Page 191 of Should the Sky Fall

Regret and guilt fill Cal’s features. “And now? Could you love me now when you know the truth?”

Dawson laughs. He can’t not laugh because Cal couldn’t have asked a more ridiculous question. “I already do. Maybe more than I ever did.”

Cal stills, his hands twitching at his sides. A single tear escapes from the corner of his eye “Can I hold you? Please?”

Dawson’s tears keep coming, like a never-ending waterfall. He manages to nod, and in the next moment, he’s cocooned in Cal’s strong,safeembrace. Nothing’s ever felt this good.

Cal’s arms tighten around him, and his shuddery exhale fans over Dawson’s neck. “I missed you so much. Both of you.”

“We missed you too.” Dawson breathes in Cal’s scent, feeling all the tension in his body bleed out as his mind quiets, replaced by a sense of calm. “I’m sorry for leaving. I just—”

Cal pulls away to look at Dawson, drawing a noise of protest from him. “No. Don’t apologize. You did what you had to do.” He cradles Dawson’s face in his hands, wiping the tears away. “I’m just so happy you came back. For a moment I thought it was over.”

“For a moment, I did too.” It wasn’t a moment. It wasdays,but they felt like years. Fuck, Kieran deserves a fruit basket for nagging Dawson to go out. And Ash and Gabe too. “But then someone very wise reminded me that we haven’t finished writing our story yet.”

“Who?”

“Gabe.”

“Oh. How did he know it wasn’t over already?”

“It couldn’t be. It wasn’t happy.” Reaching into his pocket, Dawson pulls out Gabe’s message, handing it to Cal. He smiles at Cal’s confused expression. “If it isn’t happy, it’s not the end.”

Chapter 33

“It’sgonnatakemea while to come to terms with everything. Just be patient with me, okay?” Dawson asks when they are lying in bed that night, facing each other with Donut stretched across their entangled legs.

Fuck, he missed sharing a bed with Cal. Missed his comforting presence and the heat of his body. He even missed the little snoring sounds Cal sometimes makes, so cute compared to Kieran’s earthquake-inducing snores.

“Anything you need,” Cal says. He raises a hand and tucks a stray strand of hair behind Dawson’s ear.

Dawson shivers, catching Cal’s wrist and keeping his hand there before he can withdraw it.

Cal gives him a tender smile and cups Dawson’s face, stroking his thumb back and forth over his cheek.

It’s hard to focus on talking when Cal is being like this, unbearably sweet and attentive, but Dawson forces himself anyway. “Can I ask you…about stuff?”

Cal hums an affirmative.

“How old are you?” He doesn’t know why it’s important. It probably isn’t—he’s just curious.

Cal’s eyes sparkle with mirth. “A few eons, give or take. But don’t tell your sister.”

“Um, did you say eons?” That’s one hell of an age-gap.

It’s kind of hot.

“I don’t know for sure,” Cal amends. “Time doesn’t really exist where I come from. It’s fluid. One could say I’ve been to the future too.”

That makes sense. Dawson’s seen so many movies about time paradox and time travel, it gets more complicated each time. But his little human brain struggles to grasp the concept.

“Yeah? What is it like? Do we have spaceships? Flying cars? Has Australia sunk into the ocean?”

Cal grins. “Maybe we should restrictyourNetflix time.”

Dawson pouts at the vague response, but Cal doesn’t budge.

Moving on, then. “Can you tell when someone is going to die?” He’s surprised that Cal actually answers him.