So Many Boys (The Naughty List #2)(29)
Author: Suzanne Young

Although I hadn’t really explained the situation to my father in full, I still felt like I’d just been slapped in the face. Hadn’t he seen how hard I’d been working to improve myself? To win Aiden back?

“Honey,” he said, lowering his head. “I know how much you care for Aiden. And you know your mom and I adore him too. But…” He trailed off. “You’re a smart girl, Tessa,” he finished. “And I’m not going to tell you what’s best for you. Because you already know.”

He rose from the couch, bending down only to kiss the top of my head before wandering off to the kitchen. I didn’t move for a while after he left. I sat there on the couch staring at the place where my skirt ended and my thigh began. I stared at it until the first tear dropped onto my lap and the rest blurred my vision altogether.

After my long-overdue cry fest, I made my way to my room for a nap. A little beauty sleep couldn’t hurt. But it felt like only seconds after I’d closed my eyes when my phone vibrated on my bedside table. I rolled over and picked it up, glancing at the screen. Another unfamiliar number. Strange.

I clicked it on and put it to my ear. “Hello?” I asked, my voice kind of scratchy.

“Tessa? It’s Mary. We need to chat.”

My heart nearly stopped. “Mary?” I squeaked.

“I know you’re probably PO’d,” she said. “But understand, I’ve been hearing some pretty disturbing things.”

I sat up in my bed, needing to clear my head for the impending conversation. “I’ll be honest,” I said before clicking on the pink porcelain lamp on my side table. “I am very ticked at you, Mary. I’d like to know exactly why you went behind my back like that?” My fingers were shaking from the confrontation.

She exhaled. “I tried to call you first, remember? Then…when I didn’t hear from you, I decided to take things into my own hands. You’ve been completely out of control lately. And when you said you were going to see the principal, I just about guessed what it was for. That man is nothing if not predictable. But you’re not ready to take back the throne, Tessa. You can’t even keep your personal life in order, let alone your professional one.”

I was truly offended. What did she know of my personal life? “You completely crossed the line,” I said, my voice low. “I want back on the squad, Mary. And it’s not your place to keep me away.”

She laughed. “Don’t make this personal. I’m doing what’s best for the Smitten Kittens. Did you think I wouldn’t find out how badly you effed up SOS? I trusted you with my organization. It means something, Tessa! It’s my legacy.”

“SOS was misguided and wrong. I was trying to let us all move on.”

“No,” she said. “You were trying to move on.”

That was it. I was done with this conversation. “Mary, not only are you not in charge of the squad anymore, you’re not even on it. You don’t have a vote. Not there and not in my life. So I’d appreciate it if you stepped away from the situation. Kira and I have it handled.”

“Kira,” Mary said, fighting to control her voice. “Can’t believe you made her captain.”

I’d never told Kira, but Mary had always been against letting her join the squad. She didn’t feel that she had the right image, the right oomph. But I thought Mary was being completely judgmental. And now she was turning her judgment on me. “I have to go,” I said finally. “We’ll handle our own squad and the fragments of SOS.”

“Is there some drama between you and Kira?” she asked.

“No,” I answered, maybe a little too quickly.

She laughed. “Fine. But just so you know, tension often occurs when there’s a shift in power. Keep it in mind.”

“I will,” I murmured, considering her comment. “ ’Night.”

She hung up without a reply, and I pulled the phone slowly from my ear, staring at it. Of all people, I never thought I’d have to go sneaker to sneaker with my ex-captain. And even though something like this would have totally hurt the old Tessa’s feelings, the new me…was just furious. I’d show Mary Rudick.

I curled up on my side, considering her words. Had Kira changed because of her new position? It seemed unlikely. But before recently, Kira had never shown me even a tinge of animosity.

Then again, maybe Leona was right. Maybe Kira was on a big power trip. I needed to talk to Aiden.

I grabbed my phone and quickly dialed, but Aiden’s dorm phone went straight to voice mail. It made me sad, or at least it did until I saw the copy of my new book sitting where I’d left it on my nightstand. It had been undeniably sweet of Joel to bring it to me earlier. I felt myself smiling as I thought of it.

I opened the front cover, and a note I hadn’t noticed before caught my eye:

If you need to talk or just want to relive old fishing stories, call anytime. Joel, 555-6872.

I laughed, closing the cover and clicking off the light before settling back into my bed. I considered calling to thank him. Maybe even chat a little. But to be honest, most of my problems were top secret. And I didn’t think it was best to fill him in on my (or his girlfriend’s) spying past. No. Joel was great and all, but there were some things a Kitten needed to handle on her own. Like finding the person who was impersonating her.

And with that, I snuggled under my covers, hugging the book to my chest, and closed my eyes.

When I woke up the next morning, my parents were still in their room, sleeping off last night’s gig. I quietly made my way through the house as I began to fill with dread at the thought of the impending day.

I sat down with my cereal, crunching it with little vigor, and decided to try Kira. She picked up on the first ring. Someone to talk to!

“Morning, Tess,” she said, and yawned. “You just caught me. I was just about to start working on some cheers for homecoming. What’s up?”

“Oh,” I said. “Did you want some help?”

I heard the phone shift like Kira was just getting out of bed, which she most likely was. “Um…maybe next time, okay? Let’s get through your date first.”

My smile faded as I put down my spoon. I’d forgotten that I didn’t have a place on the squad yet. It was another crushing blow. “Sure. Next time.”

“Perfect,” she said. “So, we’re still on for the movies tonight, right? I’ve already e-mailed Chris, and he is oh-so-excited to hang out with you. That boy is over the sun for you!”