A Good Boy Is Hard to Find (The Naughty List #3)(44)
Author: Suzanne Young

Without any noticeable reaction, Aiden licked the side of his cone. “Is it because you’re still in love with me?”

A chill ran across the back of my neck, and my breath held in my chest. I could feel myself blushing, my cheeks getting warm. “Maybe.”

His mouth twitched with a smile as he leaned back into the painted metal of the food-court chair. He looked across the room of people—completely pleased. “That’s good, Tess,” he said, nodding to himself. “Because he’s the one that set you up.”

Chapter 19

I was too stunned to talk on the way home. Joel. Joel had turned us over to the football players, ratting us out and causing our social exodus. He was partly to blame for my broken ankle. Joel.

When we got home, Aiden walked me inside, helping me sit down at the kitchen table before getting me a glass of water. I couldn’t believe this.

I clutched my cup, Aiden now across from me and looking worried. It couldn’t be true. Why would Joel do something so cruel? Why would he destroy our lives?

“You’ve made a mistake,” I said quietly, lifting up my cup to take a sip. “He wouldn’t do this.”

“Darrell confirmed it, Tess. Blaze wasn’t the only one Joel told. He’d met with them a few times in the locker room. He knew how to get through to SOS.”

“But how could he know that? I’ve never told him about SOS.”

Aiden stood up from the kitchen chair and took my near-empty glass from my hands and brought it to the kitchen. As he was refilling it, it hit me.

“Sweet’N Low! What if it was Kira?”

“You think she sabotaged you again?”

I blinked quickly. Did I think that? No. Not really. Kira had nothing to gain by telling Joel about SOS. And she loved spying. I didn’t think she’d jeopardize it.

Aiden came back over to the table and set the glass down in front of me. Then he squatted down so that he was at eye level, putting his hands on my knees. Him being that close made me dizzy. “I’m really sorry I had to tell you this,” he said. “I was planning on taking care of it myself, but then Darrell told me you were dating him. So I knew I had to tell you.”

“How were you going to ‘take care of it’?”

He glanced away, trying (but not that hard) to hide a grin. “I would have spoken to him about it.”

“With your fists?”

“You know I don’t condone violence.” Aiden winked and then stood up. He bent down and kissed the top of my head, making my insides flutter. “You gonna be okay if I take off?”

“Depends. Are you going to see Joel?”

“Um … no?”

“Aiden!” I wasn’t even sure if I believed that Joel could be involved—not without evidence. I didn’t want to falsely accuse him as I’d just done with Aiden. And I couldn’t very well let Aiden get in a physical altercation with him.

“Listen,” Aiden said from the doorway, zipping up his jacket. “I won’t punch him. I won’t even kick him. I just want to talk to the guy.”

“No. I think we both know you’re not great at self-restraint.”

He smirked. “Sometimes I am.”

“Not really.”

Aiden groaned, leaning his long body against the door frame as if exasperated. “You make me crazy.”

“Ditto.”

“Are you going to do something dangerous?” he asked. “Because I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Again.”

I couldn’t help the rush of warmth and protection that wrapped around me. Even though Aiden might be wrong about Joel, he still wanted to beat him up. Part of that was jealousy. And part of it was looking out for me. It made me feel pretty good.

Reaching out, I grabbed one of my crutches to balance on and hobbled over to where Aiden was standing. When I stopped in front of him, his face fell as if he were suddenly nervous. Like me walking up to him meant something.

I reached a hand behind his neck and drew him closer. And when he was within striking distance, I got on my tiptoe (one of them) and put my lips against the soft, warm skin of his cheek. I felt him touch gingerly at my back, like he was scared to touch me completely. As if I’d run away.

When I pulled back, I whispered, “Thank you.”

He laughed softly, his hand falling. He stared down at me. “Anything for you, baby.”

Then he turned around and left.

The first thing I did after Aiden left was take a deep breath. The second thing I did was turn on my phone and call Leona. But she didn’t answer.

Hello Kitty! I needed to talk to her. I was in a downward spiral and desperate for answers. I tried her house, but her mother (who’d just gotten back from a lengthy business trip) told me she hadn’t seen her. I dialed Izzie’s number, but her mother said she was at therapy. Well, at least, that was something positive.

I looked around the room, trying to figure out what to do next. I didn’t want to call Kira until I’d discussed the situation with Leona. She was great at evaluating emergencies. My cell phone began to vibrate on the table, and my stomach dropped when I glanced at the caller ID. Joel.

Argh! What was I supposed to do? I tapped my healthy foot on the floor and then impulsively answered. Maybe Aiden was wrong. “Hi.”

“Hey! I’ve been trying to call you. Where’ve you been?”

Okay, here was the point where I should fess up that I ate ice cream with Aiden and then ask Joel point blank if he told the football team that the Smitten Kittens were really SOS. But I was a spy. Point blank wasn’t one of my strengths.

“Spending time with my parents before their show.”

“That’s cool. So … do you want to do something tonight?” The oblivious tone of his voice could mean only two things. Aiden was completely off base, or Joel was a good liar.

“Did—” The words froze in my mouth. I couldn’t bring myself to ask him. I was so torn up and confused. I liked Joel. It couldn’t be true.

“Did what?”

I closed my eyes. “Did you want to do something tomorrow? I’m free then.” I needed to talk to Leona first. She’d know the correct way to handle this.

“What are you doing tonight?”

Spying on you. “I’ve got a headache. My father talks a lot.” It was the only thing I could do. I had to find out the truth for myself. I refused to confront him until I did.

“Ah, the old headache excuse.”

“No, Joel. It’s not that. I—”