Page 13 of Should the Sky Fall

At a loss as to what he should do, Dawson just gives a single nod. “Okay. Thank you. Um, any estimate on how long it’ll be?”

Her features twist in a grimace. “It all depends on the extent of his injuries.”

Great. Very specific.

“Thank you.”

“Come on.” Kieran steers him towards the cheap-looking plastic chairs lining the wall. “Let’s sit down. It could be a while.”

Dawson collapses into the nearest chair, feeling his insides twist and squeeze like they’re trying to tear themselves out of his body.

“Dawson?”

“I was about to ask for a divorce,” he says, stupefied.

“What?”

“He’s in surgery. And I was about to ask for a divorce.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I don’t know,” Dawson chokes out, hiding his face in his hands. “I don’t know. Just… I feel like the worst kind of scum.”

“Oh, no. Fuck that.” Kieran pries Dawson’s hands off, forcing him to look at him. “Don’t you dare go there. This has nothing to do with you. He was in an accident. Shit happens. It could happen any time, to anyone. You want a divorce because you’re miserable, and not wanting to be miserable doesn’t make you scum.”

Dawson’s eyes well up. “But—”

“No,” Kieran grits out, his expression contorted into a stern mask. “I won’t let you do this to yourself. It’s enough that I feel like a useless shit when I see how he treats you and can’t do anything about it. But Icando this, and I won’t let you blame yourself.”

Taking a shuddering breath, Dawson nods, letting Kieran pull him into a hug.

“It’s gonna be okay, Dee.”

It doesn’t feel like it.

Closing his eyes, Dawson leans into Kieran, wrapping his arms loosely around his waist. It helps a little.

“Oh. I told Ellis I’d keep him updated.” He pulls away regretfully, reaching for his phone. He shoots off a quick message to let Ellis know Cal’s still in surgery. Ellis responds in twenty seconds.

“What did he say?” Kieran asks.

“Thanks and that they’re about to take off.”

“You never mention him.”

“Ellis?” Dawson shrugs. “I don’t really know him. The first time I met him was at my wedding.”

And it was awkward as hell. Ellis basically spent the duration of the ceremony with a resting bitch face, then dished out some off-hand comments during reception. When Dawson asked Cal what he should do, he was told to ignore Ellis. It wasn’t hard. Ellis made it clear he had no desire to engage in chitchat.

They’ve met a few more times over the years when Cal would drag him to functions and some pretentious get-togethers, but they never really talked. In fact, Cal and Ellis barely talked either, reserving their exchanges to work-related topics.

“I don’t think he likes me.”

Kieran snorts at that. “Is he a corporate asshole like Cal?”

It draws a small chuckle out of Dawson. “He runs the Sydney office.”

Kieran’s brows furrow with a thought. “If he lives in Sydney, why did Cal put him as his emergency contact?”