Page 14 of Burned By Love

“I’m your emergency contact,” Caleb said, turning his attention back to Jonathan’s face.“Although the nurse was surprised about that.She said she expected yourfiancéto be your emergency contact, especially since he’s a firefighter.”

Someone at the door made a sound, causing the three of them to turn.Jonathan groaned when he saw the other firefighter who’d been at the tattoo shop with West the other day.He was staring at West, who rubbed his face with a hand.

“What are you doing here, Austin?”

“I got a call from Francis.He told me my partner was in the hospital.”

“I’m not in the hospital.”

“Technically, you are, even though you’re not a patient.”Austin glanced at Jonathan.“Francis was gleeful when he told me that you were here with your fiancé.”

“That’s what the nurse who gave me the room number said,” Caleb said, sounding delighted.

Jonathan wasn’t going to survive this, was he?

* * * *

WEST WISHED THAT AUSTINwould shut up.He glared at him, hoping his best friend would get the message, but Austin looked way too happy to continue teasing West.

“When did you get engaged?You didn’t tell me anything.”Austin pressed a big hand over his heart.“I thought I was your best friend.”

Caleb snickered as if this was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.Jonathan looked ready to climb off the bed and hide under it or maybe run out the door.If he wasn’t hurt, West would grab him and do just that.They needed to wait for the results of the exams, though, and Jonathan needed rest, not to run down the hospital’s hallways.

“I didn’t want to leave Jonathan alone,” West explained through gritted teeth, still glaring at Austin.

It was clear from Austin’s expression that he was amused, but at least he stopped smirking like an idiot.“I get it.You realize you got yourself in trouble, though, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Everyone’s going to know you’re engaged now.You’re going to have to answer so many questions, and not only from our station.”

West groaned.He hadn’t thought of that, and he should have.He’d been panicking at the thought of something happening to Jonathan while he wasn’t there, and he hadn’t wanted to leave him on his own.He wouldn’t have been allowed in with him if he hadn’t lied.

At least Caleb and Austin were distracting Jonathan.West was used to what had happened today.It was his job, and more than that, he was a dragon shifter.Fire didn’t scare him.He’d seen dead bodies before.He’d smelled what happened when someone died in a fire.

But Jonathan had never lived through any of that, and it wouldn’t be easy for him.He might not have been hurt much physically, but mentally, he would need some time to wrap his mind around everything and come to terms with it.West wished he could help him, but he wasn’t sure Jonathan would allow him to.

He’d been about to walk away from West before the first explosion.Maybe he couldn’t wait for West to leave.Maybe he was relieved that his friend was here because it meant that West didn’t have to stick around.West wanted to ask him so he could be sure of what Jonathan wanted, but he didn’t dare do it in front of Austin and Caleb.

The door opened, and the doctor walked in.Her steps faltered when she took in everyone in the room, but she knew West and Austin.When a firefighter was hurt, their entire station stuck around.They weren’t usually in the room itself, but still.

“You know you two shouldn’t be here, right?”she asked.

West was amused when he realized she was talking to Austin and Caleb.She thought that Jonathan was West’s boyfriend, so for her, the other two were intruders.

West glanced at Austin, who rolled his eyes.

“We can go,” Austin offered.

“It’s fine,” Jonathan said.“You’re going to know anyway.You might as well stay.”

The doctor shrugged and looked down at her tablet.“As we thought, there’s nothing you won’t recover from.You have a sprained ankle and some smoke inhalation, but you were very lucky.”

“I know,” Jonathan murmured.

He and West weren’t engaged, but that didn’t mean West couldn’t comfort him.Maybe Jonathan wouldn’t want him to be the person to do it, but maybe he would accept it.There was only one way for West to find out.

He reached for Jonathan’s hand and linked their fingers together.Jonathan blinked up at him, and West waited for him to push him away, maybe to ask him what he was doing.Instead, Jonathan smiled softly and turned his attention back to the doctor.“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

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