Page 47 of Take What You Want

Not only because of my close brush with death, but also being from Pittsburgh. The long winters and short days make you grateful for the vitamin D.

“Nikolai?” Arun calls out.

“Hmm?”

“Are you listening?”

“To your polite small talk bullshit? No.”

A hand whacks my shoulder and I peek one eye open to see Jane’s incredulous face. I smirk at her then turn my attention to Arun.

He shakes his head. “You haven’t returned my emails or texts this week.”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes.” I’ve spent almost every waking hour in the studio, both my home one and one downtown that I like.

“Well, Kerra’s people are hounding me, and we need to give them an answer.”

I straighten up. “About what?”

“Your relationship with her.”

Jane coughs but quickly tries to cover it. She twirls one of her rings and scans the lush landscaping in front of my house as if it’s a famous painting in a museum.

I glare at Arun, but he keeps his face carefully blank. “We’re not in a relationship.”

“She wants one.”

“And I don’t. You don’t seriously think it’s a good idea, do you?”

He hesitates, and I gape at him. “I want what’s best for you. I always have.”

“And you think this would be what’s best?”

He shakes his head. “There are pros and cons. I want you to make this decision yourself as you’re the one who would have to play into it. But I think it’s something you shouldn’t write off automatically.”

Jane kicks a loose rock with her foot and I dart my eyes over to her, already preparing to plead with her that this isn’t how it looks. She meets my gaze and I hate the way the spark that was in her eyes when she hopped off the bike only moments ago has dimmed.

I’ve done that to her.Again.

“I don’t want?—”

“Take the rest of the weekend to think about it,” he cuts in. “But come Monday, I need an answer. Got it?”

I bite the inside of my cheek and nod. Bitterness, no matter how unfair it is, sweeps through me that he ruined this moment for us. Ever since she called me to see if she could stay at my place, I’ve been buzzing, thinking about bringing her home tonight and having her back in my orbit.

But watching her face fall when Arun opened his mouth killed that.

“Fine. Anything else?” I ask him, making sure he knows by my tone that he better not have anything else he wants to discuss.

He shakes his head, murmurs a goodbye to Jane, and hops in his car. As he peels out of the driveway, Jane walks over to the SUV and peers inside.

“Your bags are already inside.” I had shown Hendrik before we left to pick Jane up which room she’d be staying in and to take her bags there once he got back.

She nods and follows me into the house.

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