The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)(54)
Author: Suzanne Young

The Smitten Kittens parted around us, leaving Aiden and I sneaker to sneaker in center court. The crowd quieted. I was only mildly aware that we had become the halftime entertainment.

“You … punched someone back there,” I said to Aiden as he panted in front of me. It was all I could think of to say.

“I know.”

“Um … You’re supposed to be in the locker room. Your team is losing.”

“I know that too.” Aiden glanced back over to the bleachers, to where Christian was holding his jaw, watching us. “You want to go help your boyfriend?” he asked loudly.

I narrowed my eyes. “No. I’m glad you punched him,” I said back, motioning my hand to Christian. The crowd snickered. The acoustics in here were amazing. I hadn’t even been projecting.

“Really?” Aiden put his hands on his hips. “What? Did you two break up or something?”

“Sick! I was never with him in the first place. It was a mistake, Aiden. He tricked me. He told me you were cheating on me or at least implied it.” Okay, so I jumped to the conclusion on my own, but Christian had set the fur ball in motion.

Aiden seemed to consider this. He stepped closer to me, using the back of his palm to wipe the sweat off his forehead. “You weren’t dating him?”

I shook my head. “No. Never.”

Aiden adjusted the waistband of his basketball shorts as he looked over at the crowd. Then he turned back to me. “You should have told me everything,” he whispered. “Even about SOS.”

“I wish I had.”

“I would have told you to stop… .” he added with a smirk.

“I wouldn’t have listened.”

“Yeah. I know you wouldn’t have.” He smiled. “But I’m sure we would’ve worked it out somehow. An arm-wrestling match, maybe.”

I laughed. “Maybe.”

Aiden’s grin faded as he watched me. “You lied to me, Tess,” he said seriously. “You lied a lot.”

There were murmurings in the audience, and I wondered if they could hear everything, hear how sorry I was.

“I never meant to hurt you.” And I hadn’t. I would take it all back in a heartbeat.

He nodded, staring at me as I began to chew on my lip. At least he was talking to me. That was progress, and I should have been ecstatic. But I could smell his perspiration, and I felt the tingles that came along with being this close to him.

I still wanted him. I belonged with him. But I’d betrayed him, and I wasn’t sure I would ever forgive myself for that.

I looked over my shoulder into the bleachers. My mother was sitting there with the Wildcats sign in her lap and her hand over her mouth. My father leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he watched us. When he saw me notice him, he waved. Then I looked to Aiden’s mom, almost expecting her to be holding a “So Long, Tessa” sign, but she looked supportively down at us. Maybe things had changed.

Aiden touched my elbow, drawing me to him. “Tessa.” He paused. “I forgive you.” When I looked at him, his beautiful green eyes were glassy.

“You do?” My breath came out in jagged gasps. He nodded.

“But…”

My heart sank.

He looked me over. “I don’t know if we can fix this. I’m … hurt, baby. I’m so hurt.”

I wanted to make it better, rewind time and erase what I’d done. But all I could do was try to smile.

He reached out to hold my cheek. “You’re always so brave,” he said adoringly. “Always smiling for me.”

“Because you make me happy,” I choked out, not wanting him to leave me.

Aiden sniffled, a tear running down his already-glistening cheek. “And you’re my little ray of sunshine,” he whispered.

I wanted to plead, but I didn’t. Because I knew that we needed time to figure things out if we hoped to figure them out at all. This was my chance to find out just who the heck I really was, because I wasn’t sure anymore. I’d been a Smitten Kitten, an SOS operative, a perfect daughter, and Aiden’s girlfriend. But now I needed to find me.

“You’re right,” I said finally. “I think more time apart is a good idea.” And it broke my heart to say it.

Aiden closed his eyes, his nostrils flaring as he stood in front of me, breathing and hanging his head. There were a couple of calls from the audience—things like: “Kiss her” and “Get back to the game.” It was nice of them to care. Aiden and I had been perfect together. Or almost perfect.

Aiden opened his eyes. “You’re my girl, Tessa Crimson. You’ll always be my girl.” He brought me close to him and wrapped me up in his arms, staring down into my face. “And even if we aren’t together, that won’t change.”

“We could be the happiest undating couple ever.” I smiled at him.

He laughed. “Something like that.”

Someone began a slow clap. I looked over to see my dad standing, slapping his hands together loudly. My mother stood up next to him and joined in. Soon the entire gymnasium was cheering for us, applauding the saddest breakup in the history of breakups. And yet I knew it’d be okay. Even apart, Aiden and I could still love each other.

“Hey.” Aiden leaned close, grinning, looking sideways at the bleachers. “Give me a kiss,” he whispered. “You know, for the crowd.”

I’d kiss him, all right. I’d kiss him good and plenty.

I licked my more-than-eager lips and got up on my tiptoes to press them to his. I was so happy that he’d touch my mouth again that I balled his jersey up in my hand and pulled him closer to me. Aiden and I made out—right there in center court. As the halftime show.

The crowd erupted. It was so loud that I had to reach up and cover my ears. Aiden chuckled and released me, giving the crowd a double thumbs-up. Then he turned back to me.

“You are definitely a Sex Kitten,” Aiden said, looking me over.

I was about to correct him when he held up his finger.

“I mean Smitten Kitten.”

“Thank you.”

We watched each other amid the screaming fans as both of our smiles began to fade. “I’m gonna miss you, baby,” he whispered.

I pressed my lips together to keep from crying and ruining the moment. “Not as much as I’ll miss you, Wildcat.”

Just then, the locker room door swung open and clanged loudly against the cement wall of the gymnasium. Coach Taylor came storming out. My heart sped up. Something told me that he might be a little PO’d at Aiden. When he got to us, he crossed his stocky arms across his chest and glared.