Page 37 of Partnering with the Artist

“Are you in love with Mael—”

“Yes, I spent thirty thousand dollars on Maelin today! She’s going to be our little seamstress mouse and needed a suitable workshop. Stop attacking me!” What my dearly beloved brotheractuallysaid catches up to me, and I pause.

I turn.

I find him with his mouth open and his brows knitted and…

He did not know about the thirty thousand dollar expense, did he?

“Youwhat?” he croaks.

“It was in my account. It’s not a big deal. This isn’t about the bank contacting you to confirm charges or something like that?”

Mute, he slowly shakes his head.

Crisis laughs. “Hey, hey, Viktor. How much did that retreat you put together for me cost?”

He frowns. “Hey nothing. Thatmademoney in the long run. You’re not helping.”

In my defense, if Maelin wants to throw together a few fursuits for me, what I’ve done canalsomake money. But that is not the point. “Did you ask if I wasin lovewith her?”

“Yes. I did.” Pinching his brow and looking like he’s about to be sick, he mutters, “But I believe you’ve inadvertently answered my question.”

“It’s been a week and two days since we met, Viktor,” I state.

“It was instantaneous for me with Crisis.” My brother’s attention shifts toward his wife-to-be, scans her in a way that is so tender…Imight throw up. “Wanting her hit me like a bus.”

Yeah. I’m well aware. Lust crashed into his virgin brain, and he knew that it had nothing to do withwhoCrisis was, so he gave himself two full years to simmer down, learn her character, see if the feelings went away.

Or got worse.

Obviously, they got worse.

So, now, they’re engaged, and I’m soon to have a murderboard-making sister.

Happily ever after, the end.

I drone, “I do notpinefor Maelin, Viktor. My thoughts concerning the woman I confine in my bedroom for roughly seven hours a day maintain purity as flawless and pale as her angelic flesh.” I present innocence and grace as I sweep a hand to my chest. Then, I glare, biting out. “Youknowwhat our parents put me through. I don’t knowhowto be attracted to awoman. It’s just…muscle groups and bones andskin. Analyzing textures and pores and every fine hair. How quickly we forget that I don’t have a soul. How am I supposed to fall in love without one of those?”

Even when I’m teasing her about kisses, it’s all just going through the motions, mimicking the content I’ve researched for my own work. I’m putting on aromantic act. Because we’re practicing to present lovey-dovey nonsense in front of her useless idiot ex.I’m numb to all of it.

I’m numb to most things.

“Thirty thousand dollars, Zakery. Thirty thousand dollars, and a job for her sister, and going out on the weekend, and who knows what else,” Viktor murmurs, voice low, gentle, coaxing. Like I’m a wild animal about to bite. “Like you said, it’s only been a week and two days.”

“She…amuses me.” I turn back to my cabbage, cut into it, chop the bits into strands. “What’s the point of this? So what if I am in love with her and don’t realize it because I don’t know what that feels like? What then? Are you going to recommend I wait two years to make sure this amusement holds?”

“No.”

“Well?”

“I’d ask if there’s anything you need from me. Anything I could do to support you while you figure out your feelings. It’s…hard, dealing with new feelings. The world we grew up in didn’t teach us a lot of things about regulating our emotions, especially as we face foreign ones. I want to be there for you, unquestionably, just like you’ve been there for me whenever I ask for your help.”

I close my eyes as a wave of unfamiliar pressure builds inside me. “I appreciate that, Viktor.”

“Also, please stop dropping thirty grand on someone you’ve just met. Two years might be pushing it, but can you at least givethis a month?”

His gruff tone jerks a smile out of me. Opening my eyes, I continue chopping my cabbage as I say, “No. Absolutely I cannot.”

---