Page 2 of Take What You Want

“Like I was saying, I can have our legal team come in?—”

“I actually have someone in mind to look it over for me,” I interrupt. “If that’s alright. Your team is more than welcome as well, but I have someone I’d like to take a glance at it.”

He arches a dark brow and steeples his hands. “Oh?”

I roll the sleeves of my shirt up, the room growing warm. “It’s not like I don’t trust your team, obviously.”

“Obviously,” he agrees, and I smirk.

“It’s just that I have someone that I’d like to reach out to with the task.”

“Anyone I know?”

I debate telling him, but if there are any changes she suggests, he’ll find out eventually.

“Jane Walker,” I say, darting my eyes back to the window, looking out over the rolling hills.

Arun is silent for a moment, before he repeats her name, and just hearing it from someone else’s mouth spikes a rush of adrenaline through me. “As in Walker’s sister?”

Yes, Walker’s sister. My best friend and former bandmate’s twin. Who also happens to be one of my best friends as well.

Orwas, I suppose.

She’s still a friend, but we lost the best friend status when I shattered her heart into a million little pieces years ago.

Something that I’ve regretted every single day of my life since.

And I’m finally ready to try to make amends. No, amends is the wrong word. I don’t want her to simply forgive me and be able to move past it. We’re already at that point. We’ve re-established a newfound friendship over the years for the sake of saving face in front of her brother and our other friends who have no clue that Jane and I have ever been anything more than friends.

I want her back.

I want her to be mine once again, and this time, I’m not going to fuck it up like I’ve fucked up so many other things in my life.

“You know, she’s specializing in entertainment law now and I’d like for her to look over the contract for me,” I tell him, not liking the way he’s looking at me.

“That’s all?”

“What?”

“That’s all you want from the situation?”

I lean my shoulder against the wall, casually crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t know what you’re getting at.”

He looks at me as if to say,I’m not an idiot. “You know, parts of this contract specifically cover your image in the media and cleaning that shit up. I can’t have you pulling your same old relationship bullshit out every few months. It’s not cute.”

“It’s not like that. I just want a friend who has my best interests to take a look at it for me. You know she used to look them over for us back when the band was together. And that was even before she graduated and started practicing.”

Arun raises his hands in surrender but lets out a heavy sigh that echoes off the pristine white walls. “Fine, whatever. I’ll email you a copy for you to pass along to her.” He stands, buttoning his jacket and smoothing the fabric. He cracks his neck and shakes his head as he pushes his chair into the table. “Iguess I should just be thankful that I don’t have all four of you here and the incoming shitstorm that will ensue?—”

“Nothing’s going on?—”

“I don’t wanna know. Not unless it’s going to become public knowledge and a PR headache for me. Got it?”

I fight the smile at his exasperation with me and the shit I and the guys have put him through over the years. “Got it.”

Arun mutters something under his breath as he strides out of the room, leaving me to look over the city in a moment of silence.

I don’t like it. I need something to fill it. Music, chatter, hell, even construction noise, anything.

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