The question caught Dane by surprise, and when he opened his mouth to answer it, nothing came out. He ground his jaw. “That’s different.”
Jax lifted a brow. “And that’s where the problem starts. Because it’s not different, except for the minor fact that you’re not sleeping with Trent. At least not that I’m aware of.”
Despite how pissed off—and terrified he still was when he thought of what could have happened to Lexi tonight—Dane couldn’t help chuckling. “No, I’m not sleeping with Trent. His bunk is kinda close to mine upstairs, though, so maybe that counts.” He shook his head. “You know what I’m talking about. It’s hard as hell seeing the woman I care about so much doing something so frigging crazy, that’s all.”
“Maybe that’s something you should have thought about before deciding to date a woman who happens to be a paramedic in the DF&R,” Jax pointed out. “Paramedics frequently risk their lives when they go on calls. It comes with the job description.”
Dane sighed. “I know that. I hadn’t realized it would be so damn tough to handle.”
“You think it’s hard on you, imagine being in Lexi’s shoes watching you run into burning buildings day after day.”
Dane definitely hadn’t thought about it that way. In fact, he hadn’t been thinking at all. That wasn’t so new. If the situation with his sister had taught himself anything, it was that he tended to open his mouth before engaging his head. And it usually came back to bit him in the ass.
He ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. “I guess I should go apologize.”
“Probably,” Jax agreed. “But before you do that, you need to take a step back and ask yourself what you’re going to do the next time she does something dangerous.”
Dane didn’t answer. The idea of something happening to Lexi was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat.
“I don’t know,” he finally admitted.
“Well, you need to figure it out,” Jax said. “Because it’s going to happen again. And if you can’t deal with that, then there’s no reason to apologize to Lexi. You can’t say you’re sorry while knowing you’re going to blow up again the next time she has to put herself in danger for her job. It would be disingenuous.”
“Disingenuous?” Dane arched a brow. “Anyone ever mention your Doctor Drew imitation sucks? Shouldn’t you be trying to give me some advice on how to deal with this situation?”
Jax didn’t even crack a smile. “I am giving you advice—you’re not listening. Lexi works a job that can be dangerous, like yours. If you’re not ready to accept that, maybe it’s a good thing this argument happened now, before you and Lexi get too deeply involved.”
Dane didn’t bother mentioning it was too late for that. He and Lexi were already deeply involved. At least, as far as he was concerned. He supposed couldn’t really answer for Lexi, especially after the jackass he’d made of himself tonight.
“Let me ask you something,” Jax said. “What if Lexi came to you and said she didn’t like the idea of you being a firefighter anymore. How would you handle that?”
“I never said she should quit her job,” Dane protested.
“Didn’t you?”
His friend didn’t wait for an answer, but turned and headed back into the station. Dane stayed where he was, thinking about what Jax had said. Dane definitely wouldn’t have taken too kindly to Lexi calling him out for doing his job or implying that he should quit. He hadn’t meant to imply that Lexi couldn’t do her job—or needed to walk away from it—but Jax had been right. That was the way it had come out. At the same time, it was damn tough seeing Lexi in danger. Even worse when it was danger she’d voluntarily put herself in.
What the hell was he supposed to do?
No matter how long he stood out there, he still didn’t have an answer. He knew one thing for sure. He wasn’t walking away from Lexi, not over something like this.
Figuring this situation wouldn’t get better with age, he headed inside. He didn’t know exactly what he was going to say, but he needed to talk to Lexi anyway.
He was still fifteen feet away from the station doors when he heard the sound of running feet and one of the trucks start up. At the same time, the alarm went off, and the red light out on the curb began strobing, warning drivers on the street that a vehicle was pulling out. A moment later, Rescue 58 rolled out the door, Lexi behind the wheel.
Dane didn’t even have time to wave, much less tell her to be careful, before she and Trent turned onto the street, taillights disappearing into the darkness.
He jogged into the vehicle bay in case the station’s other trucks had been called out, too, but there was no one around. That meant this was an EMS roll-out only.
Dane told himself that was a good thing, that if the situation only required paramedics it wouldn’t be dangerous. But his gut called bullshit on that. There were plenty of scary situations paramedics could get themselves into all on their own.
Shit.
Jax was right. He was going to have to come to grips with this or what he had going with Lexi would fall apart before it truly got started.
* * * * *
“Sorry about you and Dane,” Trent said quietly as they sped down I-75 toward University Park.
