Coda 05 -Paris a to Z

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 back. Matt was at least four inches taller than him, but Cole somehow managed to make it seem that he had to look down to meet Matts eyes. “Anything you want, buttercup.”
Matt rolled his eyes, but otherwise didnt respond at all. He turned to get his key from the woman behind the counter.
Jared and Angelo walked in, and Cole went straight to Jared, pulling him into a tight embrace. Jared hugged him back, laughing. They stayed that way for a second, and then Cole pulled back just enough to look up into Jareds eyes. He had one hand on each side of Jareds face and was looking into his eyes, saying something that seemed to be very serious. Then he kissed him. He put his lips on the corner of Jareds mouth, as if he hadnt been able to decide between his lips and his cheek and had chosen to split the difference. It was soft and friendly, and although he lingered there a bit longer than I expected, the kiss wasnt at all sexual. Nonetheless, I heard Matt, standing next to me, make a low sound suspiciously close to a growl.
“Down, boy,” I said.
He didnt laugh. “I could handle it a lot better if he didnt have to touch him all the time!”
Cole was acting awfully familiar with Jared, but I also knew Jared was one hundred percent devoted to Matt. “What are you worried about?” I asked him. “You cant honestly think Jared would cheat on you.”
He tore his eyes away from his partner, and sighed. He looked at me with obvious embarrassment. “Of course not,” he said grudgingly. “It just drives me nuts knowing theyve been together.”
“Sometimes sex is just sex,” I said, and immediately regretted it. It obviously annoyed him. He might even have been mad.
“Is it supposed to make me feel better knowing that Im the only one who cant seem to see it that way?”
Angelo looked over at us, and he must have been able to tell from Matts face what was going on because he laughed and pulled Jared away from Cole, stepping between them.

    Cole wasnt quite as familiar with Ang as he had been with Jared— he didnt kiss him, at least. But he did stand awfully close. He put one arm around Angelos waist and whispered something in his ear that made him laugh.
“How can that not drive you nuts?” Matt asked me through clenched teeth.
But watching Cole and Angelo now was nothing like the first time theyd met, back at Matt and Jareds house, more than two years before. Back then, the sexual tension between them had been strong. Id almost felt like I could see it crackling between them. The entire room felt charged, and everybody around them seemed a bit on edge, although I suspected none of them knew why.
But now, it was completely gone. Yes, Cole was apparently incredibly flirtatious, and Angelo didnt seem to feel inclined to dissuade him. But when I looked at Angelo, I could tell that he felt nothing for Cole beyond a friendly curiosity. I could tell by the look in his eyes and by the way he responded to Coles flirting by touching him yet never leaning into him. He