Page 96 of If You Give an Artist a Killer Muse

I’m not even going to bother texting her back. I’ll just wait for her to text me something new, and then maybe I’ll answer. Maybe.

Right now, I just want some peace and quiet.

My me time.

Adjusting the pillow under my head, I make myself comfortable and start scrolling through social media. After five minutes of this, I'm already bored.

I'm about to turn off my phone to make something for dinner — Yes, I bought groceries. No, not because fucking Briar reprimanded me like some frat boy, but because I realized I had no food to eat. I’m supposed to stay healthy, right? So I did proper groceries.

Not because of Briar.

It's ridiculous even to keep thinking about her.

As if my phone could read my thoughts, a post from Natalie appears on my feed and I stare. It’s a picture of her and Oscar at this bar, and I recognize the place immediately. But it’s not them I’m zeroing in on.

It’s Briar and this fucking guy behind them, hugging each other tightly as they both grinned up at the camera.

My vision suddenly turns red.

*-*-*-*

This is not what it fucking looks like.

No, I was not on my fucking way to fucking yell at Briar and ask her why the fuck she let another man fucking touch her.

That’s not me.

I don’t give a shit.

“Touch her again, and I will punch your dick so hard, you’ll choke on your ballsack.” I snarl at the guy, wrapping an arm around Briar’s waist and pulling her toward me.

Fuck.

Again. This is not what it looks like.

I. Don’t. Give. A. Shit.

“What the hell, Rurik!” Briar has the nerve to snap at me, shoving my arm away from her.

I ignore her and wrap another arm around her again, pulling her behind me. Oscar immediately jumps and pulls Briar along, keeping her away from this prick.

“What is happening right now?” The stupid man blinks like an idiot.

His gaze darts to Briar behind me, and a low rumble echoes within my throat. He quickly looks back at me, looking more like a confused idiot.

“I thought I recognized you. Kevin, right?” I growl, ignoring Briar's attempts to stop Oscar from holding her back. I’ll deal with her later. “You’re dating Oscar’s cousin’s friend.”

The idiot's brows furrow.

“Yeah?” Kevin says slowly. “Cecilia.”

“And does Cecilia know you’re rather chummy with Briar?” I take a threatening step forward.

Silence.

Even Briar stops trying to fight against Oscar.

This time, the idiot’s face morphs into a full-on grin before he laughs.

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