Page 101 of Should the Sky Fall

“Oh, Jesus.” Dawson is out of his chair instantly, suppressing a laugh as he hits Ellis’ back. “Guess I should’ve warned you.”

“Y-you,” Ellis sputters. “You knew?”

“Last I checked, he was halfway throughTwilight.”

“I finished that ages ago.”

“Oh, god,” Ellis groans, still gasping for breath. “What’s next?Fifty Shades of Gray?”

“I haven’t read that.” Cal says. “Is it good?”

“Christ.”

“I’d skip that one if I were you,” Dawson says. To Ellis, he explains, “He prefers fantasy.”

Ellis holds his thumb and forefinger half an inch apart. “I’m this close to checking for hidden cameras.”

“Oh, don’t bother, I’ve checked already.” Dawson pats his shoulder and sits down.

The rest of the dinner is an experience. Ellis interrogates Cal on his new hobbies, probably wanting to avoid any future surprises. Dawson is content to listen to them talk. The disbelieving looks Ellis keeps giving Cal are both relatable and comforting. It’s nice to know he’s not the only one who struggles with all the changes.

“Seconds?” Dawson asks when they’ve all finished eating.

Ellis shakes his head. “It was amazing, but I’m full.”

“I’ll have some more, please,” Cal says.

Dawson chuckles. “Your stomach is a bottomless pit.”

“It’s just too good.”

Blushing, Dawson takes their empty plates and carries them to the kitchen. Ellis follows him with the glasses, standing close to him as he whispers, “This has been going on for how long?”

“Bythisyou mean…”

“You know what I mean.”

“Is this about the vampire fiction?” Dawson snorts.

“It’s not the vampire fiction.” A pause. “Notjustthe vampire fiction. My brother, a former alcoholic and workaholic, no longer has an interest in alcohol nor his job, reads teen fiction, volunteers with you at a dog shelter and…” He raises an eyebrow. “Any more surprises I should know about?”

So many.“Watches Disney movies and rom-coms, hates coffee, is addicted to sugar. Oh, and he hates this apartment.”

“Well, finally something I can relate to. Wait, watches Disney?”

“Oh, like you wouldn’t believe. You should see the top recommendations on our Netflix.”

“Maybe we should… Do you think we should get him checked? Like…” Ellis points at his head.

Dawson tenses, a wave of irritation slamming into him out of nowhere. “He’s got a check-up scheduled in two weeks.”

“But that’s just because of his wounds and his memory. What if there’s something else wrong?”

“You think something’s wrong because he suddenly likes different things?” Dawson says in a tight voice.

Ellis must notice the sudden change, because he looks at Dawson in surprise. “It’s not just because he suddenly likes different things. He’s a whole different person.”

“And that’s bad, why?”