Page 152 of Should Our Hearts Catch Fire

“I care for you too,” Cal tells him, voice wavering suspiciously. He blinks several times in rapid succession and clears his throat. “This is probably not great timing, but there’s something I wanted to talk to you about. Something I remembered, just recently.”

“Okay?” Ellis says, confused at the sudden change. Maybe Gabriel’s empathy is catching because he feels that he’s not going to like what’s coming.

“It’s about your mother.”

Fucking bingo.

The words are like a bucket of ice. “What about her?”

He’s close to snapping when Cal takes too fucking long to answer.

“She tried to get in touch with Caledon.”

Ellis recoils in shock. “I don’t understand…”

“She reached out to him. Sent an email, asking to meet.”

What. The. Actual. Fuck. How come Cal never told him? How could he keep this from him? Why did Mum not even think to reach out to Ellis too?

You know why.

“When was this? Why don’t I know about it?”

“A few months ago. They never met, though.”

That takes Ellis aback. “Because of the car accident?”

Cal shakes his head. “Because he didn’t want to. He told her to never contact him again.”

“What?”

Cal’s brows pull together in a frown. “I think…he was too angry and hurt. He never forgave her for leaving.”

Neither did Ellis. But if she ever reached out to him, if she wanted to meet him, wouldn’t he jump on the opportunity to finally see her? Or would he run away?

You don’t have to worry about that because she never wanted to see you anyway.

“She never contacted me.”

Cal’s expression is uncertain. “Maybe she thought you’d have the same reaction.”

“And it was so hard to ask.”

“Ellis—”

“Don’t.”

He doesn’t want to hear it. Feeling a headache forming, he pinches the bridge of his nose.

Oblivious as ever, Cal pushes on. “Would you have wanted him to tell you?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” He doesn’t know anything anymore. Whenever he thinks his life can’t get more bizarre, he’s proven wrong.

“I can show you the email,” Cal offers. “I managed to log into some of Caledon’s accounts when I started remembering things.”

His heart pounding, Ellis takes a moment to consider it. Soon enough, he has his answer.

“Thanks, but…I don’t think I’m ready for that.”