Page 23 of Should the Sky Fall

“Shucks.”

They go quiet for a bit, but it’s not heavy or uncomfortable. More like they're testing the waters of where they are now that they’re not virtual strangers anymore.

“We should sleep,” Dawson suggests, fighting a yawn.

“Yeah.” Ellis stands up. “Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Where are you going?”

“A hotel?”

“No, that’s…” Dawson waves a hand. “Forget I said that. You can stay. Of course you can stay.”

“Are you sure?” He watches Dawson carefully. Assessing. “It’s not an issue.”

“I’m sure. It’s late. You’d be dead on your feet by the time you found something.”

“Okay,” Ellis finally says. He licks his lips, looking a little lost. “Thanks.”

Dawson nods and gets to his feet. “Here. I’ll show you the spare room.” It’s a four-bedroom apartment, but Cal turned one into his office and the other is for storage, leaving only one available in case someone sleeps over. Which never happens, anyway.

After he shows Ellis around, he goes to take a shower, washing the day away. Even though he’s tired, he doesn’t think he’ll get much sleep, not with his brain going into overdrive and analyzing everything that happened and will happen.

Ellis was right when he said things will only get worse. With Cal healing from the injury and dealing with the aftermath of the money-loss at work, it’s bound to become ugly. Ellis was right about other things too. Dawson can’t stay here. Maybe this is the right time. Take off while Cal is too busy worrying about his health—as cold as that sounds—and the company, so he doesn’t have time to worry about Dawson.

He can’t stay with Olivia. She has enough on her plate as it is, with raising two kids and working full-time. And there’s no way he’s going to Sydney with Ellis. That’s ridiculous. Plus, he doesn’t even like Sydney. It’s too busy, too hectic, and the weather is more unpredictable.

This leaves Kieran. He knows the man would do anything for him, but the idea of causing trouble for Kieran doesn't sit well with him—what with his constant arguments with his girlfriend. Dawson doesn’t have his own money either, so he couldn’t pay Kieran half the rent. Fuck.

Okay. Step one: find a job. He used to work in hospitality before he met Cal. Surely, a restaurant or a cafe would hire him. There are plenty along the Coast. Except it would have to be close-by because he’ll lose his car. Well, not his—Cal’s. Everything he has doesn’t actually belong to him. Not even his life feels like it’s actually his.

He’d hoped the shower would make him feel better, but he feels even crappier by the time he gets out and wanders to the bedroom. He wants nothing more than to fall into bed and black out. Except when he looks at the bed, all neat and large, he can’t bring himself to lie in it.

He hates this. This bed, this room, this apartment. He hates this life that he’s fallen into and has been too scared to find a way out of. In the end, he grabs his phone, a blanket, and his favorite pillow and goes to sleep on the sofa. It’s fucking uncomfortable and stiff, but it’s better than the alternative. He just needs to be somewhere else.

Once he’s somewhat settled in, he does a quick survey of his phone only to find Olivia’s been trying to reach him for hours. He contemplates calling her in the morning, but he knows she won’t be able to sleep until she hears from him. She’s been worried sick since Dawson had told her he was going through with the divorce.

He takes a deep breath and dials her number. It’s going to be a long night.

Chapter 5

Themorningisstrange.Dawson comes to slowly, his mind hazy as if he’s been asleep for years. Waking up in an almost unfamiliar environment doesn’t help, and it’s not until he tries to move and gets a crick in his neck that he’s reminded where he is. And why.

“Did you sleep here?”

Dawson startles and rolls off the sofa, tangling himself in the blanket and landing with a loud thud. “Shit.”

“Jesus,” he hears, and then the blanket is being pulled off him. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just woke up.”

Ellis is standing over him dressed in yesterday’s suit but a fresh shirt, his hair styled immaculately. Looking at him, no one would be able to tell he’s been through the meat-grinder in the past 24 hours.

“Why did you sleep here?”

Standing up clumsily, Dawson trails to the kitchen to get some water into him. “Couldn’t sleep in the bedroom. Are you headed to the office?”

“Later.” He hears Ellis move around. “After I’ve stopped at the hospital. I don’t even want to anymore, but…”