Page 40 of Should Our Hearts Catch Fire

“Okay,” Ellis says with a nervous chuckle. “That answers it.” His shoulders relax, as though the answer pleases him.

“Why would you say that? Now I’ll have to bleach my brain.”

Ellis chuckles, giving the back of his neck a rub. “Sorry. You just…you seem really close.”

Do they? Yeah, probably. Zeke is like an older brother to him. Or another irritating cousin.

“He bullied me into befriending him. I had no choice.”

“Right. Because you’re such an unfriendly person otherwise.”

Gabe narrows his eyes at him. It earns him another laugh. Goddammit, it’s such a beautiful sound. If only he could bottle it up.

“Anyway, the hours aren’t too bad,” Gabe returns to the original topic before he can say something inappropriate again. Like how he’s going to think of Ellis’ voice and his laugh when he’s in his bed and—

Focus, Gabe.

“We close at three on weekdays and at two on Saturday. And we always have Sunday off,” he rambles.

Ellis purses his lips in thought. It wouldn’t take much for Gabe to lean over the counter and—

Seriously? Get a grip, you pervert.

“I guess you win,” Ellis says at last. “Your job is less miserable than mine. And you get all the coffee you want.”

“Don’t you have something at the office?” Gabe asks, praying his face isn’t too flushed.

“You get all thegoodcoffee you want.”

“Ah. Gotcha.” Mournfully, he looks at the drink and the cinnamon roll sitting on the counter between them, all ready for Ellis to take and enjoy. Not wanting Ellis to go just yet, he scrambles for something to talk about. “Do you miss Sydney? You look like you miss it. Did you even have time to adjust? It was all quite abrupt, wasn’t it?”

If Ellis is surprised by the sudden switch, he doesn’t show it. “Sydney was…simpler.” He hesitates before continuing. “Me andthe Gold Coast, we have a history. But…I guess it brought me and my brother closer. And my brother-in-law, so…” He shrugs. “Silver linings.”

“It brought you to my café, too,” Gabe says. He never thought he’d be grateful for someone getting into a car accident, and while it makes him a horrible, horrible person, he can’t deny it’s true.Thanks, Cal, for taking one for the team.

Ellis’ expression goes from perplexed to incredibly soft, his eyes full of the same vulnerability Gabe saw before. It lasts a beautiful few seconds before it shuts down.

“Yeah. The only decent café in a ten-mile radius.”

Gabe huffs. “I know I should take the compliment, but god, you’re dramatic.”

Ellis smirks. “It’s been said.”

The conversation comes to a lull again, and Gabe rushes to remedy that. “So…you don’t miss Sydney too much? No one got left behind?”

He cringes.Smooth, Gabe. Smooth.

Something dark passes across Ellis’ face. “I was happy to leave behind my cheating girlfriend, if that’s what you mean.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry.” Great. He did it again. Foot meet mouth.

“It’s fine,” Ellis says, in the way that someone who’s decidedly not fine would. “The timing was kind of perfect, actually. Though she did think she could rope me into coming back when she tried to make me her baby daddy.”

Gabe’s jaw drops a little. “Wow. That’s…intense.” He taps his fingers on the counter. “I feel like a right prick to ask this, but…”

“I’m sure. It’s not mine,” Ellis assures him. He doesn’t look upset about Gabe’s nosiness, thank god. “I’m shooting blanks. It was a choice, so you don’t have to feel sorry for me.”

It takes Gabe a few long seconds to process everything he just learned. Most of all, he’s surprised how much Ellis has shared with him. It’s clearly something he’s been bottling up and hasn't had a chance to talk about. As sad as the revelation is, it makes Gabe feel kind of special. He’s used to people sharing—sometimes over-sharing—things with him. He knows the effect he has on others; his warm, welcoming energy and friendly personality give the impression he’s a great confidante. Which he is, by the way.