Zach grinned.
The rest of the night flew by smoothly. Their group ended up with ten people and about three different conversations going on at the same time in between headbanging through the concerts, mosh pits, and a couple of Backstreet Boys slip-ups during changeovers. The pub was crowded, which would have normally been an issue—Noah didn’t like his personal space being invaded like this—but surprisingly enough, the air wasn’t too laden with sweat, so it didn’t feel as cramped. So, despite Kaj being around, talking to Val and Theo like he hadn’t left them behind two years ago, he enjoyed himself. He even had the chance to grope Zach’s ass and rub his crotch against him without giving everyone a lewd show.
He was having fun... until he wasn’t.
With his bladder about to explode, he made his way to the restroom. Noah was unzipping his jeans when the space filled with harsh drumming and indistinct riffs as the door creaked open. He looked to the side, only to see Kaj’s reflection approaching him.
“Fuck,” Kaj muttered. “What are you doing here?”
“Last time I checked, this was a public bathroom.”
There was a sharp intake of air behind him, and Noah allowed himself a small, triumphant smirk. If he had no other choice but to be around him, the least he could do was entertain himself alittle. Though now he wasn’t sure he wanted to take a leak. Not with this man in the room. But after a brief glaring contest, and against his better judgment, when Kaj settled two urinals away, Noah decided he didn’t care. Maybe it was the alcohol running through his veins—enough to make him bold, but not so much that he’d be hungover tomorrow. Whatever. He might as well see what he’d missed.
Finally freeing himself, a great relief overcame him as he let it flow. He managed to ignore the grimy floor and the tiled walls covered in graffiti, and even blocked out Kaj and the sound of his belt buckle as he undid it. But his presence and the intensity of his stare were so overbearing that Noah almost had to think consciously about what he was doing. It was as if this jackass could affect something that was physiological.
“See something you like?” Noah tossed at him with a mix of amusement and malice.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Kaj scoffed, zipping up his jeans. Then he walked toward the sinks and turned on the tap. “It’s actually kind of infuriating having to see your fucking face all night. But it is what it is, I guess.”
“So petty.”
“It’s not pettiness.”
“Enlighten me,” Noah said as he tucked himself and stood beside him to wash his hands. “What is it, then? Resentment? Hatred? Jealousy?”
“As if.” Kaj shook the water from his hands and ripped a paper towel. “You were nothing but a bad habit.”
Noah clenched his jaw as he mimicked him. But he didn’t retreat, just turned around and held his gaze. “You’re so full of shit.”
“Aw, did that hurt?”
“Could you, I don’t know, be nice once in a fucking blue moon?” He crossed his arms and leaned his hip against the counter. “Or will it give you an aneurysm?”
“Look, I’m not gonna revisit history with you,” Kaj said, tossing the paper towel aside. “And I’m not gonna be nice simply because it makes you comfortable. Suck it up or leave.”
“I don’t think comfort will ever be a thing when you’re around. But anyway, what I’m trying to say is that, since we have friends in common and we might keep bumping into each other from time to time, we could,maybe, try to make this whole situation”—he flicked a finger between them—“more bearable for the rest.”
“I haven’t heard anyone complaining. And I don’t owe you anything.”
“You don’t have a right to be mad at me. You’re the one who fucked up things between us,” Noah spat. “Stop playing the victim and own up to your mistakes. You wanted out, just didn’t have the guts to admit—”
His voice was cut off when Kaj stormed toward him, grabbing him by the neck with both hands and shoving his back against the wall. The dull thud and his grunt echoed in the room as their eyes plunged into each other. Kaj grimaced, but the pain in his gaze almost instantly morphed into a menacing expression.
“You self-absorbed bastard…” he gritted, narrowing the space separating them, a leg wedged between Noah’s and their mouths so close he could smell the alcohol on his breath. “You don’t get to talk about what I want.”
“Fuck,” Noah gasped, hands wrapping instinctively around Kaj’s forearms. “Let go of me, Larsen.”
“I’m not the same guy you used to know. So, don’t push it.”
As if oxygen wasn’t reaching his brain anymore, Noah said, “Is that supposed to be a threat?”
Kaj’s gaze darkened, and his body pressed harder against Noah’s. “Are you gonna stop taunting me, or do youreallywanna see what I’m capable of?” His voice lowered an octave, becoming a growl that vibrated through Noah’s entire being.
He couldn’t breathe. But instead of his survival instincts kicking in, instead of fighting back, his blood traveled south and thickened his traitorous dick. He hated himself and this man so much right now, but he couldn’t help it when his eyes fixed on his mouth. He yearned to lick and savor it. He yearned to see if he still tasted the same.
“Fuck you.”
As he said that, Kaj squeezed his throat even harder, not a trace of hesitation in his grip. And, in the middle of this induced daze, Noah’s heart cracked.
