The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)(47)
Author: Suzanne Young

“I’m sorry,” I said to him, gazing up into his green eyes. I felt unsteady, out of sorts. “I love you,” I whispered to him. “And I don’t care what you were doing. I just need you, Aiden. I forgive you.” I wasn’t sure if my speech was slurred because Aiden was staring down at me, looking completely confused.

“What I was doing?”

Chloe laughed again, but neither of us turned to her.

“Tess,” Aiden said. “Chloe called me saying she was stranded at a party and that she needed a ride home. So I picked her up, but she said she was too drunk to go home and that her dad would freak. I told her she could come back here until she felt better.” He stepped back from me and then took my hand to put it on the T-shirt that was against my forehead. He dropped his arm. “Were … were you spying on me?”

If only I weren’t so dizzy, I could explain. But I’d just gotten my tush thoroughly kicked by a nasty little blonde.

“I’m sorry,” I said, reaching out for him. “Christian said—”

“Christian? What the f**k does he have to do with this?”

I didn’t scold Aiden about his language. I’d like to know what the eff Christian had to do with this too. And his sister.

“She was with him tonight,” Chloe announced, sounding like a spoiled five-year-old.

Why was she still here?

“Go home,” Aiden said to her, without looking back. He was studying my face. And he was being rude to her. I liked it.

“But she was with him, A. Right outside in his car—”

Aiden closed his eyes. “Chloe,” he said in a very controlled voice. “Please get out of my house before I call your father to have him come pick you up.”

Then it occurred to me. I’d been played. Christian and Chloe must have set Aiden up and I took the bait. I’d … let Christian’s tongue in my mouth. I swooned.

Aiden reached out to steady me, completely concerned. He removed the T-shirt and examined my head while he chewed on his lip. I should have trusted him. Nothing was 100 percent. Not even cheating.

Chloe huffed and turned, slamming Aiden’s door on her way out, making a framed picture of us drop off the wall. She was such a disturbed girl. I hoped she sought help. Possibly in another state.

“Does this hurt?” Aiden asked softly, touching my cut.

“No,” I whispered. I could tell he was angry, but I felt better than I had in weeks. There was never a date. It had all been a lie, a plotted-out, evil lie.

“You might need a stitch,” Aiden said, finally meeting my eyes. Yeah. He was definitely mad.

“I’m sorry,” I said again. I wanted to forget it all. Christian, Chloe, spying. I just wanted Aiden.

He clenched his jaw. “Exactly what part are you sorry for, Tess? Spying on me? Believing I’d cheat on you? Hanging out with that ass**le?”

“Aiden.”

He moved back from me. “Don’t.” He tossed the bloody T-shirt on his desk and then pointed at me. “Don’t tell me not to swear. I’m going to beat his ass.” He stalked to the window, looking out into the night. “Did he bring you here?”

I could tell by the way Aiden was searching the street that Christian’s car was probably gone. I wondered if he brought his sister home or if she’d walked. I hoped she walked. She could use some of the exercise endorphins.

“He told me you went to dinner with Chloe and—”

“I didn’t go to any goddamn dinner. And why were you with him in the first place?” Aiden demanded.

This was not the time to tell him the truth about SOS. Not when he was looking so unkindly at me.

“I don’t know,” I answered instead. “But we came here and I saw Chloe hugging you. And I saw you bring her inside and then the light in your bedroom—”

“You thought I was sleeping with her? I’m …” He paused to clench his jaw. “I’m not my father. I would never do anything like that, Tessa.”

“Aiden—”

“How did you even know she called me anyway?”

“Her brother,” I said quietly.

Aiden shook his head, glaring at me. “So you’re just sitting in front of my house with another guy, looking in my window? Are you Nancy Drew?”

“No, but—”

“Do you and your little friend spy on people a lot, Tessa? Is that where you’ve been?”

“Where I’ve been?” I was confused.

He scoffed. “Yeah. You know—the late nights, not answering your phone. The weird looks back and forth with the squad. Have you been…” He paused and took a harsh breath. “Have you been cheating on me, baby?” His face was absolute pain.

“No,” I said emphatically. “Of course not. It’s just that everything has been so different lately, and I was sad. Then I heard some things about you and Chloe and I just lost it. We showed up here, and then when she went in your house, I started freaking out. I was ready to go home, but then Christian grabbed me and started kissing me, but—”

“Hold up,” Aiden said, his eyes narrowed to slits. I froze. This was bad. This was really bad.

I needed to backtrack. “I know, but—”

“He put his hands on you?” Aiden asked calmly. He shouldn’t be calm. That was odd.

“Yeah,” I said, trying to match his subdued tone. “His hands, his lips, his tongue—”

“You let him put his tongue in your mouth?” Aiden was so pale. I walked toward him, but he put his hands up and crossed the room to get away from me. My stomach turned.

“Did you kiss him back, Tessa? Did you f**king kiss him?” And Aiden’s voice cracked as he stared at me, looking devastated.

Great Scott! One hundred percent. It was true, only Aiden wasn’t the one that needed to be investigated; it was me. I had kissed Christian back, no matter how misguided it was; my tongue was in his mouth too. I wanted to wash it out.

“I did kiss him, but—”

“Tessa,” Aiden yelled, looking at me. “Why would you do that?” He put both of his hands on his head. “What the hell? Why would you let him do that? Oh my God!”

He searched the room with his eyes, then turned his back on me, resting his hands against the wall and leaning into it. He dropped his head as small whimpers escaped from him. My entire body ached, and not just from where Chloe had hit me. Aiden was crying, his shoulders shaking violently. And it was my fault.