nice."

"Look at that sour face. She's not even in Natalie's league. Why those guys still have her back is beyond me."

"Have her back? Please. They're all Team Natalie now. This whole 'say sorry in front of everyone' thing? Aiden's call."

'Aiden's idea, huh?' Josie let out a sharp, bitter scoff and picked up her pace to dodge the gossip.

She'd barely hit the quad when Jaden Monroe, her senior, caught up.

Jaden was a first-year grad student who'd saved her bacon back in her senior year. She'd been floundering in her toughest classes, and he'd tossed her his killer notes, helping her ace her exams.

When he was stressing over grad school apps, Josie had pulled all-nighters hunting down research and reference books for him. She'd never owed him or any of the guys a thing.

Jaden shot her a look, heavy with disappointment. "Josie, I always thought you were one of the good ones.

"Never figured you'd pull something this low just to get ahead. And Natalie? She's too kind to even hold it against you.

"You didn't see her after what you did. She's a mess—skinnier, totally worn out. Those big, bright eyes? No spark left."

"And still, she's got your back. Went to Professor Lawson on the down-low, begging him to let you off this public apology crap. But you gotta have a heart, yeah?"

"So when you see her, you better say sorry—and mean it, okay?"

Josie dropped her gaze, lashes hiding the fire in her eyes. "Got it, Jaden. I'll make things right with her, I swear."

"Should've thought twice before pulling that stunt." Jaden almost kept going, but seeing her stand there, head down like a kid who got caught, made him ease up.

Deep down, he'd always seen Josie as a solid kid—smart, hardworking, always chasing her academic dreams. Everyone respected her grind.

'So how the hell did she think screwing someone over for a spot was okay?' Jaden wondered, shaking his head. 'What a letdown.'

With a heavy sigh, Jaden led her toward Professor Lawson's office.

Chapter 2 Saying Sorry The air in David's office was thick with tension as the whole team sat crammed inside.

When Josie walked in, the vibe turned frosty, faces souring like they'd bitten into a lemon.

Except for Natalie. She jumped up, flashing a grin bright enough to blind. "Josie! You showed!"

"I'm here to say sorry," Josie said, sidestepping Natalie's grabby hands.

She didn't have Natalie's gift for playing nice with people she couldn't stand.

Natalie faltered, like she'd been caught off guard. "Wait, you still think I'm shady, don't you?"

Her voice quivered, eyes glistening like she was about to bawl. "I didn't copy your paper, Josie. Take it to the dean if you don't believe me. Let them figure it out."

Josie dropped her gaze, looking more pathetic than Natalie's theatrics. "I'm apologizing, okay? The papers looking so similar threw me, but I wasn't gonna snitch.

"I didn't breathe a word to anyone else."

The team, who'd been glaring at Josie like she'd kicked a puppy, started to rethink things.

Josie wasn't a gossip—she barely had friends outside the lab. This drama? She'd only mentioned it to them.

Aiden's frown eased, his eyes settling on Josie. "I buy that you didn't mean to stir the pot, but Natalie got burned.

"If you hadn't gone all detective, people wouldn't be whispering about her stealing your work."

"An apology's not too much to ask," he added, arms crossed.

Aiden was the team's golden boy—brains, looks, the whole package.

Josie had picked this major partly because it was the med school's hot ticket, but let's be real: Aiden was a big reason too.

He'd been her hero once. Once. Not anymore.

"Fair point," Kyle Langton, another senior, chimed in. "Josie, I'm with Aiden. You didn't mean to cause a mess.

"Natalie's a softie, so just smooth it over, and we're all cool."

Josie nearly laughed. Natalie, a softie? Yeah, right. But she zipped it. "Got it, Kyle. I'll fix this."

Turning to Natalie, she said, "I'm sorry, Natalie. I messed up, and it hurt you. Honest—can we move past this?"

Then it hit her. Josie had been tight with this crew for years before Natalie rolled in. Breaking that bond? Tougher than she thought.

Natalie flashed a sugary smile. "Josie, I was never mad! Forgive? Psh, nothing to forgive!"

She spun to David, plopping down beside him with a flirty grin, voice all sweet. "Told ya, Professor Lawson. Josie wouldn't try to screw me over. Cut her some slack, yeah?"

Lawson wasn't biting. His face was hard as granite, shooting Josie a look that could freeze lava. "On purpose or not, she screwed up. And screw-ups have consequences. So, Josie, how should I deal with you?"

David's face was like stone as he shot Josie a hard stare.

He'd always thought she was the good girl—smart, driven, a total overachiever. Now? He wasn't so sure.

To him, grades were one thing, but a shady character was a dealbreaker. 'She's gotta learn her lesson,' he decided. 'No more badmouthing her classmates.'

Josie had puzzled over why everyone bought Natalie's act. After some soul-searching, it clicked: Natalie was gorgeous and a master at playing the damsel.

Josie couldn't compete. So she swallowed her pride. "Whatever you say, Professor Lawson."

"We're kicking off research soon," David said, voice sharp. "Your punishment? Sort every scrap of data. Make it so we can grab what we need, no fuss, no muss."

He waved them off.

As they headed out, Josie, stuck in the middle, flashed back to her old life.

She'd been slapped with a disciplinary note and kicked off the team. To make things right, she'd buried herself in the archives, sorting documents like a machine.

It took a brutal month—one meal a day, late nights, the works. She ended up with a messed-up stomach and flunked classes.

And the thanks? Nada. They just griped her work wasn't good enough.

'What a load of crap,' she thought. 'Bust your tail, and they still dump on you.'

Now, here she was again, stuck with the same lousy job.

"Hey, Josie, I'll help you out," Natalie said, catching up and linking arms with her. "If I keep my mouth shut, the prof won't know."

"She's got this coming," Jaden cut in, pulling Natalie back. "Why cover for her?"

Vincent glanced at Natalie. "Chill about Professor Lawson. Sorting files is nothing compared to a real punishment."

"Got it, thanks, Vince," Josie said with a quick smile, hurrying after Natalie.

"Hey, Nat, I was so caught up saying sorry earlier, I forgot—I got you a little something." She pulled a sleek box from her bag.

The group stopped cold, crowding around.

"That Aiden's medal?" Tianna blurted.

Vincent nodded. "Yeah, his first big win in that med competition. He loved that thing—till he gave it to you to cheer you up."

"Spot on," Josie said, eyeing the group. "I was new, totally bombed an experiment, and Professor Lawson chewed me out. Aiden gave me this medal, said it was lucky.

"And you know what? After that, I was golden—no more screw-ups."

She held the box out to Natalie. "Natalie, I heard this mess really got you down—depression and all. Take this. It's like a good-luck charm.

"You'll be set from now on. Aiden swore by it."

Natalie's eyes lit up. She wanted that medal. Not just for its shine, but because it was Aiden's—his first victory, something special.

In her eyes, Josie didn't deserve it. But snagging it right in front of him? That was ballsy.

"Josie, that's sweet, but it's Aiden's gift to you," Natalie said, pushing the box back. "I can't take it."