Page 60 of Take What You Want

“It is my business when this shit is affecting all of us!”

“James.” I slice my hand through the air between them, then glare at my brother. “Drop it.”

Surprise flashes across his face, followed by hurt, and I wish I could explain. We always have each other's backs, and he knows I don’t agree with what Reid has done to Scar and how he has treated his friends lately.

But I will never betray Nikolai’s trust. Not when it comes to what happened last year.

“What are you—” Walker starts.

“I said, drop it.” My tone brokers no arguments, and he knows it. Huffing, he sits back in his chair and throws back the last of his beer.

Hayden’s quiet and calculating gaze scans my face, then jumps to Reid, then finally over to Nikolai, whose skin has turned pale and lost the usual glow. He appears confused, like he’s looking at puzzle pieces with no picture of how they fit.

I purse my lips, taking a sip of wine. If he wants answers, that’s up to Nikolai to share with him.

They may be best friends, but Reid and I were the ones to witness that devastating night.

The water burns my skin, but I welcome it. Nikolai’s dishwasher is in perfect order, but I prefer to hand-wash tonight. It’s meditative and after how quickly that dinner went up in flames, I could use a task to keep my mind and hands busy.

Shortly after I cut Walker off, he and Scar left, followed quickly by Hayden and Carter. Reid stormed outside and sat by the pool, staring into the depths with his head hung low.

Nikolai tried to help me clear the table, but I shooed him away. He looks unsteady on his feet, and I told him to go take a breather.

I’m only halfway through the pile of dishes when a warm body steps up to my right. But the scent is spicier, muskier than what I was expecting.

“You’d think with a law degree you’d know how to operate a dishwasher.” Reid’s voice is monotone as he picks up a towel and dries off a freshly cleaned serving platter.

“You’d think after you just pissed off half of your friends, you’d be a little nicer to the one still standing here,” I shoot back, not looking up from the soapy depths of the sink as I scrub at a baking sheet.

He chuckles darkly and mutters, “Touché.”

We work in silence; me washing and him drying. Only the sound of running water and clink of dishes as he stacks them fill the spacious kitchen. The room darkens as the sun finishes its descent in the sky.

“That could’ve gone better,” Nikolai says, walking down the stairs and across the living room to where Reid and I work. “Guess we don’t have to tell Arun to pause that breakup draft.” He flips a switch and lights flood from underneath the cabinets, bathing the room in a soft glow.

His shoulders are pushed back as he comes to stand by the island and watches the two of us with a contemplative expression.

“Guess not,” Reid mutters, stacking a plate with more force than necessary.

“Watch the dishes, man,” Nikolai scolds.

“Not like you can’t afford new ones. And I don’t see you helping.”

Nikolai steps between us, rolling up his sleeves, but I push him back with a gentle hand. I cringe when I see the wet handprint left behind. “Sorry.”

He glances down and shrugs. “You never have to apologize for putting your hands on me, LJ.”

I laugh at his familiar playful flirting, happy to see this version of him is back. Not the shell he turned himself into during the dinner.

“Dinner was delicious tonight. Thank you for cooking,” Nikolai says. He grabs a stack of clean and dried dishes and puts them away.

“No problem. Your kitchen is a dream. My one back home is so tiny, I barely have enough room to make cereal.”

“Yet another reason why you should finally just move here.”

I shoot Nikolai a look. He’s been laying it on thick lately, and I have to stop my heart from the extra skip it wants to take at the idea that he wants me close by.

Just friends. He’s saying it as a friend.

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