Page 55 of Should Our Hearts Catch Fire

Gabe stops right there. He’s not going down that road. Just because Ellis has a friend who’s interested in men doesn’t mean he’s interested in Ellis. And considering that Ellis freaked out when Gabe asked him out on a date, it’s safe to assume they’re simply good friends. And even if they were something else, it doesn’t matter. Gabe might be a little heartbroken about the whole ‘crushing on a straight customer’ thing, but in reality he just wants Ellis to be happy. Jordan clearly adores him, and Gabe could never be upset about that.

He's looking for something to say when Zeke pops up next to him. “There you go,” he says to Jordan. “A medium flat white, exactly one and a half pumps of hazelnut.”

“Thank you.” Jordan spares him a glance as he takes his coffee before looking back at Gabe. He raises the cup in cheers. “It was nice meeting you, Gabe. Have a good one.”

Gabe smiles. “You too.” Part of him is sad to see Jordan go because he’d love nothing more than to interrogate him on the topic of Ellis. Not that he would. He has no intention to make his silly infatuation glaringly obvious. It’s bad enough that Ash and Zeke know.

“Wow. Small world,” Zeke comments, looking after Jordan’s disappearing form.

“Eavesdropping again?” Gabe asks, unimpressed but unsurprised. “And not really. He did say he found this place because he saw the coffee cups at Ellis’ place.”

“Which is weird and kinda gross.”

Gabe shoots him a glare. “It’s not and it’s not.” Even though he was just thinking the same.

“Aww, look at you, jumping to your man’s defense.” He winds an arm around Gabe’s shoulders.

Gabe shrugs him off. “Not my man.” It’s unfair how much he likes the sound of that. Fuck,if only.He’d be so good to Ellis. So, so good. He’d be thebest.

Chapter 12

They fall into Ellis’apartment, giggling like a couple of dumb teenagers. Managing not to fall over in his attempt to toe off his shoes, Ellis stumbles into the living room and collapses on the sofa like a sack of potatoes.

“I’m too old for this,” he half-laughs, half-groans.

“You barely drank,” Jordan points out, looking way too coordinated for someone who had four pina coladas.

“Yeah. I’m not really— I’ve been careful since I found out about Cal.” And he’s swapped tequila for cheap gin and tonic which, to his mortification, he likes better anyway.

Jordan’s amusement drains away. “I get it. It could be so easy to go down that road.” He nudges Ellis’ knee with his. “So, what do you do when you need to take the edge off?”

I drink fancy coffee, eat out-of-this-world cinnamon rolls and talk to weird, endearing baristas.

“I meditate.”

“Is that a euphemism for something?”

Ellis rolls his eyes. “No.”

Jordan chuckles. “You could always fuck it out of your system.”

“That’s never been my thing.” The idea of sex with complete strangers has always grossed him out. He doesn’t need to be in love with them, but he’d like to know the person first. Not that he’s had much success with dating anyway, his stupid subconscious always going for people who’d end up fucking him over. Though truth be told, he deserved it. He’s not exactly the epitome of a dedicated boyfriend.

“Yeah, I know,” Jordan says. His voice is more affectionate than teasing. “If only you had better taste in the women you do end up sleeping with. Still can’t believe Erika tried to pull that baby shit with you.”

Ellis smiles, warmed by the protectiveness. Jordan never liked Erika in the first place. Actually, he never liked any of his girlfriends, not that there have been many.

“It’s not about Erika. It’s just… Relationships require too much work.” And patience. And tolerance. None of which is at Ellis’ disposal.

“Which is why you should rethink the no-one-night-stand policy.”

“I’m too old to be sleeping around.”

“Hey! I’m older than you,” Jordan protests indignantly.

Ellis fights a smile. “My point exactly.”

“Fuck you.” Jordan shoves him, then reaches over to the coffee table for the remote and props his feet on top. Ellis doesn’t realize what he’s doing untilNetflixhas loaded and Jordan starts playingGilmore Girls.“Aww, look at that. You’re already on season four!”