Chapter 53

• I stood before the mirror, drawing in a shaky breath my feeble attempt to steady myself. When that failed, I tried to smile. The strained curve of my lips only made me look more anxious, not less. My hands trembled as I watched their unsteady dance. The last few days had been a slow build of unease, and now, it had culminated into a full-blown paralysis. With just two days left until the official launch, I was barely functional more nerves than flesh, more panic than breath.
• “I can’t do this,” I whispered.
• Romilly’s hands gently settled on my shoulders. She leaned in behind me, catching my gaze in the mirror with a calm steadiness I didn’t feel.