Page 34 of If You Give an Artist a Killer Muse

“Leave me alone.”

“That song is overplayed. Next.”

He shakes his head and continues looking straight ahead.

A nasty thought suddenly drowns my mind, and piercing anger rushes through me.

I grab his wrist, forcing him to stop walking. He whirls around with a grunt and growls, “What the hell?”

“Is it because you’re already taken?”

“What the fuck?”

“You have a girlfriend? Boyfriend? A fling?”

Rurik stares at me, his eyes widening as my questions wash over him. I let him go and cross my arms, waiting. He looks away, muttering something under his breath before returning to me.

“Yes, I have a girlfriend.”

Cue the sounds of cars crashing and my heart exploding into billions of pieces.

I expect him to laugh at my stunned face and say, “Haha! Just kidding! It's you, my beautiful, crazy girl! You're my girlfriend. I’m yours!”

But he doesn’t. He only continues to stare back at me.

I chuckle softly, staring at Rurik as if he didn’t just rip my fucking heart out and stomp it like a bug. But he wouldn’t do that, would he? Rurik’s the type of person that wouldn’t hurt a fly. Except he’s breaking my heart. Literally and figuratively.

He lifts his chin with an air of arrogance. “What’s so funny?”

I purse my lips to stop them from grinning again. “Sorry, I have hearing problems thanks to my work. I'm pretty sure it’s just earwax, but I thought I heard you say something ridiculously impossible like you have a girlfriend that isn’t me.”

Rurik’s brow twitches before crossing his arms. “I do.”

I scoff, “No, you don’t.”

“How the hell would you know?”

Because I’ve been watching over you, angel.

“Because those girls wouldn’t have existed by now.”

“Jesus. Fuck, you’re a damn psychopath, aren't you?”

“Sweet talking won't work this time, angel. Who is it?”

“What?”

“Your so-called girlfriend.” When he didn’t answer me immediately, I start naming names I’d seen tagged him on social media. “Is it Poppy?”

“Who?”

“Aelin, then.”

“Who — What the hell are you talking about?” His gorgeous face scrunches up in confusion.

“Don’t tell me it’s Adeline.”

“What are you… Are you naming my cousin? From Scotland?”

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