“We both know that’s not true.When you offered for us to work together, I should’ve said yes.Iwantedto say yes.”
“Are you sure about that?Because you said no, and that’s perfectly fine.I don’t expect you to want to spend time with me if you don’t trust me.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you.”
“Again, are you sure about that?”
“I don’t know you.”
“And you didn’t look like you wanted to get to know me back at the hospital.”
“Could you stop?”Caleb snapped.He pressed his lips together and shook his head.“Look, I’m sorry.I wasn’t fair to you when I rejected your offer to help.It had nothing to do with you and everything to do with Sal and the way he treated Jonathan.I tried to help, you know?I knew Sal was bad news.He managed to get Jonathan away from me, and I couldn’t get back in.No matter how hard I tried or how many times I tried to call Jonathan and get between him and Sal, I failed.”
Austin resisted the urge to pull Caleb into his arms.He’d never been in a situation like that, but he’d seen plenty of abusive relationships in his line of work.When something bad happened, he was one of the people called in to help.He’d seen how controlling people could be.He was aware of how hard it was to get out of those relationships.Abusers isolated their victims, and that was what Sal had been attempting to do.Thankfully, he’d failed, and Jonathan had gotten out, but it made sense that it had traumatized more people than just him.
Austin wasn’t happy to be dumped into the same category as Sal, but he understood.If Caleb gave him a chance, he’d show him that he was nothing like the other dragon shifter.“I accept your apology,” he said with a smile.
Caleb frowned.“I’m not done.”
“I don’t need you to be.I’m not happy to be painted with the same brush as Sal, but I get it.We should get past it.”
“Just like that?”
“I don’t see why we should make it more complicated than it is.”
Caleb opened his mouth, but his gaze flickered to something behind Austin.Austin turned to look, rolling his eyes at the sight of Jeremy and Lisa, very clearly eavesdropping.They didn’t need to clean the ambulance right now.
He grabbed Caleb’s arm and pulled him further down the parking lot.He heard Jeremy whisper something to Lisa, and he was going to have to talk to them about privacy later, but for now, he wanted to focus on Caleb.He’d apologized, but there had to be another reason he was here.Austin suspected he knew what that reason was.
“So, you’re here for the fires, right?”he asked.
Caleb frowned.“I’m here to apologize.”
“And to find out about the fires.It’s fine.”
“I just don’t want you to think I’m here to use you.I truly am sorry for the way I treated you, and I want us to get past it.”
Austin waved Caleb’s words away.“We are.Did you find out anything?Because I haven’t had the time.I realize this should be a priority, but I can’t exactly tell my boss what’s going on.”
Caleb blinked, then shook his head.“It’s fine.I didn’t expect you to drop everything to focus on this.”
“Yeah, well, maybe I should because I’m worried.”
Caleb nodded.“So am I.I was at a community meeting earlier.People are scared.”
“Makes sense.What was said at that meeting?If you can share, of course.”
“Someone mentioned wanting to patrol, but I think I managed to get them to change their mind.I don’t think that would be smart.”
“Taking things into your own hands that way seldom is.Of course, I’m not a cop, but I have to think that the arsonist wouldn’t be happy if he was confronted or interrupted.That might lead to more problems, or worse, to someone dying.”
“I told them I’d talk to you, and they dropped it, but it’s not going to be for long if something isn’t done.I know this isn’t your responsibility, but they’re scared.They don’t want to just sit there and wait for something to happen, and I don’t blame them.”
Neither did Austin.He just didn’t want anyone to get hurt.
He looked around.“Look, this isn’t the best place to do this, but maybe we could meet and talk about it later?”
Caleb nodded.“When’s your shift over?”
