Read Marie Sexton - Coda 05 - Paris A to Z for Free Online Page A

pleased that you came.”
“Thank you for having us,” I said, although it seemed like an
incredibly weak sentiment considering what hed done for us—flying us all the way to Paris and paying for a hotel that was obviously ridiculouslyexpensive.
    His soft hands were still holding mine, and his gaze was cautious but friendly. “I hope things wont be awkward between us.”
“Why would they be?” I asked.
He was taken aback by that, I could tell, and his eyebrows went up in surprise. “My goodness, lovey. I cant tell if youre being sarcastic or if you actually mean that.” I couldnt blame him for being unsure. After all, he was marrying my ex and had screwed around with my current boyfriend.
“It wasnt sarcasm,” I assured him. “I have no hard feelings about Jon, or about Angelo.”
He ducked his head a little, so that his hair blocked his eyes from me. It reminded me of Angelo, although when Ang did it, it was incidental. With Cole, it seemed deliberate. “I hope youre not worried about it happening again?”
I couldnt help but smile. “Youll cross Jons lines long before Angelo crosses mine.”
“You sound pretty sure about that.”
“I am.”
He flipped his hair out of the way again and regarded me appraisingly. “Youre different than I expected. Jonny said you were easygoing, but given how uptight he is, that might have meant nothing more than that you actually know the purpose of a snooze button.”
I should have laughed at that, but I couldnt quite manage it. “I hate to think what Jon must have told you.”
He shook his head. “He never said much. Although, he did imply youd rather drive nails through your eyes than see him again.”
“He wasnt far off.”
“Were things so bad with him?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. The truth was, wed had a lot of good times. But when I looked back, I found they were hard to remember. I could barely see them through the lies and the arguments that had plagued the last few months of our relationship. “It just didnt end well.”
    “So much so that you would have preferred to stay home?” “Yes.”
“Then why did you come?” There was no challenge in his question. He genuinely wanted to know.
“For Angelo.” And it seemed like as good a time as any to say what I wanted to say. “I want to thank you for giving him this. I want you to know how much it means to him. Hell never be able to tell you on his own. Hes only been out of Colorado a few times, and now, getting to come here, it means more to him than I can say.”
“You love him very much.”
The statement caught me off guard, but I said, “Of course.”
“Jonny said youd only come for Angelo.” He smiled at me conspiratorially. “I may not tell him, though. I hate it when hes right.”
“I dont blame you. Hes unbearable when he gloats,” I said, and he laughed. “He must have changed more than I thought. He used to hate being called Jonny.”
“I assure you, honey,” he said, winking at me, “he still does.”
That made me laugh, and any tension I might have felt over meeting him melted away. I could see suddenly why he was the perfect match for Jon—unlike me, he was strong enough to be himself, no matter what. He smiled at me, and I felt like we had somehow reached a silent understanding. He squeezed my hand. “I think I like you, Zach,” he said, as he finally let me go. “And that might annoy Jonny enough to make you and I both happy.”
He looked over my shoulder then, and his smile went from genuine to something a bit too bright. “Well hello , buttercup,” he said, and I turned to find Matt standing behind me, looking slightly amused. And slightly annoyed.
“Listen, Vanderbilt—”
“I thought it was Davenport,” I said.
“I prefer Fenton, actually,” Cole said.
Matt grinned wolfishly at him. “Whatever.”
“Oh honey, just call me Cole.”
“As long as you call me „Matt.”
Cole put his hand on his hip. He flipped his hair back out of his eyes, tilting his head