Alex was grateful for that. He didn’t know how to be around her. It almost felt like they were engaged in a tug-of-war with Noah in the middle.
“Ouch.” Noah moved slowly, sliding himself out of the door. Alex steadied him as Noah straightened himself and looked around blearily. “Home,” he mumbled. “Good.”
Alex slid his arm around Noah’s waist, and they went inside. Getting up the stairs was another painful endeavor. Alex entertained the idea of carrying Noah up the stairs, but he wasn’t sure it wouldn’t cause more damage to Noah’s collarbone, so he abandoned that plan.
Hannah had run ahead of them, so the door was already propped open. Noah leaned against the wall as Alex crouched down in front of Noah and helped him take his shoes off.
“That is so not sexy,” Noah muttered.
For the first time that day, Alex felt like smiling. The pouty look on Noah’s face made the situation feel more normal.
“Really? Me on my knees in front of you is not sexy? I must be losing my game.”
Noah chuckled and immediately screwed his eyes shut. “Shit! Don’t make me laugh.”
“Come on, we’ll revisit the issue some other time. For now, let’s just get you to bed.”
“And do naughty things to each other?” Noah asked, eyes closed, a small smile playing on his lips.
“I don’t think you’re quite up to that right now.”
“But I want to,” Noah whined. “Don’t you want to have crazy-hot sex with me?”
“You get horny when you’re high. Interesting.”
“I’m not high,” Noah protested.
“Baby, you’re definitely hopped up on painkillers.”
“I just definitely want to have sex. You were supposed to do me tonight,” Noah said loudly. He frowned. “Last night? Never mind. Sex is happening.”
Hannah was getting an earful, and judging by the loud clanking coming from the kitchen nook, she was trying her best not to learn way too much about her boss’s sex life.
“How about this,” Alex said. “Bend down and touch your toes, and if you can do that, then we’ll discuss having sex.”
Noah looked down and then at Alex, a look of utter confusion on his face as he glanced at his socked feet again. “I can’t find them.”
Alex nudged him toward the bedroom. “Come on, I’ll help you locate them.”
Noah fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. Alex was standing by the bed, looking at Noah, when Hannah peeked into the room. “Listen, if you don’t need me for anything, I’m gonna go. Tomorrow’s going to be hell now that Noah’s out of commission for the foreseeable future.”
Alex walked back to the living room not to wake Noah. “Thanks, Hannah. I don’t know how to repay you for your help. Without you, I probably would have had to call the cops to find Noah.”
“You kinda did call the cops,” Hannah said with a small smile.
Alex chuckled. “I guess. Tell Sean I’m really grateful to him, too.”
“Copy that.” Hannah grabbed her bag and waved, and then it was just him and Noah. Alex went back to the bedroom and climbed into bed carefully. He pressed himself closer to Noah, and in a moment, he too was asleep.
22
Alex had only been asleep for what felt like a minute when he jolted awake. Somebody was moving around the living room. It took a moment for Alex’s groggy brain to catch up to the fact that there wasn’t actually supposed to be anybody else in the apartment, but eventually, he slid out of bed to go and check on things. He made sure that Noah was still fast asleep and went to the living area.
He found Helen in the kitchen, making coffee. She gave Alex a quick once-over. She’d calmed down from the near breakdown she’d had at the hospital. She didn’t look hostile or like she’d come to his and Noah’s place to have a fight. Feelings had been reeled in, and at least for now, it didn’t seem like the two of them would start a battle of who had more right to stay with Noah.
“Would you like a cup?” There was nothing but exhaustion and worry in Helen’s tone. Alex figured his overall appearance was the mirror image of what he saw on Helen’s face and heard in her voice.
He dragged a palm over his face to force himself to wake up a bit and nodded. “Why not.”
The silence at the table was only broken by the occasional thud of the coffee cup being placed on its surface. Alex didn’t mind the silence. He was too