Ruin (Rhodes #1) by Rina Kent

                             After he leaves, I lean against the wall and close my eyes.

                             I don’t want such muse. Why can’t it be a different muse?

                             “Stop over-thinking, Mae,” I whisper, “Just stop.”

                             It’s hard to do so when alone. Ominous thoughts plague my mind like horrible, constant howling.

                             All I need is to stop being alone.

                             Turns out I have the perfect date for that.

                             After cleaning up, I gather my belongings and exit the art studio.

                             As I walk down the marbled hallway, I stop every now and then to greet my classmates, professors, and school staff.

                             Minus the occasional student, the car park was empty. The grey sky cast a gloomy spell on the cars, muting their paint. A cold breeze makes my hair fly with the wind. I readjust my coat and scarf when an unmoving figure catches in my peripheral vision.

                             My grip tightens on the scarf, but instead of being overwhelmed by fear, a strange sense of excitement travels my limbs.

                             He’s here.

                             Pretending to fiddle into my bag, I steal a side glance and there he is, on the other side of the pavement, wearing the same hood from a week ago.

                             I’ve been catching glimpses of him over the past week, but this is probably the only time he had been this close. The hood and the distance shroud his face, but I still know it’s him.

                             The stranger from the alleyway.

                             The trigger of my darkest fantasies and a terrifying muse.

                             My feet twitch to walk his way.

                             And do what? Talk to him? Let the fantasy and the muse take me over?

                             No.

                             I close my eyes for the briefest second. That isn’t me. Everything about my excitement is wrong. I’m supposed to report him, not initiate a communication with someone sick enough to stalk me.

                             When I open my eyes, there’s no trace of him. I search my surroundings. Nothing. It’s like he vanished with the wind.

                             I slump to the driver’s seat with furrowed brows. These brief glances are starting to leave a sour taste in my mouth. Why can’t he show up more often? Or at least come talk to me and tell me what he wants.

                             Ugh. Why am I not seeing this as a horrible thing?

                             Muting my chaotic mind, I start the engine and turn the radio’s volume all the way up. Some unknown rock music blasts inside the car. I allow it to transport me anywhere but inside my thoughts.

                             Once I reach the restaurant’s car park, I dash out of my Audi. The car parked next to mine left little space, and I struggle to get my handbag out. When I finally pull it free, my keys drop to the ground.

                             With a groan, I hunch down to retrieve them. When I stand up, a finger taps on my shoulder. I jump, heart racing and chest tightening.