Page 3 of Fake Dating a Human 101

Heat struck Lily’s cheeks. She folded her arms. “Unreal,” she muttered. “You can’t justkeepthat gun. You’re going to give it back, right?” The chilly evening didn’t feel cold anymore, and she had the impulse to shake her shirt to cool herself. But of course, she wouldn’t be caught dead doing that in front of Shayne.

Shayne laughed without answering. He continued to laugh as he headed down the sidewalk, not even saying goodbye. He twirled the gun around his finger. Lily watched—going rigid every time the barrel swung toward him—until he turned at the end of the block and disappeared into the cool Toronto night.

It took Lily several moments of coaching herself before she was able to step into Fae Café the next morning. The bell at the door had always brought her a sense of comfort, but today it sounded like a warning siren. She clasped her hands and took in a deep breath when she was inside, inhaling the fragrance of freshly ground coffee beans and hot-out-of-the-oven strawberry turnovers. Mor glanced up from the counter and shot her a partial smile before returning his attention to the coffee pot he was half emptying into a to-go cup.

Mor had smiled. Like nothing was wrong today.

Like Shaynehadn’ttold his Brotherhood besties what he’d discovered about her last night.

Lily’s shoulders relaxed. She unclasped her hands and headed into the café. But she slowed her walk, her feet coming together when she felt the warm, phantom sensation of knuckles stroking along her arm. She cut a sharp glare over to the seat in the corner.

Shayne winked.

He was wearing a zip-up hoodie today with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He raised a coffee to his lips with theatrical slowness, keeping his gaze pinned on her as he did it. He didn’t blinkonceas he sipped. As he lowered his burgundy mug back to the table beside him.

Lily took in a deep breath and put her attention back on the things ahead—on Mor who was having a nice day, on the kitchen where the smell of turnovers wafted from, on the quiet TV sharing upcoming show previews, on Dranian coming from the back room carrying a box of paper cups. Business as usual. That was all she cared to focus on.

Not the fairy assassin in the corner wearing the exact sort of cozy sweater she loved, with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows to show the strength in his forearms, watching her keenly with hisI’m-trying-to-get-your-attentioneyes.

She cursed the day she’d admitted out loud to Kate that she liked it when guys wore sweaters. That cozy sweaters made her want to snuggle right into their chest. She still blushed whenever she thought about how she’d realized too late that all the fairies in the next room were listening, and she’d even gone as far as to admit she always noticed when guys‘pushed their sleeves up to their elbows.’

She wanted to die.

Lily bit her lips together, avoiding looking left. No, Shayne hadn’t told his brothers about what she was doing at Desmount Tech, but he was sure making her pay for her crimes in his own way.

“Are you working here today?” Lily asked Mor, putting extra effort into making this day normal. She slid a to-go cup off the stack when she reached the counter, and Mor nudged the coffee pot over.

“Just for the morning. Are you heading into work?” He sipped his coffee, but his gaze slid over tosomeonesitting in the corner. Then back to Lily.

“Yeah.” Lily only realized how unsteady her hands were when she tried to pour her coffee. She almost missed the cup. Mor’s eyes flickered to her pouring, but he didn’t say anything. She tried to lift a paper lid off the stack but ended up with three stuck together. She shook them. They were fastened like glue.

She shook it again.

Finally, Mor snatched the lids and flicked one off the top. He fastened it to her coffee cup then settled his brown-silver gaze on her.

“Queensbane, what’s going on between you two?” He nodded toward the corner of the room.

“I stole her gun,” Shayne admitted without missing a beat, causing Lily to spin and cast him a look of warning that was probably also filled with some worry and begging. She hated that fairies could hear human pulses, because right now hers rivalled the rhythm of a wild nightclub.

Mor scowled. “You’re going to get a good beating one day if you keep stealing things, Shayne. And when did you graduate from stealing trinkets to human weapons?” He reached for the cloth behind the cash register and began washing everything like he was hardly listening to himself or waiting for an answer. He got particularly focused on a stain at the end of the counter.

Lily took the opportunity to cross the café and stand in front of the sweater-wearing gun thief. He flashed her a smile that made her toes curl in her shoes. The worst part was that she couldn’t scold him. At least, not in front of the others. She heard Cress and Kate come out of the kitchen behind her, discussing something too quiet to hear. A chair squeaked where Dranian must have sat down to sort the cups.

“Where did you put my gun?” Lily asked Shayne straight-up. Instead of answering, he made a show of pushing his sleeves up a little more. “I need it. Where is it?” she tried again.

Shayne stood, making her step back. “Some place you’ll never find it,” he said. “But feel free to do a search.” He opened his arms, stretching them wide and presenting himself along with his smile. “I should warn you though, I’m pretty ticklish.”

“Wait a minute…” Kate’s words filled the café. “Is that you, Dranian? Why are you on TV?”

Shayne’s face changed. Lily was one turn away from seeing what Kate was talking about when Shayne’s arms flew around her and dragged her into a hug.

“Shayne! What are you doing?!” Lily’s words were muffled as he cradled the back of her head and smooshed her face into his shoulder.

“I’m here to make all your dreams come true, ugly Human. Feel free to snuggle happily ever after into the broad chest of a handsome male wearing a cozy sweater,” he invited. His arms were a straight jacket around her, but Lily managed to lift her head enough to see Cress yank Kate toward him the same way.

“I have something important to discuss with you, Katherine,” Cress said as he threw his weight into the kitchen doors and pulled her through with him. Kate was barely able to make a peep of protest before the doors swung closed after them.

Lily caught Shayne flicking his chin toward the TV. His eyes were tethered to someone across the room, and when Lily twisted to see, she caught Dranian on the other end.

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