Page 117 of Should Our Hearts Catch Fire

This is one of those times when Ellis is grateful for an ensuite. Being seen entering and exiting the bathroom together isn’t something he’d want anyone to see, let alone his boyfriend’s mum. Especially when there’s a chance of being photographed.

But the shower is exactly what he needed. Having Gabriel’s hands on him, stroking his skin, soaping it up before washing the suds away, then doing the same for him, is its own kind of heaven. After only seeing each other in the mornings for the past week, due to Ellis’ crazy schedule, this is the first time they are properly together.

Ellis decides, when they’ve dried off and fallen into bed, that he reallyreallylikes having Gabriel in his bed. In his room. Hisapartment that doesn’t feel like home yet, but could if Gabriel was here.

Gabriel stretches out like a cat, making a satisfied sound. “Oh, thisisa good mattress.”

“It’s latex.”

Gabriel guffaws. “That’s a thing?”

“Natural latex. It’s supposed to support you better than memory foam.”

“Hm…” Turning onto his side so they’re facing each other, Gabriel uses one finger to trace a line from Ellis’ neck down the center of his chest and to the hem of his boxer-briefs. Ellis shivers, his skin pebbling despite the room being at least 25 degrees. “We should give it a run for its money.”

As much as a part of Ellis is on board, he’d rather learn more about Gabriel. Not to mention that he doesn’t fancy having sex when Carrie is next door.

Gabriel laughs at whatever face Ellis is making. “Maybe later,” he decides, taking Ellis’ hand and holding it in the space between them. He flips it palm up, tracing random patterns into the skin.

“My dad left when I was two,” he starts, no preamble at all. “He was like me. Exactly like me. Well…” His face twists with something like sympathy. “Notexactly. He never stopped looking for a way to get rid of this ability.”

“He hated being an empath?” Not that Ellis is surprised. He’d go crazy if he was able to feel everything so intensely.

“He wasn’t at a great place when he met Mum. She was a nurse at the hospital he ended up at after drinking a tad too much and getting into a fight.”

Ellis winces. “Not your usual meet cute.”

“No kidding,” Gabriel says, laughing weakly. “But Mum was a goner. She always said dad had a great sense of humor and would give as good as he got. Never let her get away with anything.” A soft smile blooms on his face, eyes glazing over as he gets lost in the story.

Ellis smiles too, picturing a young Carrie, twice as unhinged as she is now, and a man by her side who can handle anything she dishes out without breaking a sweat.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Gabriel asks, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“You really don’t realize how similar you two are, do you?”

“I’m notthatbad.”

“Mhmm.”

“Shut up.” Gabriel pinches his side, making Ellis jump. “You know, Mum claims I’m more like Dad. But she’s biased. Obviously.”

Missing a point of reference, Ellis doesn’t argue. “How does the story go?”

“They got married. Fairytale love, Mum says. Dad told her early on he never wanted kids. Wanted this ability to die with him. She wasn’t sure she wanted them either, so it wasn’t a big deal back then.”

“But then you came along,” Ellis says, voice strained. He hadn’t realized how much he and Gabriel have in common. He knows all too well what it’s like to be an unwelcome surprise.

“Then I came along.” Gabriel smiles sheepishly. “Mum can be very persuasive. She talked Dad into giving it a try. Starting a family. There was a small chance the empathy wouldn’t manifest in me. Or that it could manifest differently. My grandpa wasn’t an empath. His ability lay elsewhere. Same as Ash’s and his dad’s.”

“When did it become clear that you’d inherited it?”

“I was maybe a year and a half when my parents took me to the zoo. There was a kid that had fallen and hurt his knee. Started crying. And I started crying with him.”

“It could’ve been a coincidence. People cry when they see other people cry.”

“True. But their eyes usually don’t start glowing.”

“Oh.” He forgot about that little detail.