Page 78 of Taken By the Fae

“I wish you were here,” I admit.

“I’m right here, Rory,” he murmurs, brushing the hair away from my face and tucking it behind my ear.

“You know what I mean. How are things there?”

He shakes his head. “That’s not why I brought you here. We don’t need to talk about that.”

“I don’t want to talk about what I’m dealing with.”

“Then we won’t,” he says. “We can talk about whatever you want, or we don’t have to talk at all.”

“So, you brought me here to…?”

“Offer you some comfort. I spoke to Allison after she talked to you.” My eyes widen at that. They’ve been talking a lot recently, which feels weird considering how nervous she is of him—and for good reason, though he still hasn’t made a move to turn her over to the court that I know of. The thought ofmebeing the reason they’re talking makes my stomach swirl with nerves that I’m not entirely sure the reason for. “I know what you’re dealing with,” he continues, “and I want nothing more than to be there with you. This is the closest thing besides physically being there.”

I reach out and take his hand. “You continue to surprise me.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Some days, it really is,” I say.

We sit on the loveseat in front of the fireplace with my back against his chest and his arms wrapped around my waist. I count the soft freckles spattered along his arm for a minute, enjoying the warmth radiating from the fire.

“Can I tell you something?” I murmur to break the silence.

“Anything.”

I press my lips together, hesitating before I say, “I saw your dream. I mean, I was in it, like you’re in mine now. Except you didn’t know I was there.”

He shifts, peering down at me with his brows knit. “Youwhat?”

“I don’t know how it happened. It was that first night you did it. You left my dream, and then when I fell asleep later on, I somehow entered yours.”

Tristan frowns. “That’s unusual.”

“Random fae magic?” I offer.

He chuckles, but it holds no amusement this time. “Random fae magic sounds about right.”

“It only happened that one time.” I don’t want him to think I’ve been snooping through his dreams, especially since he’s stayed out of mine. “But what I saw… Your world was in shambles, destroyed beyond repair, and you… you looked so defeated. Even then, when I wasn’t your biggest fan, my chest ached for you. The pain in your eyes and the hopelessness in your body language, it gutted me.”

Tristan sighs quietly, his arms tightening around me. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” he murmurs, and covers my hand with his.

I shake my head, running my finger along the collar of his shirt. “I’m sorryyouhad to see that.”

We lie together in silence for a while after that. I didn’t know it was possible to fall asleep during a dream, but I find my eyes drifting the longer I stare at the flickering flames in the fireplace, basking in the warmth it’s radiating.

“Can I tell you something else?” I mumble, sleep tugging at me. I don’t wait for him to respond before I say, “I think… I’m falling for you.”

ChapterTwenty-Two

Waking up alone has never sucked so hard. I miss Tristan more than I know what to do with, and I’m still working through that.

Mom and Dad are still in bed after I’ve showered and gotten dressed. They weren’t asleep before dinner yesterday like I was. I don’t wake them; they need the rest. Whereas I need to keep busy, because each time I think about the admission I made to Tristan in my dream last night, the tension in my chest expands. I’m equal parts anxious and desperate to know how he would’ve responded had the dream not ended as I woke up, but even as my finger hovers over his name on my phone, I can’t bring myself to call him. There’s a good chance that what I told him wasn’t news; reading my emotions from the moment we met provides a certain advantage to knowing how I feel.

Heading into the kitchen, I make a fresh pot of coffee for my parents and leave a note to let them know I’ve gone to the hospital before I swipe Dad’s keys off the counter and head out the door.

After finding a parking spot, I text Allison to let her know where I am. Her response comes in less than a minute.

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