Page 43 of Taken By the Fae

“Not romantically. He loves me the same as he loves you.”

“But you guys have been together for years.” I seem to be 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 end of last semester, we haven’t been together.”

That was nearly six months ago.I think about the dates I tagged along for over the years. “I don’t understand.”

“Oliver and I aren’t together anymore. We’re keeping up the ruse for his sake. We were going to tell you—we even came up with this whole plan to take you out for brunch so we could get drunk on bottomless mimosas after we told you, but then everything happened with you finding out about the fae, and I didn’t think it was the right time. Things were already so overwhelming, and I was really worried about you.”

I nod despite the struggle I’m having keeping up. “Why are you still pretending to date?”

“Because Oliver 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 stare at her for several moments, processing her words. Oliver is gay. Okay, that doesn’t change anything for me—it also doesn’t explain why she was in trouble with Tristan.

“We didn’t want you in the dark anymore,” she adds, “and I promise we weren’t trying to keep it from you.” She takes a deep breath. “Now I can explain why I didn’t tell you what’s been going on.”

I’m glad she’d been planning to tell me everything, but the fact she kept it from me to begin with still stings.

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

Allison picks at a loose thread on the blanket next to her. “It doesn’t, exactly. Oliver wasn’t the only one using our relationship as a cover.”

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

She laughs, but it comes out uneven, almost forced. “Being gay isn’t an issue for fae.”

I glance at the closed door as a rowdy group of guys passes our room. When the noise fades, I ask, “What did you need this fake relationship with Oliver to hide?”

She hesitates. “The guy Iamseeing.”

“Who are you seeing, Allison?”

She stands in a hurry, as if she can’t sit still any longer, and walks toward the bathroom before turning back toward me. “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 proper reason for her getting in trouble with Tristan.

“I still don’t see the problem.”

She wraps her arms around herself for a moment before letting them fall back against her thighs. “Evan is part of the unseelie court… and pretty close to one of their knights, Jules.”

A weight settles in my stomach. “This sounds more dangerous than you’re making it out to be.”

She sighs. “I can feel your concern, Ro, but we care about each other. I tried to explain that to Tristan, but…” She trails off, shaking her head. “If I don’t end things with Evan, I’ll be forced to stand before a tribunal and likely cast out of the seelie court. The unseelie court probably won’t accept me either, which means I’ll have no protection from either side or any threats outside the courts.”

My pulse skyrockets. “What? No. I’m not going to let that happen to you.”

She almost smiles. “There’s not much you, or even I, can do. I understand the rules. They are in place to keep our court 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 sleeping with the enemy. From what you’ve just told me, this is 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,” she mumbles, her hands balling into fists at her sides. “I don’t want to lose him.”

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

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

“Did you know he was unseelie?”

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