Page 106 of Best Served Cold

Noah tugged open the security door.

“What floor?” I asked, steering him toward the elevators.

“Ninth.”

I punched the up button. I wasn’t a fan of elevators, but no fucking way was I dragging him up nine flights of stairs.

The door to his apartment was open when we walked up to it. A young woman who looked nothing like him stood in the doorway, arms crossed and her cheeks pink as she glared daggers at him.

“I’m sorry, Becks.” Noah hung his head and nearly slipped out of my grasp.

“Fuck.” I grunted and had to adjust my grip so he didn’t crash to the floor. “Sorry,” I said to his sister when he was steady.

Her anger melted into a look of concern. “Can you get him inside? I can’t do much to help when he gets like this.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, his head low and his feet dragging as I tried to get him moving again.

“You’re fine,” I said, my voice gruffer than usual. “Nothing to be sorry about.”

“I fucked everything up.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Becca tossed me a grateful look as she closed the door behind us.

“I did. I always do.” He sounded so sad and heartbroken it made something in me ache for him. “I’m just…I’m sorry.”

I shifted so we were chest to chest. Noah’s tear-filled eyes met mine. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” I said softly, making sure to keep my tone even and my words slow so he could take them in. “You’re not in trouble. No one is mad at you.”

“But I messed up.” His lip trembled.

“No, you didn’t. We’re just happy you’re safe. That’s it. You didn’t mess up.”

“Are you sure?”

“I promise.”

He gave me a wobbly smile. “’Kay.”

“Where’s his room?” I asked Becca.

“There.” She pointed to a door.

I didn’t miss her curious look, but ignored it. Noah could tell her whatever he wanted about me when he sobered up.

“Is his room near the kids?” I asked, just then remembering there were sleeping babies in the apartment and we needed to keep it down.

She pointed to a door across the hall and a little ways down from his. “That’s us.”

“Ready to be really quiet while we get you in bed?” I asked Noah, resettling myself by his side so I could get a good grip on him again.

He snickered. “I’ll try but we already know how shitty I am at being quiet with you.”

Becca’s forehead wrinkled in confusion.

“Maybe this time you’ll manage.”

“Is that a challenge?” he asked, his words slurring worse than before.

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