So Many Boys (The Naughty List #2)(20)
Author: Suzanne Young

I felt a familiar heat rise in my face, and I waved away the spoon. “Gosh darn it, Aiden! We haven’t done anything.”

He studied me, reading my reaction, before nodding. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean it like that. It was just hard hearing him describe you—or the old you—and pretending I knew nothing about it.”

I pulled the ice off my forehead, feeling the onset of a headache. I was truly offended. I’d done everything I could to change my life, and it hurt that Aiden still didn’t realize that. And it made me wonder if he’d been listening to me at all.

“I told you we’ve stopped spying,” I murmured, sitting up to look at him. I left out the part about my pending investigation of Chloe. Aiden wasn’t in the right frame of mind to hear about that.

He smiled, narrowing his eyes. “You also told me you quit cheerleading and, well…” He reached out and brushed at the hem of my skirt.

“I know this looks bad, but the girls need me.” In more than just cheering.

He met my glare unapologetically. “It’ll always be something, right, Tess?”

I wasn’t sure what to think about us anymore. Obviously he hadn’t gotten over his trust issues with me. Gosh, you tell one really big lie (for two years), and you never get trusted again. It was hardly fair. I’d said I was sorry.

We had been quiet for a few minutes when I heard my phone ring from the bedroom. It was good, something to break up the awkward party I was currently hosting on my couch.

“Do you want me to get it?” Aiden asked.

I struggled to stand up, but I was a little woozy. I must have hit my head harder than I’d thought. “If you wouldn’t mind?”

He popped up off the couch and strolled toward my room, his long legs looking effortlessly agile in his track pants. I glanced at the clock on the cable box and saw that it was getting late. I needed to get ready for my surveillance, but I didn’t want to be rude to Aiden. Ugh! I’d forgotten how hard it was to sneak around! I flopped onto the sofa and placed the ice pack over my forehead. Maybe I wasn’t ready for this.

“Tessa,” Aiden said, making me jump. I hadn’t heard him come back. I looked up to see him standing above me. “It’s Leona,” he added, holding out the phone.

Oops. She probably wanted a status update…and I didn’t have one. I sat up, feeling unsteady. When I had readjusted my position, Aiden put his hand over the receiver. “I’m sorry for being an ass**le,” he whispered.

I immediately perked up. “It’s okay.” I was ready to make up right now, even with Leona waiting on the phone.

“I just…” Aiden paused. He pressed his mouth into a smile and shook his head. “Never mind.” He laughed. “We’ll talk about it when you get off the phone.”

Interesting. Completely set on telling Leona to call back later, much later, I pressed the phone to my ear. Aiden brushed his legs against mine as he moved past. I smiled, warmth spreading all over me.

I didn’t want to waste any of our time together. Every day I felt us growing farther apart, and even the possibility made my insides ache. So without saying a word, I hung up the phone, leaned over, and kissed him.

ASSIGNMENT 2

10:30 P.M., SEPTEMBER 17

The operative rested her boots on the dash of her car as she lounged back, popping her gum. Typically Skinner Butte was full of steamed-up SUVs and Hondas, but tonight was quiet. Just a few people sitting on the cliff, watching the skyline. Her target hadn’t arrived. This case was taking too long. She should have had a confirmation by now. The SOS files never showed a problem like this before. It was irritating.

She took out her phone, glancing through the messages, both her and the suspect’s. Riley had been texting Megan since the moment she’d left the pizza place, but she wasn’t responding. The operative wondered about this. Wondered if actively not cheating was still enough reason to keep investigating. She decided it was and readied her equipment.

A few minutes later, a black Ford F-250 pulled up to the butte. Immediately behind it was a red sedan with an open sunroof. Jenn.

They arrived just as they had arranged, and the operative knew that this would be it. This was definitely a cheat in progress; it had all the signs. As she scrambled to correct her seat, her elbow accidentally bumped the horn; the loud toot caused Jenn and Tate to jump from where they stood across the dirt hillside.

The operative froze in her spot, hoping that she hadn’t just blown her cover. When Tate and Jenn turned back toward each other, she let out the breath she’d been holding. That was close.

There wasn’t any way to get audio on this mission, so the operative grabbed the long-range camera from inside her pack. When the image was too dark, she switched it to night vision and let the green-hued figures come into focus.

The operative had been taking an online class on how to read lips, and she hoped to put her newfound skills to use. This was a time when words could be very incriminating. She zoomed in on Jenn’s face and squinted.

“Tate,” the operative mumbled as she read aloud. “We can’t do this. It’s not fair to Riley.”

Tate shook his head, his dark hair hanging loose around his face. “I don’t care about Riley. I care about you. I love you.”

The operative swallowed hard but filmed the scene anyway, knowing that after the L word, a kiss was imminent.

Jenn closed her eyes and rubbed at her face before staring back at Tate. “I love U2,” she mouthed.

U2? The band was great and all but…Oh. The operative widened her eyes and regained her composure. She knew it was only moments until lip lock.

“Come here,” Tate said, taking Jenn by the wrists and pulling her to him. He wrapped her right up in his arms and rested his cheek on top of hers, facing the operative. “I’ll wait as long as I need,” he said. “I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

“Damn it,” the operative hissed. How had all the cheaters grown morals all of a sudden? It made her think of the guy she had cared about and how he—she paused. She wouldn’t go there.

Figuring the night for a lost cause, the operative lowered her camera and tucked it back into her bag. She watched for a few minutes as the couple sat together and admired the skyline. Her nail polish had begun flaking off. As much as she tried, she couldn’t wrap her head around this assignment.

When people were in love, they weren’t supposed to cheat. And Riley and Jenn claimed to love each other. And they claimed to love other people. In fact, Jenn and Megan were friends. What sort of friend did that? And what sort of girl loved two boys at once?