“Go jump off a cliff,” Aksel facepalmed her.
“Idiot! I almost spilled soda everywhere.”
Kaj chuckled, shaking his head.
Then Frederik smacked the guitarist’s ass, startling the three of them. “Come play with us.” He wiggled his brows.
“Why do you have to make everything sound filthy?” Aksel said, taking the glass Dahlia was handing him.
“I didn’t say anything. That’s you and your dirty mind.” Frederik laughed. “Let’s bring out the worst in you.”
At this point, Cards Against Humanity was a tradition when they were all together. Since they tried to respect Kaj’s limits with alcohol to help him in his recovery, they needed to find something else to make their nights ethically questionable, and this game that facilitated harmless consensual transgression of social boundaries was funny and exciting enough to do that. Having kids in the next room added a sense of risk to it in lieu of riding a bicycle with their eyes closed in the middle of some festival grounds to see how long they could do it—they were maturing.
“I think I’m gonna pass,” Kaj said.
“You’re a party pooper, Larsen.”
He shrugged.
“I don’t know how you’re not sick of him already,” Fredrik told Mads.
“Me neither.” He flashed Kaj a wicked grin.
Assclown.
Dahlia offered Kaj a knowing look and followed Frederik and Aksel back to the living room area. Mindlessly, as the drummer watched them walk away, his eyes landed on Noah. And just like that, the cloud that had loomed over him for weeks returned, along with the bitterness on his tongue and the pressure in his chest.Fuck him.
“Looking a bit murderous,” Mads mumbled, sidling up next to him with his ass resting on the counter.
“Huh?”
“You’re glaring at Noah like he pissed in your boots.”
“Shut up,” Kaj grunted, but there was no real heat behind it.
Mads chuckled. “Why are you so moody? The video turned out great and so far everyone is loving it. It’s like Emil barely exists anymore. You should be happy.”
“And I am.” Kaj looked at him with a forced grin, probably looking more like Jack Torrance fromThe Shiningthan an actual happy person.
“Ehm… No. But you know what I’ve noticed?”
“What?” Kaj sighed, not really wanting to hear it.
The drummer knew him well. Mads would offer his insight even if he said no, and the mocking expression he was wearing meant he was up to no good. So it was probably something stupid, ridiculous, or ridiculously stupid.
“The unresolved sexual tension between you and Noah.”
“Don’t start,” Kaj warned.
Mads glanced over at Noah, then back at Kaj. “I think he still has a thing for you, too.”
“I think you’re delirious.” Kaj rolled his eyes, fingers tightening around his glass.
“He’s been sneaking glances at you almost as much as you’ve been throwing daggers at him.”
“Cut the crap—”
Mads cupped Kaj’s nape and surged forward, cutting his witty remark when he pressed their lips together. Kaj froze. The kiss was the complete opposite of sexy. It was dry, chaste, and brief, but long enough for the orangutans taking up his apartment to holler.
