Page 130 of Should Our Hearts Catch Fire

“Only because I’m a new victim she can torment.”

“You’re not wrong.”

“So…Christmas, huh?” A look of carefully contained horror passes over Ellis’ face.

“We could get out of it. How difficult would it be to fabricate our deaths?” Gabe wonders.

“Not sure. But I’ll look into it.”

“That would be great.”

Chapter 23

Cal and Dawson havebeen insufferable ever since they’d found out about Gabe and Ellis, blowing up both their phones and demanding a double-date. Gabe would be happy to meet up, but he knows it might be a little too much for Ellis. After spending a weekend with Gabe’s mum, he deserves a break. A long one.

But then Cal and Dawson begin to ambush Gabe at work and, well…Gabe can’t keep hiding in the cold room forever. Double-date it is. At least he manages to talk them out of a romantic dinner, proposing a more harmless solution.

That was the thought behind it, anyway.

“I’m not sure about this,” Ellis says, voice mildly terrified. He holds the leash in his hand like it’s a time-bomb.

“What are you talking about? She loves you!” Dawson argues, gazing lovingly at the Pomeranian on the other end of the leash. It’s true that she’s taken a liking to Ellis, pawing at the door ofher kennel when Ellis passed by. She even rolled onto her back, offering her tummy up for scratches when Dawson let her out.

Ellis’ throat bobs. “She’s scary.”

As Gabe watches Lola rattle like a rabbit on speed, making noises not unlike a rusty car engine, he has to concede that Ellis does have a point.

“She is,” Cal agrees, keeping a safe distance. The two must have a history. Gabe will ask about it later, when Ellis isn’t listening.

“I think she’s cute,” Gabe chimes in, receiving a look of betrayal from Ellis.

“Do you want to swap?”

“Nope.” Gabe is happy with his Jack Russel.

“Come on, Ellis. She’s not that bad,” Dawson tries to sway him.

“She really does like you. And she doesn’t like anyone,” Aubrey, who Gabe understands is some kind of supervisor at the shelter, confirms.

“She likes Dawson,” Ellis insists.

“No, shetoleratesme.”

“Would you consider adopting?” Aubrey asks.

Ellis doesn’t even get a syllable out before Dawson exclaims, “That’s a great idea!”

“Hardly. I work long hours. She’d be lonely,” Ellis bursts his bubble.

“I could walk her. We both could.” Dawson nods towards Cal. “We have plenty of time on our hands.”

Ellis is silent for a while. At first, Gabe assumes he’s looking for a plausible excuse, but then something tickles his Spidey senses. It feels almost like regret.

“I don’t know how to take care of a dog,” Ellis says quietly.

“Didn’t you say you had a Border Collie as a child?” Dawson asks.

“As achild. Our housekeeper took care of him most of the time.” Another pulse of regret, stronger this time.