Page 49 of Kissing Chaos
“About that, she’s drunk,”Jace says over the music playing in the background.
I straighten, not believing he’s telling the truth. “Who’s drunk?”
“Jett. Who else?”
I end the call without another word. I stand from the couch, scratching Sadie’s head again where she rests it on the armrest, and walk over to the counter, snatching up my keys before heading out and down to the bar. “Don’t eat the couch, mutt,” I mumble on the way out.
As I slip through the door of Riley’s, my eyes immediately start searching for green eyes, but I don’t find them. Instead, I find Jace’s eyes already locked on me and make my way over to him at the bar.
“What the hell, man? Where’s Jett?”
“She’s in the back office with Kelsey.”
“That answers the second part. Who the hell kept pouring drinks?”
Jace straightens into his full height in warning. I know better than to push him on alcohol intake. Of course, he takes that shit seriously.
“No, Noah. You don’t get to come into my place of business and be an asshole. I called you as a courtesy when I could have easily called Reece instead.” He holds my stare for another moment before I release a breath and my clenched fists. “She’d been drinking before she came here. Kelsey was working in the back, and I just came in about twenty minutes ago. My bartender didn’t realize she was already intoxicated until it was too late.”
My hand scrubs over my face as I try to make sense of this all. “Assuming you’re wanting me to get her home?”
He shoves a thumb over his shoulder. “Kelsey’s back there with her. According to your girl, boys are icky.”
“She’s not my girl,” I automatically correct, but Jace just snorts.
“Fine, man. Go get your not-girl off my office couch before she pukes again. Otherwise, you’re cleaning it.”
I’d argue, but I just want to get my, erm, Jett home. I slip behind the bar and around the corner to Jace’s office. I knock twice on the door frame before slipping inside to see Kelsey wiping a wet rag along Jett’s forehead. Jace’s twin looks up as I come into view.
“Oh, thank heavens. If I have to deal with one more bout of vomit, I may just join her on the bathroom floor.”
I gently remove the cloth from Kelsey’s grasp and take her place, gingerly shoving Kelsey in the opposite direction. “You shouldn’t be dealing with anyone’s bodily fluids.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “I’ve been healthy for years, No. I’m fine to help a friend. Promise.”
I let out a grunt of acknowledgment, my focus now solely on getting the less-than-lucid girl up to my loft. I run my fingers through Jett’s loose tendrils, an even bigger red flag than the alcohol. Unless I take it down, she rarely lets her hair out of a ponytail. “Hey, gorgeous. Wakey, wakey.”
Her eyes flutter open long enough to recognize me, what can only be classified as a silly grin lighting her face before her eyes slip closed again. “Sexy elevator man. Comin’ to save me again?”
“Looks like it, sweet girl. I’m going to carry you home, okay?”
She hums in response, and I take that to be her consent to move her. I lift her into my arms and turn to Kelsey, who is still hanging out. “Can you open the back door for me? I’ll go out the back way to keep the gossip down, but I want to know what the hell happened out there tonight.”
She starts walking toward the back door to open it like I ask. “I’ll make sure Jace gives you the rundown later,” she offers as I slip out the door with a once again sleeping Jett in my arms.
As I make the short walk back to my backyard and slip through the gate and up the stairs to the back door, she only stirs once, sinking closer into my chest and fisting my shirt in her hand.
This girl is going to be the end for me. No doubt in my mind.
***
I’d do anything for this girl.
I have no right to that thought. Hell, I can’t even convince her to label us. I know better than to pester her about it—no means no—but her reasoning for saying no isn’t me. She’s still convinced she isn’t worth it. Whatever happened in her last relationship has her so torn up that nothing I’ve said has made purchase in her mind yet, but I can feel her getting more and more comfortable with me and around my place.
But the sight before me burns in a way I haven’t felt before. It has me wanting answers as to why this girl was three sheets to the wind at six p.m. on a Sunday. I have Jett tucked into my bed with a towel covering the pillow and a trash can next to the bed. Sadie has curled her entire fifty-pound body behind Jett’s knees, snout resting on her calves.
I already texted my boss letting him know that I would not be in tomorrow and that if he needed something, he could kiss my ass. I rarely take time off and never take sick days, so he can figure out how to survive one day without me on the job. The next text I send is to a number I never thought I’d use again. Honestly, I’m surprised it’s still in my phone.
