Page 87 of This Is Not True Love’s Kiss

“I know, and that’s why I’m falling in love with you.”

I stiffened, and he immediately pulled his hand back, his eyes wide like he couldn’t believe he’d just admitted that.

“I—” I started, panic seizing me.

“I do,” he said, face so very serious. “Love you.”

The words sat there on my tongue, but I couldn’t get them to come out, so I just smiled, tugged him to me, and kissed him so hard and so thoroughly that I hoped he hadn’t realized I didn’t say the words back.

CHAPTER 47

Aoife

“So you didn’t say it back to him?” Marsten asked as I paced back and forth in front of him.

“Is it bad?” I bit my nails.

“Well, it’s not good,” he said from where he sat on the couch in Ceri’s dress shop.

“Stop scaring her.” Niamh shoved Marsten from where she sat next to him.

“Nothing scares Aoife the Warrior Queen.” Meera lifted her head from where she lay on the floor, stretched out and looking like she hadn’t a care in the world.

That clearly wasn’t true. This—Lor’s profession—terrified me.

Ceri appeared in the door that led to the upstairs apartment, holding a tray full of radishes, turnips, carrots, and roasted sweet potatoes, a creamy yogurt dish in the center with flecks of green that I knew was fresh dill. A Fair Folk recipe she’d gotten from our family dinner the other night.

“What’s wrong?” Ceri frowned as she set the tray down on the table in front of the couch. “Why does everyone look so sullen?”

“Well, we did just get news that the brotherhood are less than a week’s trek from our doorstep.” Marsten tapped his chin. “And that it’s almost certain they know where we are and are planning to attack once they get here. And that they might be bringing an army of the dead with them?”

Ceri’s face paled. “Is that all?”

“Also Lor professed his love to Aoife and she didn’t say it back,” Enid said from the other side of Marsten.

Her pet vine, which was coiled around the back of the couch lifted its tail and poked her. “What? She asked.” Enid leaned forward and grabbed a carrot slice, popping it in her mouth.

Vine just shook its head and lay back down.

“Well, the brotherhood part is very bad. The Lor part? That’s not so bad,” Ceri said, and from the way her voice wavered, I could tell she was lying.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Marsten said. “Amazing given how well you lied to yourself for years about your feelings for Cillian.”

Ceri rolled her eyes and dropped into the arm chair next to the couch.

“Did someone say wine and cheese night?” Margaret appeared in a painting behind us.

Marsten wrinkled his nose, looking at the plate that sat in front of us. “Well, it’s more like wine and vegetable night . . .”

“I wanted to make this yogurt dip from our family dinner.” Ceri leaned forward and dipped a sliced radish in it. “It was so delicious. I’ve been dreaming about it ever since.”

“I feel sick.” Niamh held her belly. “Oh wait, no, I think I’m hungry.”

“You can’t even drink wine or eat cheese,” Marsten said to Margaret.

“Oh, I know. But wine and cheese night means gossip.” She trilled out the last word. “And I need something to distract me with this looming brotherhood attack.”

I scrubbed a hand down my face. This was a disaster, and I wished I’d never told any of these people my predicament. But I hadn’t seen Lor since that day at the border that he’d made me come with his fingers. Afterward, he’d given me a gentle kiss and told me he’d see me later, but then he never came to my room that night, and he didn’t invite me to his.