Page 16 of Burned By Love

With everyone busy, this was the safest moment for him and Austin to talk.Austin would probably back down if West told him he didn’t want to, but he wouldn’t.Austin was his best friend, no matter how much they teased each other.He was worried about West and what had happened during the fire.

“Did you manage to find out what Caleb is?”West asked as he leaned closer.

If Austin was surprised that this was the first thing West asked, he didn’t show it.“No idea.I know he’s a shifter, but that’s it.”

“He has to be the reason that Jonathan wasn’t surprised to see me shift.He knew I was a shifter before I did.”What he’d said about knowing what West was hiding made more sense now.

“I don’t think Caleb’s a dragon.”

“He might know about dragon shifters, though.”Most shifters in the city stayed away from each other, especially if they didn’t belong to the same species, but they knew of each other’s existence.A small pack of wolf shifters lived north of the city, and they never mingled with the bear shifters that lived east.They knew they were there, just like West and Austin did, but they weren’t friends, and everyone was happy keeping things that way.

Not all shifters lived in groups.There were a lot more solitary shifters in the city than one would expect, and West thought that Caleb was one of them.If he was a smaller shifter, it would be easy for him to hide his presence.

West was curious.He wasn’t planning on asking Jonathan, even though he wanted answers.This was a conversation he and Austin should have with Caleb, not with his human best friend.

Austin tapped his fingertips on the table, maybe to get West’s attention.“So, you shifted in front of him?”

“I had to.He was hurt and pinned under a shelf.I couldn’t leave him there.”

“I’m not saying this to make you feel bad.I would’ve done the same thing, and I know you would’ve done it for anyone, not just Jonathan.”

Clearly, West had sounded defensive.He knew that Austin wasn’t judging him.They were firefighters because they wanted to help people, and West would’ve never forgiven himself if he hadn’t done everything in his power to save the people in the store.

It was something he and Austin had to deal with every day.Where was the line?When should they shift versus when should they try not to?It was a delicate balance, but so far, they’d managed to make it work without anyone finding out what they were.

Since Jonathan seemed to know about shifters, West doubted he’d be a problem.He’d keep everything to himself.West didn’t have to worry about him running to the press or anything like that.

“What do I do now?”he asked, hoping Austin would have the answer.

Austin shrugged.“You should probably talk to him again.If anything, it’d be interesting to know what he knows.”

“He won’t tell anyone.”

“I didn’t say he would.”Austin leaned over the table.“But think about it.You like him, and he already knows you’re a shifter.You wouldn’t have to hide that part of you if the two of you dated.”

“We’re not going to date.”

“Why not?”

“Because he doesn’t like me.”

“Maybe he didn’t like you before, or maybe he didn’t want to be unprofessional because we were at his shop and you were working.You have a second chance.Even if he says no, shouldn’t you try?Unless you don’t like him, of course.”

West did like Jonathan.He probably shouldn’t ask him out considering everything, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t.He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Jonathan before, and things hadn’t gotten better now that the two of them were regularly texting.West had no idea what they were doing or where things were going, but he didn’t have to know any of that to ask Jonathan out on a date.

He pressed his lips together.He wasn’t about to tell Austin about it because Austin would gloat, and West couldn’t deal with that right now.

He carried the decision that he would ask Jonathan out in his chest like a bright light as the alarm went off, and they all jumped to their feet.

* * * *

“YOU KEEP GLANCING ATyour phone,” Caleb teased.

Jonathan shrugged.“You don’t want my help.”

“Because you’re not feeling well.”

“I told you that I’m feeling perfectly fine.”

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