Page 36 of Take What You Want

“I won’t.” He walks out, and I call after him, “Hey, come back and shut my door!”

He does no such thing, and a few moments later, I hear the door to the garage open and close.

Damn him.

I get up to shut the door but before I flop back onto the bed to continue wallowing in my spiraling thoughts, I stop myself.

Am I seriously going to sit in a dark room by myself all night? Isn’t that the exact thing I’m trying to get myself out of?

Nikolai always says I think too much, and he’s right. He doesn’t think things through enough, but that’s besides the point.

Throwing up every single mental wall I can and shutting off every alarm that starts to blare, I grab my phone and send a text.

Me: Can I come over?

His response is quick, almost like he’s been waiting for it.

Nikolai: You know you never have to even ask LJ

I drop my phone like it burned me.

There’s no going back.

Nikolai

“I’m taking you up on your offer. If it still stands.”

I blink rapidly, unsure I’m seeing and hearing things.

Jane stands in my room, arms crossed, chin high, as she speaks. She’s in black jeans, a soft pink hoodie, and white sneakers. It’s one of her more casual outfits I’ve seen her in.

But she has a full face of makeup on, her round lips in her signature shade of dark pink. Her long, black hair is tucked behind one ear and tumbles in loose waves over the opposite shoulder.

I don’t fool myself into thinking she got ready for me. She does it for herself. But her efforts aren’t lost on me. She looks beautiful.

“Do you wanna sit?” I gesture to the lounge chair on one side of my room that sits in front of my TV.

She pushes her shoulders back and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say for the first time in my life, I’m making LJ nervous.

I suppress a smile at the thought. It usually takes a lot to ruffle her feathers.

“I’m good here,” she says.

“Fine.” I sit on the edge of my bed and lean back on my hands, tilting my head to the side as I take her in.

Her long legs fit perfectly in her jeans; like they were tailored for her. Jane is meticulous about her image, even when she’s trying to hide.

“Do you even remember what I’m talking about, or am I wasting my time?” She slides her hands into the pocket of her hoodie as she cocks a hip out.

“You’re the one who asked to come over here.”

“Nikolai.”

“Jane.”

“Ugh, can you just answer me? Otherwise, I’ll go and we can just forget this ever happened.”

“Yes.”

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