"You said I was your world these past five years. What's your deal with her?"
As things got awkward, the pot-stirrer backpedaled, "Might've mixed things up."
Lily, tears welling up, was out for the truth.
James's eyes locked on hers.
He seemed torn between decisions, but it instantly vanished as she turned to walk away.
He caught her hand and drew her in. "That's nuts. You've always been the one."
Envy was thick in the air, you could hear the teeth grit.
Me? I just strolled past, "Mind stepping aside? Thanks."
He finally noticed me, eyes wide in a flash of panic, "Why are you here!"
Stunned, I just flashed my meet-and-greet ticket.
Lily Evans leaned in, all coy, "James, stop eyeballing other chicks, it makes me crazy jealous, like, seriously hurts."
James didn't go for a kiss.
He just pushed her back, holding her off like she was just some acquaintance.
He grumbled and stepped aside, letting me through, like he barely knew me.
How bizarre.
That night, James didn't roll in until way past midnight.
I was lounging on the couch, catching him chatting on his phone, totally ignoring me.
"Enough with the drama. I'll swing by, change, then come pamper you."
His shirt collar was a canvas of smeared lipstick, like a badge of dishonor.
Half an hour later, he strutted in pretending he'd just got back.
Even bleary-eyed, he mumbled some pointers for my comic's plot.
Barely had time to think it over when my editor buzzed me—my comic was trending.
#Lily Evans suspected to be the real-life muse for the comics#
Someone chimed in below.
"Check this out. I've matched up Lily's known whereabouts with the comic's key scenes. Coincidence? More like she's the living embodiment."
"Talk about art imitating life. No wonder the creator said she and her hubby cooked this up together—they're flaunting it for the world."
"Bet you, next week's chapter ditches the concert scene."
Reading through these comments, I felt a tightening in my chest.
I clicked on the fan-compiled link. Last week's chapter? Hero takes the heroine to an amusement park. Just days ago, Lily was snapped at an overseas park, not alone.
I tried calling him all that day; his phone was off the grid.
Next day, James was like, "Let's hit up the amusement park."
Last week, on a whim, I sketched a scene where the hero and heroine chase the aurora together.
Pulled an all-nighter fleshing it out.
Draft after draft, I'd show him the fresh storyboards.