Page 65 of Should Our Hearts Catch Fire

Gabe hurriedly scribbles the message down, his vision finally clearing once every word is on the paper. Hope fills his chest as he reads them.

If it isn’t happy, it’s not the end.

“Is that for Dawson?” Ash asks.

Fuck. Dawson.

Folding the paper in half, Gabe hurries after him, shouting his name.

Dawson stops, although reluctantly, and frowns when Gabe hands him the paper. “What is it?”

“I don’t know,” Gabe says. “I’m just a messenger.”

With that, he walks back to the café, his mind whirring.

What a fucking day.

Chapter 14

Ellis wakes up tothe sound of a door slamming shut. Groaning, he crawls out of bed, waiting for his double-vision to adjust before he attempts to walk. Keeping it on down-low and drinking lots of water yesterday has saved him a pounding headache, thank god, but he would kill for a cup of coffee regardless. A particular type of coffee.

He must be really desperate because he swears he can smell the spices and the dark scent of roasted coffee beans as he drags his ass into the living room. Great. Now he has hallucinations.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty!” Jordan yells, making Ellis jump and clutch a hand to his chest. He looks very pleased with that reaction, and Ellis glares at him.

“You’ve already been out?” How long had he slept?

“And I come bearing gifts.”

His vision sharpening, Ellis takes note of the carrier tray with two cups of what’s hopefully coffee in Jordan’s hand, and a paper box in the other.

“Thank fuck.” Good to know he wasn’t hallucinating.

Except his brain must not be fully online yet, because it takes him an embarrassingly long time to realize that heisactually smelling the spices from the drink Gabriel always makes him. He’s never mentioned that little detail to Jordan. At least he’s pretty sure he hasn’t.

And then it gets worse.

“Something wrong?” Jordan asks, expression deceptively innocent.

“Where did you get this?” Ellis demands, pointing a shaky finger at the coffee cups bearing a very familiar, very specific stamp.

Jordan’s mask cracks, a knowing smirk taking its place. “Where do you think?”

“Jordan…what did you do?” A sense of doom settles in Ellis’ stomach, making him feel nauseated.

Jordan must notice his growing panic because he shuts the lid on the teasing, sighing tiredly. “Calm down, will you? I didn’t do anything. I was just curious what your sexuality crisis was all about.”

“I don’t have—” Something else hits Ellis. “How did you know where to go?”

Jordan’s chest puffs out, and he looks very proud of himself as he starts talking. “Fun fact: I went toLost and Groundyesterday while you were at work because I saw your little cup collection.And I talked to a very nice fellow named Gabe. I didn’t think much of it until you started blabbering about being attracted to a certain barista and finally dropped his name.”

“You just go around asking people’s names?” Ellis grits out, focusing on evening out his breathing so as not to have a meltdown. Of course he totally forgot about the cups sitting in the kitchen.

“Just the hot ones,” Jordan replies.

Ellis sucks in a sharp breath, his eyes narrowing.

Jordan, the dick, just laughs. “Tone it down before you turn green.”