Flashback ( PDFDrive )

FORTY-FIVE
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE nervous,” Fitz said, reaching for Sophie’s
wrist to stop her before she could tug out any more itchy eyelashes.
“I’m trying not to be,” she promised.
After all, they’d been preparing for this moment all week.
They’d worked through hours and hours of trust exercises—which
were surprisingly easy, now that all the crush stuff was out in the open
between them. And they’d rehearsed different conversation tactics
over and over again.
But . . . this was Fintan.
Every time Sophie thought his name, she could hear her human
parents’ voices in her mind, explaining all the reasons she should never
play with fire.
And yet, here she was, stepping right back into Fintan’s game.
She pushed her long sleeves up to her elbows, wishing Mr. Forkle
would hurry. He was a few minutes late—and since he’d told them to
dress as warmly as possible, it was getting pretty miserable waiting
outside. But when they’d tried waiting inside, they’d had to deal with
Edaline’s sappy smiles and Grady’s glaring, so standing in the sun in
heavy clothes was a worthwhile sacrifice.
Still, Sophie wished she’d chosen something that breathed a little
better than her layered gray tunic and velvet cape—plus black pants
and boots and gloves and a knitted cap she still wasn’t sure if she