The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)(31)
Author: Suzanne Young

“Nothing’s wrong,” I said quickly. Lincoln Memorial! All I did was lie.

Aiden stared at me before clenching his jaw and climbing off. He leaned over the edge of the sofa, putting his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his palms. He looked dejected.

“Aiden?”

He turned to me, his green eyes glassy but not from alcohol.

“I don’t understand you anymore, Tess,” he said seriously.

“Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.” He rubbed roughly at his face. “You’re so distant. Distracted. Half the time, I don’t even know if you’re listening to me.”

“Sweetie, I always listen …”

Aiden raked his fingers through his hair, staring across the room, pressing his lips together like he was trying to stop them from trembling. “Tessa,” he said, sounding miserable. “Maybe my mother’s right. Maybe we should—”

I jumped forward and grabbed his face, kissing him hard. I didn’t want to know what he was about to say. There was nothing to talk about. There was nothing I could talk about. He just had to understand how much I needed him. Wanted him.

“Baby,” he breathed, tangling his hand in my hair. “We don’t have to …”

But I pushed him back on his couch, and we hooked up right here, in his basement. Without talking.

Aiden exhaled, snuggling closer to me, his face resting against the back of my neck. “I love you,” he said.

I smiled. “I love you too.” We were quiet for a minute, our heartbeats mixing together. I bit the inside of my cheek. Right now, I felt safe being here with him, so warm. At times like this, I felt like I could talk to him about anything—even SOS.

“Why did you invite Christian and Chloe to your party?” I asked. My boyfriend was the biggest sweetheart in the world, but he wasn’t dense. If I knew about Christian’s interest in me, Aiden had probably read it even sooner. So why would he invite him here?

Aiden sighed. “I’m not telling you. You’ll be mad at me.”

I rubbed my back into him, letting him wrap me up tighter. “I won,” I whispered. “I promise.”

“I … thought he should know.”

I scrunched my nose. “What did you need him to know?”

“That you’re with me.”

Talking about Christian was making me tremble. Did Aiden feel it? “He knows I’m with you,” I said, but my voice cracked.

“Does he?”

I didn’t like Aiden’s tone. My paws had no intention of wandering anywhere else. “Yeah.”

“Because by the way he was playing with your hair, Tess, he didn’t seem to get the picture at all.”

My face stung. Was he accusing me of something? I sat up, letting Aiden’s arm fall off of me. “What are you saying?” I asked, glaring at him.

He scoffed. “I’m not a chump. The kid watches your ass every time you walk by. You telling me you haven’t noticed?” Aiden pulled himself up, and I wished he’d put his shirt back on. It was very distracting when I was trying to be royally PO’d at him.

“I’m aware that Christian has a crush on me,” I said. “But I’m trying to fix him up with Kira.” Though now I had to rethink that. We’d all been compromised.

Aiden grabbed his T-shirt off the back of the couch and slid it over his head, pushing his arms roughly through the sleeves. “And how long have you been aware of it, Tessa?”

I tilted my head. It was nice to see Aiden get jealous, but I didn’t need him to be unreasonable either. I’d still have to handle Christian somehow without exposing the Smitten Kittens. I straightened my posture. “At lunch detention he made it clear. And at miniature golf—”

“Wait. What?”

Gingersnaps! I’d let that one slip out.

“It was nothing.” I waved my hand. “Leona and I—”

“Did you go on a f**king date with him?” Aiden’s voice boomed through the room, bouncing off the cement walls of the basement. My face burned with shame.

“Absolutely not! How could you ask that?”

“I don’t know, Tess. I never know where you are anymore. You’re quiet all the time. You’re like a different f**king person lately… .”

My mouth fell open. He was being crude.

“And don’t tell me not to swear,” he said, holding up a finger. “I’m really angry, and I have every right to swear.”

“Aiden.” I reached out to touch his hair, but he moved his head away.

“Would you rather I didn’t give a shit? Would that be better?”

“No!” Hadn’t I wanted Aiden to get a little jealous? He should be. Christian was after me. But I had to diffuse this situation because now, Christian had the power to ruin my life. To ruin Aiden and me.

I twitched my nose, trying to channel the sweet, peppy cheerleader everyone loved so much. I met Aiden’s eyes.

“Forget Christian,” I said in the cutest voice possible. “You’re more than I can handle, Wildcat. And you’re the only one I purr for.” I leaned toward him and kissed his cheek, believing my words.

“Tessa,” he whispered, but I could tell he liked it. He liked me like this.

“Come on, point guard,” I said, standing up, taking his hand. “It’s late. And I think my feet are still a little sore from practice. You…” I licked my lips. “You want to rub them for me?”

It was true. My toes did feel a little cramped, and Aiden liked to make them feel better. I’d deal with Christian later. Right now, I had someone else to cheer up. I could be like this. Energetic. Positive. Even if I was so very tired.

Aiden got up, looking at me doubtfully. Then, “Did you bring any polish?” he asked off-handedly, like he didn’t care either way.

“Passion pink.”

He growled. “Baby, that’s my favorite.”

“I know.”

We stood together, smiling at each other, and it felt right. The way it’d been before SOS started getting so many cases. The times before new students came to Washington High to mess with my life.

Aiden and I were the real deal. We could get past this. If we loved each other, we could get past anything.

SOS BACKGROUND CHECK RESULTS FORM

RESULT: 004

CLIENT: Madeline Haskel

SUBJECT: Roger Stanvick

Dear Ms. Haskel,

We are sorry to inform you that Mr. Stanvick’s background report has not ended positively. SOS does not endorse him as your next boyfriend.