Page 45 of Twisted Fate

“Are you kidding? Of course he does.”

“Not romantically. He loves me like he loves you. Platonically.”

“But you guys have been together for years,” I say. I’m more upset about this than she is.

“I know.” She folds her hands in her lap. “We started off as a genuine couple, but since the beginning of the summer, we haven’t been together.”

I think about the dates I tagged along for over the years. I don’t understand what she’s saying. “You need to keep talking.” There’s an edge to my voice.

“We aren’t together anymore,” she repeats. “We’re keeping up the ruse for Oliver’s sake.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Because he doesn’t want to come out in college. He feels strongly that just because he likes guys it doesn’t mean he should have to tell the world.”

I understand what she’s saying and why Oliver feels that way, and I agree. “It’s his thing to share, but I talked to him about it. He said it was okay for me to tell you. We don’t want you in the dark anymore, and now I can explain why I didn’t tell you what’s been going on.” That makes it sound like she was planning on telling me the truth before Max sold her out to me. Knowing that makes me feel a bit better, but the fact she kept it from me to begin with still stings.

“What does Oliver being gay have to do with the fae?”

“It doesn’t, exactly. Oliver doesn’t know, but he wasn’t the only one using our relationship as a cover.”

My brows tug together. “Are you telling me you’re gay? Fae aren’t allowed to be gay?”

She laughs, but it’s uneven, different from her normal laugh. “No, I’m not gay. I don’t think the fae care about that. Love is love.”

“Okay. What did you need the relationship to hide?”

She hesitates. “The guy Iamseeing,” she says in a timid voice.

“Who are you seeing, Allison?” I press.

“His name is Evan. He’s a fourth year, like us, and he’s fae.”

I’m missing something. So far, her explanation has yet to provide a real reason for her getting into trouble with Tristan.

“I still don’t see the problem—other than the fact that the guy you loved realized he doesn’t like girls. I can’t imagine how that made you feel.”

She shrugs. “It hurt at first, but I get it, and I don’t blame him. He didn’t do it to hurt me. He didn’t know what he wanted at that point. We’ve gotten past the awkwardness, obviously, considering what we’re doing for each other now.”

“Now you’re going to tell me what the problem is with you dating Evan, right?”

She wraps her arms around herself. “Well, Evan is light fae...and pretty close to their leader, Jules, who is Tristan’s enemy.”

A weight settles in my stomach. “This sounds more dangerous than you’re making it out to be.” I’m sure she can feel the concern pouring off of me by now.

She sighs. “We care about each other, Aurora. I tried to explain that to Tristan, but you know him well enough now to know how that went. There’s a chance, if I refuse to walk away from Evan, that’ll I’ll be incarcerated for treason.”

My stomach drops. Do the fae have their own type of prison in the human world? “What? No. I’m not going to let that happen to you.”

She almost smiles. “Thanks, but there’s not much you, or even I, can do. I understand the rules. They are in place to keep our people safe.” She blinks a few times. “I don’t know what to do,” she whispers.

I run my fingers through my hair and let out a slow breath, trying to ground myself so I can think about this situation rationally. “Is it worth it?” She looks offended by the question. “I’m just saying, this could cause a lot of trouble for you. Tristan won’t accept that you’re—for lack of a better phrase—sleeping with the enemy. I don’t know much about the whole thing, but I know that it’s serious.” Tristan’s unease during the phone call this morning, and his responses during the conversation we had afterward tell me enough to make that statement.

“I know that,” she mumbles. “I don’t want to lose him.”

“Tristan said light fae are killing dark fae. What if you become a target?” I grab her hands and squeeze them gently. “I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt.”

“I . . .” She looks away. “I don’t know what to say.”

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