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110

Summer

Connor

How was the gym, fiancé?

I read the message as I walk, still feeling pretty uneasy about the TuathaToday page. I reply back to Connor with a link to it.

Connor

What the hell is this?

Summer

It’s the equivalent to EverydayEmrys but for “hot” fae.

Connor

I don’t like that.

Summer

Me neither. I need to swing by your place to talk to Luke about a project.

Connor

What project?

Summer

Just one for school. I’ll meet you at the brunch place and we can go together?

Connor

On my way.

I shove my phone away and walk to the cafe, where I order two coffees, a breakfast burrito, and two hash browns. I scroll through the TuathaToday page. As expected, there are a lot of pretty mean comments from other fae beneath my photos. I close the page, not wanting to sour my mood even further.

I smile brightly when I see Connor’s smiling face. He walks up to me and kisses me dramatically, dipping me low.

“Hello, gorgeous. You wouldn’t happen to be single?” He smiles and nips playfully at my lips.

I pull back, pretending to be offended. “Excuse me, sir! I’m engaged, thank you very much.” I wave the ring in his face, and he smiles even brighter, his skin glowing. Connor straightens, and my order number is called. Connor grabs the tray and leads me to a table. He pulls me into his lap and digs into his burrito. I eat one of the hash browns.

“I don’t think I’m going to train with Max anymore,” I say, looking down at my food.

“Why?” Connor asks earnestly.

I shrug. “I just don’t think he likes me very much.”

“He doesn’t like you? How could he not like you?”

“The fact you guys have beef doesn’t help,” I say.

Connor winces. “I don’t have beef with him. He has beef with me.”

“Connor Azreal Morningstar, I don’t have to be an angel to taste that load of horseshit.”

“Well, he didn’t like me first,” Connor pouts.

My lips twitch. “Well, regardless. He says you have everything. Popularity, great family, me?—”

“You?” Connor interrupts.

“I think he was just using me as an example. He was saying you’re with me, and apparently, there are a few people who want to date me. Which I said was ridiculous. Then he told me about the page.”

“Who wants to date you? We’re engaged.”

“Focus, big guy. No one wants to date me. He was just being a dick.”

Connor frowns down at his burrito.

“What’s wrong?”

Connor sighs. “I just don’t like people thirsting after you.”

I grab his face. “Well, maybe you should submit a photo of us with my ring visible.”

Connor groans and holds up his phone. He kisses me hard as he holds my hand up, showing the ring clearly. After a long moment of getting lost in the kiss, he pulls back, and we look at the photo. We’re kissing in the background, and it’s artfully blurred except for the ring that is bright and center stage. Connor posts the picture, and then I place my hand on my thigh.

“Maybe one for Nexus ?”

Connor takes another photo of the ring against my yoga pants and posts it before he kisses me again.

“Jealous, big guy?” I ask with a smile.

“Maybe,” Connor moans as I deepen the kiss.

“So sexy.” I tunnel my fingers into his blond hair.

Connor groans. “I love you so fucking much.”

I pull back, letting Connor eat again. But after a few minutes, I’m pressing kisses along his jaw.

Connor moans. “I’m never going to finish at this rate.”

“Oh, you’ll finish, big guy,” I growl in his ear.

Connor shivers but laughs, and I pull back with a grin, letting him eat in peace.

After breakfast, Connor and I walk hand in hand to his house. When we get there, he goes to find Rafe, and I wander up the stairs to Luke’s room and knock on the door.

“Come in!” Luke calls out from inside, and I step in. I’ve never been in Luke’s room, but it’s tastefully decorated and very neat. He has gone with soft, neutral tones, and the room feels calm, spacious, and bright. He is sitting at his desk and closes his laptop when I step closer. “Hi, Summer!” He smiles brightly, and I can’t help but smile back.

“Hi, Luke.”

“Congratulations on the engagement! I’m so excited to have a sister.”

I nod and sit down on the foot of his bed. “Thanks. Listen, I need to ask you something.”

“Shoot,” Luke says, turning his chair to face me.

I cross one leg over the other. “So, I need to ask you about,” I take a breath, “ EverydayEmrys .”

Luke’s smile slowly drops, and he pales. “W-What? W-why would you need to talk to me about that?”

I uncross my legs and shift, sitting more on the edge of the bed. Luke’s eyes have gone wide, and he is gripping the arms of his chair so hard his knuckles are white. I reach out and place my hand on his knee, trying to reassure him. If he isn’t ready for people to know, I can only imagine how scared he must be right now. Luke is the kindest person I know, and I need him to know I am on his side and will continue to be forever.

“Luke. I know you run the page.”

“W-what? How do you…”

I squeeze his knee. “This can stay between you and me. But I need your help with something.”

Luke blinks, his face deathly pale. “O-okay,” he says, admitting with one word that he does, in fact, run the page.

I smile, trying to comfort him. “Are there any comments that were deleted or blocked, maybe?”

Luke’s brows furrow. Now that he has a task and something for his brain to focus on, the color returns to his cheeks a little. “I have a bot that clears messages if they’re suspected to be from another bot.”

“Can you access them even after they have been deleted?” I ask, sitting straight again and releasing his knee.

“Yes,” Luke nods, “but why? And how did you find out?”

“I’m not sure how much you know about everything that’s going on, but there have been things posted that could be helpful in the investigation into the murdered fae. I have a friend who is good with technology, and he found your IP address.”

Luke’s brows draw.

“He won’t say anything either.” Luke relaxes a little more again. “Can you print them out?”

Luke whirls in his chair and opens his laptop again. He types furiously, and then the printer whines into motion and starts churning away. Luke grabs the printouts and hands them to me. I scan them but decide it’s not the best time to do this. Folding the stack of paper, I stand.

Luke is watching me, caution and fear shadowing his eyes. My chest aches for him. I know what it means to have a secret you are sure will destroy you if people find out, but I won’t leave him alone in that place. I cup his cheek. “Luke?”

“Hm?”

My lips twitch at how similar he sounds to Connor when he does that. “We love you. Just the way you are. We all do. But this,” I place my hand over his heart, “this isn’t my secret to tell. So I will keep it for you. As long as you need.”

Luke’s chest heaves. Then he stands and pulls me into a hug, whispering shakily, “Thank you, Summer.”

I squeeze him tight. “If you ever want to talk. You know where I am.”

Luke pulls back and nods. The fear has gone from his eyes, but the sadness lingers. I stroke his cheek with my thumb before leaving the room.