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When we reached our entryway, I hip-checked the laser reader, hoping for enough contact to unlock the door I heard a reassuring click, and stepped up to open the door Bella stumbled over the ht one or both of us was going to end up on the tile floor

"Whoa," I said, steadying us I peered up the stairs "Come on, now," I whispered "Almost there" With Bella still tucked under my arm, we reached the first stair step

With a hand on the railing, she dragged herself up the first five or six steps Then she stopped "Just leave me here," she said, her voice low

"No can do," I replied

She actually gave me a little shove with her hip "Go"

There was no way in hell I would walk away from her Maybe I hadn’t knohat to say or do since our crazy night together I’d probably handled things pretty badly But I knew exactly what to do right now

Instead of arguing with Bella, I stepped into her space I benther into the air

For one shocked second, she said nothing I slung her overwith an to climb

"Down," she insisted to ave htly I powered up the stairs I didn’t want so his head out to catch us this way It would look as though I was overpowering a drunk girl

And I was, if you wanted to get all technical about it

About aBella down my body and onto her feet in front of her fourth-floor door

Her face had pinked up, and her eyes narrowed I was glad to see it An ornery Bella was much better than a stony-eyed one She patted the pocket of her skirt, drew out a set of keys and then dropped them

Before she could react, I snatched them off the floor and stuck the rooued But I wanted her inside her roohtest breeze ht knock her down

Behind us I heard the squeak of a door Turning hbor’s face peeking out Lianne’s eyes greide before she shut her door again

Bella pushed her own door open, yanking the knob from my hand She crashed into the room, stumbled over to the bed and fell onto it

I shut the door behind me, then went over to kneel beside the bed "Bella," I whispered "Are you hurt anywhere?" She seemed so weak and that was odd I didn’t have h