Chapter 272. Never Wanted to Start a Fight

Aurora’s POV

I stood stunned, the echo of Caleb’s raised voice still hanging in the air like smoke after a fire. I wasn’t used to him like this—tense, voice sharp with frustration, his fingers digging into his temple like he was trying to rub the chaos out of his mind. My brows knitted, a slight ache forming in my chest because the last thing I had wanted was this—a fight. Especially not with Caleb. Especially not when we had slowly been coming out of the horrors of Lucas and Harmona’s incident.

“I didn’t mean for us to start a fight,” I said quietly, the words catching a little on my tongue as I folded my arms, trying to steady myself. “That wasn’t my intention, Caleb. I just…” I shook my head, unable to finish the sentence without my voice trembling.

His eyes flicked up, and the edge in them softened, but only just. “Starting a fight with you is the last thing I want to do,” he muttered, stepping away from the wall he’d been practically leaning into for su