Page 61 of Take What You Want

We finish up the dishes, and when I go to wipe down the counters, Nikolai takes the rag from me and does it himself. I dry my hands and lean against the counter, watching the muscles in his arms flex as he scrubs. Reid catches me staring and shakes his head.

Once the kitchen is clean, smelling like the lemon dish soap, Nikolai turns to the two of us with a solemn expression.

He rubs the back of his neck and says, “I wanted to thank you guys.”

“You don’t have to—” Reid starts.

“No, I do. I know you were just deflecting the attention off me tonight. Walker’s right. You look like a hypocrite for getting on Hayden’s case about ghosting but not mine. And I don’t want you to feel like you need to take that just because they don’t know.”

Reid slides his hands in his pockets, the picture of indifference. “I don’t mind.”

“I know you don’t. But still, I should’ve just spoken up tonight.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” I say. “Not unless you’re ready to.”

His eyes shine as they look at me. “Well, I just wanted to tell you both how grateful I am for you. Not only tonight, but…”

I glance at Reid, an understanding crossing between the three of us.

“Always got your back, man.” Reid pulls Nikolai in for a slapping hug.

“I should get going,” he says when they break apart. He starts toward the front door when Nikolai stops him.

“Your guitar! Hold on, let me grab it for you.” Nikolai disappears downstairs.

I look at Reid, and he answers my silent question. “He grabbed it for me when we flew back from the last show. I didn’t travel with the band.”

“Why?”

“Everyone was pissing me off.”

I roll my eyes. “Jesus Christ, Reid. You can never make anything easy, can you?”

“It’s not my fault.”

I hold my hands up in mock surrender. “No, of course not.”

“Your brother isn’t some innocent victim, you know.”

“Never said he was. Did I not shut him down tonight?”

Reid opens the front door and leans against the open frame. His presence fills the entire thing and it usually intimidates people.

But I’ve known him since he was a moody teenager. He’s never been able to overshadow me.

He tilts his head to the side in that predatory way of us, and I mirror it back to him. “Why did you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Shut your brother down when we were fighting.”

I scoff. “I did it forhim.” I point behind me, where Nikolai disappeared. “Not for you.”

“Why did you do it for him?”

“Because he’s my friend.”

Reid cocks an eyebrow.

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