Cupping the back of his neck, Kaj bent Val over, trapped him in a front headlock as he playfully punched his side, only making him laugh harder. “Shut it.”
“You’re so easy to tease!” Val was cackling like a madman at this point. “Noah is handsome, but in a rougher way. So, you see, we have different taste in men. You can keep him all to yourself.”
“Shut up.” Kaj continued punching him, but to anyone who saw the scene, they probably looked more like he was tickling Val.
“I’m just saying,” Val started, shaking with a silent chuckle as he smoothed his frizzy and wild long hair after freeing himself from Kaj’s grip. “It’s been a lifetime since, well… since you cheated and all that.”
Kaj winced at the lie he’d told Val and Theo about the real reason he and Noah had broken up and the reality behind it all.
“If after so many years you’re still hung up—”
“Not even close.”
“Attracted, call it what you want.” Val huffed. “Maybe it’s time you two consider sitting down and talking it out or fucking it out of each other—whatever rocks your boat. Something like what you had… That’s not easy to find, and clearly neither of you ever got over it.” He shrugged, acting nonchalant, but the melancholy flash in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed.
Kaj was about to retort when the door beside them flew open, and some of Artificial Suicide’s crew walked out.
“There you are!” Markus said, looking at Val. “I thought we’d lost you. We’re going to the bus, you coming?”
“Yeah.” Val nodded. “Night, Kaj.”
Since the crew party had to arrive at the next location before the band to set up the stage, rig the equipment, and prepare the venue for the show, their bus call was usually earlier, so they didn’t hang out late most nights.
“Night, night, Larsen,” Frederik echoed.
Watching them walk away, Kaj lit up another cig and stood beside the back exit door. He waited there until both Artificial Suicide and the Dreadful guys came out, and dragged him to a nightclub in the middle of the city, where they’d reserved the VIP lounge.
Despite how comfortable their bunks were—considering—Kaj wasn't looking forward to tuck himself in his. But being in this place with Noah, surrounded by sweaty bodies, alcohol, and blasting music while Val's words swirled in his mind, was making him feel an amalgamation of nervous frissons.
A second chance.
Was that even possible?
Twelve
Kaj’sheadwaspounding,and his mouth was dry when he woke up for the umpteenth time in the past seven hours. The bunk bed felt suffocating as memories of the previous night came rushing back.
He groaned and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. He refused to dwell on Val’s words or the confusing mix of emotions they’d stirred. There was nothing between him and Noah—nothing real, anyway. It was just an obsession born from their complicated history and the forced proximity on tour. Nothing more.
Switching on his phone’s flashlight in the pitch-black sleeping zone, Kaj climbed down from his bunk, careful not to wake the others. But then he saw Noah dead asleep on the bed across from his. The vocalist had never been a fan of confined spaces. That was probably why he’d half-opened the curtain that helped give them some privacy in this already tight area of the bus. Entranced by the peace he radiated, Kaj’s eyes roamed over his face—disheveled hair, perfect brows, slightly parted full lips…
Kaj tore his gaze away, scowling at his own weakness.
There were more important things to think about than this man. Like the huge show they had tonight in Philadelphia with a meet-and-greet included, for example.
Walking into the front lounge, Kaj went directly to the kitchenette. It smelled like coffee, but the pot was empty. Either he was going completely nuts or his brain was too needy for its caffeine dose and was imagining things now. Judging by his track record, Kaj leaned toward the latter.
After making sure enough water was in the coffee maker reservoir, Kaj added ground coffee to the filter and turned on the machine. He stood there as it hummed, blankly staring out the window while the urban landscape unfolded before him. Skyscrapers pierced the blue sky, glass facades reflecting the morning sunlight. It was a few minutes past noon, and the streets were buzzing with commuters probably going out for lunch, a sea of people flowing through the concrete jungle.
Shaking his head to pull himself out of that mental fog, Kaj grabbed the sweats and hoodie he’d left lying in the dining booth the day before and put them on.
Once the pot was full, he poured himself a steaming mug of coffee. The warm, nutty, lightly caramelized, bitter smell seeped into him as he cradled it close. Kaj plopped down on the bench and sighed. With silence and one of his favorite things wrapping around him like a comforting blanket, life was perfect… until the door that separated the front lounge and the sleeping area slid open.
His heartbeat quickened as Noah appeared in the doorway. Strands of hair were stuck up at odd angles and there were also faint imprints of pillow creases on one cheek. And yet, he was the most stunning creature walking on Earth.
“Morning,” Noah mumbled hoarsely.
“Hey,” Kaj managed, grimacing at how stiff his voice sounded.
