Page 20 of Should the Sky Fall

“From Amanda.” Right. Cal’s PA. “I thought the hospital called you first, and then you called her and she called me. Thought I’d talk to you directly, since I assumed you’d already be at the hospital.” He shifts, looking uncomfortable. “I had no idea they never called you.”

“They wouldn’t, since I’m evidently not Cal’s emergency contact.” It shouldn’t upset him as much as it does.

“Yeah. Clearly, I’m not either.”

Ellis can at least blame it on living in different states.

“Do you think it’s going to be okay?” Dawson asks. “With the police and stuff?”

Ellis thinks it over. “I can get a good lawyer. I assume Cal had car insurance…” He waits until Dawson nods. “So we should be good.” Not that money would be an issue anyway. “No one else but Cal got hurt, and as far as I know it’s his first transgression?” Another nod from Dawson. “We should be fine. If it goes really well, he might not even have to go to court.”

The lift stops and as they step out towards the apartment, an overwhelming mixture of relief, gratitude, and guilt sweeps through Dawson.

“Can I help? I mean, you already have to take care of the work stuff.” He has zero idea of how he could be of help, but he’ll take anything that won’t make him feel like a waste of space. It’s not fair to unload that all on Ellis who, under normal circumstances, wants nothing to do with Dawson and Cal’s life, apart from working for the family company.

To his credit, Ellis doesn’t laugh in Dawson’s face. And is that a smile?

“I’ll manage. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll manage.”

Keeping disappointment at bay, Dawson unlocks the front door and unnecessarily adds, “This is it.”

They toe off their shoes and hang up their jackets. Ellis leaves his suitcase by the door, then sweeps his gaze over the kitchen and the living room, and snorts.

“What a dump.”

Dawson’s eyes nearly pop out. “What?” He’s not exactly in love with the place, but he wouldn’t call a luxury two-mill apartment a dump.

Ellis takes a walk around the place, undoing his cufflinks and rolling up his sleeves. He stops in front of the large glass doors leading to the balcony and overlooking the ocean. There’s not much to be seen at night, but it’s easy to tell the view must be beautiful.

“Typical Cal. All shiny on the surface, but no substance.”

“Yeah. Doesn’t feel very homey,” Dawson agrees. The apartment itself is beautiful, but Cal keeps it strictly sterile-looking.

Ellis turns to him, surprise—no, disbelief written in his face. “Thought you liked shiny stuff.”

Dawson balks like he’s been slapped. Is that how Cal talks about him? After all Cal’s done to him, it shouldn’t hurt so much. “What gave you the impression?”

Ellis snickers. “You married my brother.”

“What—” Hurt slices through him. To his horror, he feels the familiar sting in his eyes. “You think I married him for the money?” He can admit that Cal’s financial situation and status made him feel secure and cared for, but that was more of a byproduct of their relationship. A perk. Sure, Dawson liked it. It was new and exciting, and he’d never been around someone of Cal’s caliber before. But it was never about the money.

“Are you saying you didn’t?” Ellis eyes him skeptically. Suspiciously. “You got married less than a year after you met him. A guy twelve years older than you.”

The age-difference was one of Olivia’s arguments too, but she was reaching because she hadn’t liked Cal from the beginning. But Jesus, she had never even implied that Dawson was marrying his bank account.

The hurt quickly turns into anger. “Fuck you,” he bites out, surprising himself and, by the dumbstruck look on his face, Ellis as well. “You know nothing about me. Last time I checked, I wasn't the one who was fighting over who gets to run the company.”

It’s Ellis’ turn to be taken aback. It only lasts a second before the impenetrable mask is back. He lets out a humorless chuckle.

“That’s what he told you, huh. That I want to be in charge.”

He did, in fact. Dawson didn’t question it because what does he know about business? It explains why Cal never talks to his brother unless it’s work related.

“I don’t care. That is between you and your brother. But I won’t just stand here and take shit from you when you have skeletons in your own closet and don’t know a thing about me.”

Ellis opens his mouth to say something, but changes his mind. He huffs and heads to the kitchen. “I need a fucking drink. Cal have anything here?”

Dawson almost laughs. Kieran was onto something when he said assholery runs in the family. “Oh yeah. Help yourself.” He gestures towards the cupboards, making himself sound as sarcastic as possible. “I’m sure you’ll find something among the dozen whiskey bottles.”