“Why are you here this weekend, anyway?”
“Because it’s also my house?” Jesper countered, grabbing a bag of ice cubes.
Kaj snorted. “You ran out of food again and came to take to-go boxes with Katja’s homemade meals, right?”
“Guilty.” Jesper laughed. “But you gotta admit, Mom is the best cook.”
“Fair.”
“By the way, if you need help with any of this”—he gestured toward their instruments—“I have a friend coming over today who works as a tech for a couple of bands during the summer.”
“Thanks, but no.” Kaj crossed his arms, practically pouting.
“Are you embarrassed?” Jesper teased.
“Why would I be?”
“How would I know? I’m not a scrawny teen,” he said, grabbing an ice cube and slipping it swiftly beneath the collar of Kaj’s T-shirt before jumping the small flight of stairs with the bag of ice cubes in hand.
“Asshole!” Kaj shouted.
Jesper laughed from inside the house. “But you love me!”
Kaj rolled his eyes.
Noah smiled.
It was cute seeing Kaj like this. He still played hard to get and didn’t want to openly admit he liked Jesper. But Noah was aware that when Kaj disagreed with their parents, he’d text his stepbrother, who almost always took his side. He’d also been hissource of information when it came to girls and sex—talking to Nik was embarrassing and Katja was a no-no.
Releasing a deep breath, Kaj turned. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Noah frowned without moving an inch from the uncomfortable position he was in with his ass on the edge of the couch and his neck bent against its back. “Okay?”
“I think I—” Kaj’s cheeks tinted a soft shade of pink. That was a first.
“What is it?” Noah asked, sitting up straight.
“I…” His mouth twisted, and he waved a hand dismissively. “Ignore me. It’s nothing.”
Noah was about to push the issue, but the garage door started lifting. A swirl of cold air and a few leaves slipped in as Kaj’s dad parked.
“Hey, boys!” Katja chirped when they got out of the car.
“Hey.” Kaj tipped his chin up. “Need help with that?”
“Nah, don’t worry,” Nikolaj said, grabbing more grocery bags than he should at once. “I’ve got this.”
“You’re going to hurt yourself, honey.” Katja chuckled. “Let me help you with that.” She grabbed a couple of things from him and walked into the house, shaking her blonde head. “Men…”
“Oh, I’ve got something to tell you guys.”
“About what?” Kaj asked.
“Give me one minute. I’ll be right back.”
The teens were left alone once again, silence falling heavy between them.
Noah was curious about what had Kaj so flustered he’d blushed and couldn’t speak, considering his usual confidence. Whether it was sports, music, or sex, his friend never had problems expressing what was on his mind and more. But at the same time, judging by all the events of the last few months, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
