Read Online Happily Ever After? (Sleeping Handsome Sequel) by Jean Haus - Free Book Online Page B

actually touched mine.
    I feel like vomiting again.
    Still stunned by the whole encounter
with Bret, I lie against the door and stare into space. The
computer on the desk stares at me. Slowly, I move toward the desk.
Zach asks for honesty, always gives it, and until lately I’ve
always been completely honest with him. But admitting my stupidity
is going to suck.
    Big time.
    My trembling fingers reach for the
mouse. I’m stunned to see a new message from Zach. I hesitantly
open it.
    Paige,
    I know you’re angry right
now. I don’t blame you. Take however long you need. I’ll always be
waiting.
    Until then, here’s my ode
to you.
    ~
    She came to me in the
darkness,
    Brought light to slow
death.
    Though she was lost,
scarred, and hurting,
    Her soul was
spotless.
    I breathed for the sound
of her voice.
    She woke me with
her
    Kiss, sincerity, and
openness.
    Brought to life by
love,
    Forever connected to this
girl,
    Darkness has
vanished.
    I now breathe freely in
the brightness.
    Yet under blue
skies,
    The sun shines brighter
when she smiles,
    My heart beats
faster,
    She fills it with
courageousness.
    I aspire to be,
    Worthy of living in her
light.
    ~
    It may be cheesy, but it’s
the truth.
    Love always,
    Z
    I press my temples as his beautiful
words melt into my heart. His thoughts of me warm my insides. And
they shame me. I’m not that girl in the poem. I’m not light. And
I’m not worthy of his pretty words.
    I’m suddenly crying all over again.
After several minutes and several more tissues, I try to collect my
thoughts.
    One thing’s for certain, the whole
experience with Bret has given me a tighter conviction. My trust in
Zach feels stronger. How I even let Bret sway me just a bit into
thinking Zach…Ugh.
    My hands hover over the
keyboard.
    Now his trust will be in the
spotlight.

~12~
    Zach

    I never, not once, have been pissed at
Paige. She’s always been the perfect girlfriend. We clicked and
were in tune with each other from the start. Though her kiss woke
me, I never felt truly awake until we were together. After reading
her email, I’m about to blow up. Since Drake’s still at work, I
tear through the apartment from one room to the next. I’m trying to
cool down, but I’m furious. I want to punch holes in every single
wall then all the doors. And I’ve been like this for
hours.
    So much for a relaxing day
off.
    The scrape of a key sounds in the lock
of the front door. I set my hands on the counter between the
kitchen and living room. Drake rushes inside while I try to get
control of myself.
    “ Dude,” he gasps. “Have
you seen this?” He shoves his phone in my face.
    I stare at the picture of Paige and
Bret Travis walking along a rolling city sidewalk. They look at
each other. Both are smiling. The caption under the picture says,
‘Actor Bret Travis appears to be hooking up with another costar.’
My fingers grip the edge of the counter. My fury grows.
    “ There’s more,” Drake
says, bouncing so much the ball of his ski cap almost hits my
nose.
    The next one shows them looking in the
shop of a window. Another pictures them standing on a corner.
Paige’s head is thrown back in a laugh.
    I spin away with my hands clenched at
my sides. I don’t want Drake to know how enraged I am. This should
stay between Paige and I.
    “ Dude, these aren’t real
are they?” Drake asks from behind me.
    “ You think they’re fake
fucking pictures?”
    “ Shit. Even if I had dibs,
you should’ve just screwed Amanda the other night.”
    At the thought of Amanda, my rage
spikes. I spin back around, but stop myself from punching my
roommate in the jaw by clenching my hands behind my back. “So if
Paige’s with some guy on the sidewalk, they’re sleeping
together?”
    He backs away and puts his hands up.
“Sorry man, but yeah that’s what it looks like. I mean the guy is
known for screwing half of Hollywood.”
    I step back. Drake really has nothing
to do with this shit even if he is seriously pissing me