Page 28 of Tempted Hearts
Parker looked as if he’d just learned Cole had a secret double life. And maybe he did?
But there was something in the way he said it—something careful and tucked away—that hit my chest like a stone.
A man like Cole didn’t take spontaneous sabbaticals. Or forget to tell his friends who he talked to all the time.
Not unless he was running from something.
“When?” Parker pressed, clearly not letting Cole’s partial explanations stand.
Ignoring the fact that his friend obviously didn’t want to talk about it, Parker waited. Delaney and I did too.
“First semester of my second year. We were all just settling into our jobs and new lives and weren’t in constant contact then.”
Parker did some mental math. “Mason didn’t notice?”
“Mason,” Delaney whispered to me, though the boys could obviously hear, “was working as an NYPD cop at the time so he and Cole were both in the city.”
I knew that, which made it even more a surprise Mason had no idea Cole was in Italy.
“I didn’t spend the whole semester there,” he said to Parker. “Just a few weeks. Anyway, you should go. Might need more than a day though.”
Parker continued to look at him strangely. Cole, for his part, seemed unaffected.
“So what do you think?” Delaney asked him.
“I guess the big question is,” I said, “are we keeping our original flights home? You guys only booked one way, right?”
“Right.” Parker took a bite of croissant.
“So do we even come back here?” Delaney asked Parker. “Florence is closer to Milan. But,” she added hastily, “I don’t want to abandon you here.”
“I’ve got her.” Cole’s emotionless statement took all three of us by surprise. He addressed me. “I know you’re worried about not having a credit card.”
Oh. That’s what he meant.
“Sugar mama over here,” Delaney teased.
“I’m happy to front you for the rest of the trip. And explore the towns here. Once you guys have passports in hand, if there are still seats on your flight home, we’ll grab seats on those. And meet you the night before, like you guys planned, in Milan.”
Me and Cole. Alone for four days in Cinque Terre.
What could go wrong?
“You sure?” I asked, already knowing the answer. He wouldn’t have offered otherwise. Cole thought things through, thoroughly. That much was clear.
“Yep,” he said, offering no other hint about what he was really thinking.
Delaney was giving me “the look.” Girl code for the same question Cole had asked, but without saying a word. Was I sure? Just the opposite of Cole, I usually didn’t think things through, preferring to follow my gut. It got me into a lot of trouble, but that was a trade-off I was willing to make. Those “glimmers” of possibility had also brought me a lot of joy too.
“Okay.” I met Delaney’s worried look, reassuring her. “I really would rather come back here. Florence is amazing, but I’ve been there twice already and would love to explore all the towns here, especially since this is where my family is from. If Cole doesn’t mind being my sugar daddy for a few days…” Oops. Had to walk that one back. “Kidding, of course,” I said to him. “It’s totally just a loan.”
“Totally.” He mimicked my tone, making Parker and Delaney laugh.
“Let’s do it. And we’ll meet you for a final night in Milan,” I said to Delaney. “Just like we planned.”
“You’re positive?”
She didn’t believe me. And wouldn’t, unless I could talk to her alone.
