Chapter 4

Noah’s hand stilled halfway to the table.

Kai was already looking up. Did I hear that right?

“What?” Noah asked, obviously surprised too.

Noah looked up slowly.

Mr. Singh didn’t hesitate. “His school is in the city. It makes more sense for him to stay with you for now.”

Stay… with him?

With the man who had fucked him so hard he was still sore, stay with him??

Kai’s grip slipped; metal knocked softly against porcelain.

Noah’s eyes flicked toward the sound.

Then to him.

And stayed there.

Noah let out a short laugh, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes. The “ you can't be serious” kind of laugh.

Brielle blinked. “Oh.”

Finn looked amused. “Well, that should be interesting.”

Noah let out a short laugh.

“No.”

Kai’s stomach dropped. Oh…God.

Mr. Singh looked at him. “No?”

“No,” Noah repeated. “He can stay here.”

“It’s two hours from his school.”

“Then rent him an apartment.”

“He’s family,” Mr. Singh cut in calmly.

Noah’s jaw flexed.

Kai saw it, that tiny shift under his skin, and shifted in his seat, jerking back when his knee nearly knocked the underside of the table.

“He’s adopted,” Noah said. “Yesterday.”

“And that changes what exactly?”

“You’re asking me to live with him,” Noah said slowly, like he still couldn’t believe this was happening.

“ I'm not asking, young man I am stating.”

“You can't just make decisions that involve me without asking me about it first”.

“I didn't see any reason to ask you about it, he is your brother,” Mr. Singh said calmly.

“He is not my brother, Dad,” Noah replied, his hands curled into a fist slightly. “I don't fucking know him”.

Oh…God Kai thought watching the argument between them both, not daring to say a word or even breathe loudly.

“He is a good boy, you won't have any problem with him,” Mr. Singh said.

Good boy? Him? A fucking escort? Noah thought scoffing lightly at the word “good boy”.

“This argument is pointless, Noah. He will be living with you and that's the end of the story.”

Silence fell again, tight enough that Kai could hear his own heartbeat in his ears

“You’re asking me to live with…a fucking stranger?”

“He is not a stranger, he is your brother,” Mr. Singh said calmly.

Noah sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“I’m not a kid anymore, Dad.”

Mr. Singh’s voice remained steady.

“And I’m still your father.”

“That doesn’t mean you get to decide who lives in my house.”

“You live in a house I bought.”

Finn coughed quietly into his hand.

Brielle shook her head. “Let’s not start a war at breakfast.”

Noah ignored her.

Kai sat perfectly still.

“This is ridiculous,” Noah muttered his hands went into his hair in frustration.

Mr. Singh stood.

“This discussion is over.”

Noah’s jaw tightened.

“He will stay with you until the semester ends.”

The table went silent. Noah glared at his father like he was being sold off.

Kai rolled his eyes slightly “It's not like I want to live with him, too. Why is he so worked up”. Kai muttered lightly, just enough for only him to hear.

Noah finally looked at Kai.

Really looked.

Kai immediately dropped his gaze.

“Fine,” Noah said.

Brielle smiled. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

“But if this becomes a problem,” Noah continued calmly, “he’s out.”

Mr. Singh nodded.

“You both should get along well” Mr. Singh said.“Noah, don't be too hard on the poor boy”.

I'm actually fucked, Kai thought but there was nothing he could do.

“Poor boy uh” Noah thought, “more like a fuck boy.”

Brielle stirred her coffee.

“Speaking of family,” she said casually, “how is Michelle doing?”

Michelle?

Who is that? Kai thought looking between Noah and Mr singh

The table grew quiet.

Kai noticed Noah’s shoulders stiffen.

Mr. Singh answered before Noah could.

“She is the same.”

Finn asked carefully, “Still not recognizing people?”

Mr. Singh shook his head.

“No.”

Brielle sighed.

“That must be difficult,” Brielle said softly, her glass halfway to her mouth.

Noah picked up his glass and drank the water in it in one go.

“She has good days,” he said shortly.

Okay…now they are actually discussing family matters and I should probably just keep quiet. Kai thought, sitting back in his chair.

Brielle gave Noah a gentle look.

“Have you visited her recently?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“She asked me where my father was.”

Brielle smiled faintly. “Well, that’s something.”

Noah didn’t respond.

Finn cleared his throat.

“Anything new?” Finn asked, his voice soft and laced with concern.

“No,” Mr. Singh said.

Brielle shook her head sadly.

“Michelle was always so lively.”

Noah pushed his chair back.

“I should start packing.”

Kai watched him stand.

Mr. Singh looked at Kai.

Noah paused behind Kai’s chair.

Go pack your bags, be back here in an hour” Noah said to Kai already walking away.

“Don't be late like yesterday or you will have to take the public bus,” Noah said glaring at him.

Kai couldn't say anything,he just stood there staring at the retreating back of the man who had fucked him crazy.

Brielle smiled at Kai again.

“Don’t worry,” she said. “Living with Noah isn’t as terrible as he makes it sound.”

Finn grinned.

“Depends on the day.”

Finn leaned toward Kai.

“First day in the family and you’re already moving in with him.”

Kai let out a small nervous laugh.

“Apparently.”

Brielle waved a hand dismissively.

“He’ll warm up eventually.”

Finn shook his head.

“No he won’t.”

Brielle glared at him.

“Stop scaring the poor boy.”

Kai stood up.

“I should go pack.”

Mr. Singh nodded.

“Yes, you should.”

Kai dropped his fork and pushed the chair back, the chair scraping against the tiled floor lightly.

As soon as he stepped into the hallway he muttered under his breath.

“Fucking asshole.”

Kai kept replaying it in his head… how Noah had argued with his father about living together like he was some kind of inconvenience, like Noah hadn’t…

He reached his door which was opposite Noah's and glared at the door.

Kai pushed the door open to his room, picking up his bag and throwing it rather aggressively on the bed.

“Slut uh…” Kai muttered, shoving his shirts into the bag harder than necessary.

“Fucking asshole” he muttered into the empty room. “With a big ass dick,” he said, chuckling, his thoughts trailing back to last night. The huge size of Noah's…

“Oh, Kai shut the hell up.” He muttered with a slight slapping his hands against his forehead.

Less than an hour later, Kai hurriedly made his way to the living room but Noah wasn't there

“Talking about punctuality and he isn't here yet uh.”

Minutes passed and still no sign of Noah, Kai stood up ready to go look for him when he walked in.

“I've been waiting here for minutes,” Kai said, expecting an apology which Noah didn't give.

“Yeah that should make up for yesterday, I waited hours” Noah said heading towards the door.

What the hell is he saying? Kai picked up his bags anyway following Noah out.

Kai stood beside Noah’s car with his bag hanging awkwardly from his hand, hesitating too long over the door.

“Back,” Noah said without looking at him, already reaching for the driver’s side.

Kai nodded quickly and slid into the rear seat, heat crawling up his neck as the smell of Noah’s cologne hit him before the door even shut.

The drive started in silence, and Kai fixed his gaze on the window before it could drift to the back of Noah’s head, thrown back against the pillow, mouth open, that sound, his eyes squeezed shut as his thighs pressed together hard enough to ache.

“Stop fidgeting,” Noah muttered.

Kai blinked, already forcing himself deeper into the seat. “I’m not…”

“You are.”

Another stretch of silence.

“This is actually crazy, you know?” Noah asked suddenly.

Kai leaned forward slightly. “What?”

“This whole thing,” Noah said. “Showing up at breakfast as if nothing happened.”

“I didn’t know you were going to be there!”

“You didn’t know you were adopted by my father either?”

Kai opened his mouth. Closed it.

“I didn’t know he had a son,” he said quietly.

Noah scoffed.

More silence…

“Do they know?”

Kai frowned. “Know what?”

Noah’s eyes met his through the rearview mirror, sharp, accusing, and Kai’s stomach dropped before he could look away.

“What do you do for work?”

“I don’t…”

“Still denying it uh?”

“Denying what exactly?” Kai asked, frustrated.

Noah scoffed at him, “Yeah, whatever, slut”.

“Wait…” Kai said suddenly, realization hit so fast it almost made him dizzy.

Kai leaned forward. “You don't think I’m an escort do you?”

Noah didn’t answer.

“Oh my God,” Kai said, dragging a hand over his face. “I came to tell you your door was open!”

Noah’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

“Yeah that would explain why you were in my room” Noah said obviously not believing Kai

“You told me to come in!”

“You didn’t say no!”

“You said strip!”

“You stripped!”

Kai fell back into the seat with a groan. “I thought it was a mix-up!”

“And you still stayed?”

Kai flushed, voice dropping.

“…we probably weren’t going to meet again.”

Noah let out a dry laugh.

“Yeah,” he said. “Well. Look how that worked out.”