The last study session before the trip was the most intense yet. Mr. Trinidad brought snacks—which, honestly, felt like bribery at that point—and kept us locked in the classroom for hours, running drills and tossing flashcards at us like we were in a military boot camp. Mia, as usual, nailed almost every question, her focus unshakable even when Gabriel started cracking jokes about why he didn’t trust historical trivia.
“I’m just saying,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “How do we know this is true? What if some historian made it up for the drama?”
Mia didn’t dignify that with a response, which made Gabriel’s grin even wider.
I tried to stay in the zone, forcing myself to answer questions quickly and confidently, but the thought of seeing Rhys again refused to leave my mind. It was e
