“But you are a repeat offender, and a harsher punishment is the only option you’ve left me with.”
I hung my head down and waited.
“However…”
I looked up in surprise. Was it possible that he was going to help me out this time too? “I received a report from your supervisor at the station, Seth Larkson and he has stated that you did a very good job while you were there. The station is understaffed, and your presence would make a difference to them
.”
And somehow, miraculously, I had managed to avoid jail time… again. I knew that the guys at the station weren’t exactly going to be thrilled to see me but I wasn’t going to give them attitude this time. Nor was I expecting Seth to have my back this time. I was on my own, and I was going to take it like a man. This was the grave I had dug for myself.
I entered the station, but even though there were a few guys walking about, it was practically empty. I noticed two fire engines were gone which meant most of the guys would be out on an emergency call. I looked around, wondering if Seth was on duty, but I finally managed to find him in the lounge area. He was near the kitchen drinking water when he turned and saw me.
I put down the glass and stared at me through narrowed eyes. It had been a while since I’d spoken to him… almost a month now. But I hadn’t felt it as badly as I had felt Zoey’s absence. The last time I had spoken to her had been three weeks ago when she had texted to let me know when she was stopping by the apartment to collect the rest of her things.
I knew I couldn’t really count that as a conversation anyway considering we had exchanged a few short texts and that was all. I had kept my word and stayed clear of the apartment when she had come, but I had found a quiet spot not far from the building so that I could at least catch a glimpse of her. She had arrived with Seth, and the two of them spent half an hour in the apartment before they drove away, leaving me feeling lonely and depressed.
“Hi,” I said awkwardly.
Seth stared at me without blinking. “I can’t believe you’re back here.”
“That makes two of us.”
“You should be in jail,” he said coldly.
“I agree.”
Seth shook his head at me. “I should kick your ass for what you’ve put my sister through.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” I said. “I would deserve it.”
My attitude seemed to catch him off guard because he took a deep breath and that seemed to release some of his anger.
“You really screwed up, you know.”
“I know,” I nodded. “And you can’t possibly know how sorry I am. The last thing I ever intended was to hurt Zoey. But in trying not to hurt her… I ended up doing just that.”
Seth was watching me carefully, and I could tell he was searching my face for sincerity. I walked closer to him and let him see my eyes.
“I love her, Seth,” I said bluntly. “I don’t think I’ll ever not love her. It’s killing me to keep my distance but if that’s what she wants and needs, then that is exactly what I’ll do. And I’ll do my best here too. I’ll keep my head down, I’ll work hard, and I’ll stay away from Zoey… I swear.”
Seth nodded slowly. “Thank you for staying away when we came to collect her things,” he said.
“Of course, Zoey asked me to.”
“She was… very upset that day,” Seth continued.
“I was too.”
“I think that apartment was the first place she identified as her home… she really loves it.”
I looked down, trying to swallow back my emotion. “She can have it,” I said.
“What?”
“I’ll be moving out of the apartment at the end of this month,” I admitted. “It’s going to be rented again and if Zoey wants… she can have first dibs if she talks to the landlord soon.”
“How come?”