So Many Boys

by 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 asshole,” 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?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  I WASN’T QUITE SURE HOW TO GET RID OF AIDEN. The situation had gotten dicey when the phone rang three more times during our hookup, but I was in no position to answer it. Leona was probably furious. And now it was nearly dark, and my mission to dig into Chloe’s extracurricular activities hadn’t even started.

  I wound up convincing Aiden that he’d beat traffic on the freeway if he left right then. When he finally agreed, I told him to call me when he got back to the Washington State campus. I nearly brought up visiting him there but chickened out at the last second. I really needed to consult Cosmo on how to handle this situation first.

  Once Aiden was gone, I texted Leona to apologize for missing her call, blaming it on a bad connection. Then I told her I’d call her the minute I’d collected the surveillance. Her only reply was “whatever.” Seemed that for me, spying and lying went hand in hand.

  After deciding that being out in public in uniform—when I wasn’t a cheerleader—might be a bit obvious for undercover work, I changed into loose-fitting jeans and a gray Wildcats T-shirt. It still inspired a little pep.

  I drove the winding Redmond streets toward Chloe’s father’s apartment in the old-town district. All the buildings here were nearly a hundred years old. Large porches, pastel exteriors—completely charming. Too bad none of that charm had worn off on Chloe.

  It didn’t take long to find her because the minute I pull
ed onto Harper Boulevard, she came barreling out of the double doors of a mint-green house on the corner. I had to slam on my brakes and veer over to avoid being seen. Wow. That was close. My heart was racing.

  While I waited for her to pull out of her driveway, I checked my reflection. A small smile tugged at my lips. My face was flushed, giving me that bit of color I’d seemed to be lacking lately. Spying suited me. Too bad it left my insides in knots.

  When Chloe left her street, I began following her, careful to keep at least three car lengths back. It was probably better that it was evening. The fading light helped to conceal my car color.

  She pulled her Honda into a near-empty parking lot, and I did a double take. A bookstore? Really? I mean, I’d discovered long ago that the bookstore was an excellent pick-me-up when I was feeling down. Especially the romance section. But Chloe didn’t strike me as the escapist type. Then again, she could be on an assignment of her own. Hm.

  At least they had great coffee there—caramel Frappuccino (non-fat, of course)—and if I had a sec, I’d pick up a new mystery novel. It might take my mind off the real mystery that had become my life. I paused. I needed to refocus on this task. My mind was totally wandering! Very unprofessional.

  I parked a row over and watched Chloe get out of her car, checking her reflection once in the side mirror. When she was inside, I pulled out my phone and texted Leona.

  Target in sight. Bookstore.

  She immediately answered. Funny. Didn’t know she could read.

  I snorted and shut my phone, slipping it into my pocket. I didn’t have any official spy gear, but that was okay. I’d need to rely on my Kitten senses. In fact, this was the most alive I’d felt in weeks.

  Careful to look casual and unnoticeable, I strolled toward the glass doors of the entrance. My intuition was telling me that Chloe was here as the copy-Kitten, but I’d have to catch her in the act. Maybe she was planting a listening device or conducting surveillance of her own. I narrowed my eyes and scoped the scene.

  The well-lit store was complete with tall aisles of wooden bookcases that towered over me. The patterned maroon carpet had small pictures of coffee cups and pastries that pointed the way to the café in the back. My mouth was beginning to water.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure in black and immediately turned and headed for the first aisle, quickly grabbing a book and opening it to hide my face. When I felt like the coast was clear, I peered over the top of the binding.

  Chloe was at the register, fingering through the bookmarks as she waited for a cashier. She didn’t have anything else in her hands, so I figured she was going to ask a question. I twitched my nose. Maybe she wasn’t here spying after all.

  “Don’t get that one.” I jumped as someone spoke over my shoulder and lowered the book from my face. “The husband killed her for the insurance money. Totally obvious.”

  I spun around to see Joel there, toting a stack of books in his arms. He smiled, flashing that adorably crooked tooth of his. He was wearing a striped button-up shirt, and his brown hair was tousled expertly. He was dressed up, but in a not-really-trying sort of way. I glanced down at the lavender cover in my hands and then back at him. “What are you doing here?” I asked, still trying to catch my breath. “You scared the dickens out of me.”

  Joel stared, his mouth hanging open, then shook his head before reaching out to take my book. He set it on his stack, as though he planned to carry it for me. He was so chivalrous. “Dickens? Nice.” He laughed.

  “I thought you and Kira were having dinner tonight.” I glanced back to see that Chloe was still at the register, talking to Jenn Duarte. Huh. Didn’t know she worked here. After a quick chat, Chloe headed off to the Self-help section.

  “We are,” Joel said as I looked back at him. “But she was running late, so I’m just going to meet her at the restaurant.” He tilted his chin toward the registers. “Check out?”

  I wondered if Kira and Izzie were with Leona as I crossed the patterned carpet. When we got to the register, Joel set the books down with a thud. Jenn smiled her hello, her short brown hair tucked behind her ears. Then she began unstacking the books to ring them up.

  “So what are you doing here?” Joel asked me. “I saw your ex-boyfriend at school today. Thought maybe he was in town to see you. You two back together?”

  My lips parted, but no response came to me. Even though I’d just spent the last few hours making out with Aiden, I knew we were no closer to being back together. What was happening to my self-worth? Oprah would be ashamed! My eyes began to water.

  “Oh, shit. Did I say something wrong?” Joel reached over to touch my wrist. I batted my eyes, trying to contain my tears. It seemed like I’d been crying more often than not these days.

  “No,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m fine.” But I wasn’t. I felt…sort of trashy.

  “Here,” Joel said, leading me by the elbow over to the café. Books temporarily forgotten, I let him lead me forward over the cups and croissants embroidered in the carpet.

  We stopped at a bar-height table, and Joel pulled the stool out for me, its legs screeching on the wood floor.

  “Stay here,” he said, looking worried.

  I glanced out into the store but didn’t see Chloe in between the stacks of books. She’d probably left, which meant I’d failed my mission. My spying capabilities had obviously gotten a little rusty. I sighed heavily and took a napkin from the table. I shredded it quickly, only to put it back together as a mini-pom-pom. I sniffled. I missed cheering!

  I tried to control the new flood of tears that had begun to wash over me, but before I knew it, something frosty nudged my forearm. I looked up to find a Frappuccino in front of me and a smiling Joel sitting in the other chair with a large bag full of books.

  “For me?” I asked, holding up the drink.

  “Yep. You looked like a Frap girl. Vanilla, right?”

  I took a sip, smiling down at the calorie-laden drink. “Caramel,” I said between sips. “But this is pretty darn close.”

  Joel sipped from his coffee cup and glanced around the room before looking back at me. “Do you want to talk about why you just dissolved into a blubbery mess at the register?” he asked.

  “No, thank you.”

  “Then we won’t. Do you want to talk about the meeting you had with the principal?”

  “Ick. Not really.” I took a long sip from my drink, taking comfort in the yummy goodness of the whipped cream. I sat up straighter and met Joel’s kind stare.

  Joel nodded as if truly considering something. “Fine,” he said. “Then we’ll talk about…” He paused and rubbed at his chin. “Fishing.”

  I smiled. “Fishing?”

  “Yeah,” he said, as if I was crazy to question the topic. “Fishing.”

  “With worms and hooks?”

  “So you know of it?”

  I opened my mouth, trying to figure out if he was serious or teasing me. He looked completely serious—not even a smirk. “Yes, Joel. I’ve heard of fishing. Even went a few times with my dad when I was little.”

  His mouth softened. “Really? Ever catch anything?”

  “Not a thing.”

  “Wow.” He shook his head. “You must have really sucked.”

  “Be quiet!”

  “It’s okay.” He laughed, reaching out to pat my hand. “I’m sure it was the fishes’ fault.”

  I leaned into the hard backrest, feeling decidedly less depressed, but I crossed my arms over my chest in mock anger and narrowed my eyes. “And how about you, know-it-all? How many fish have you caught?”

  Joel’s hazel eyes were amused. “Never been.”

  I gasped, and he sipped at his drink like he hadn’t completely led me to believe he was a fish-catching expert. “Wow,” I mocked, running my fingertip down the condensation on my cup. “You must have been really lame as a kid.”

  “Totally was,” he said without missing a beat. “Read mystery novels and taught myself to play
guitar while everyone else was impaling worms on hooks. Weird, huh?”

  I started laughing just as a figure came into view behind Joel’s shoulder. I gasped.

  “Hey, Tess.” Aiden walked up, his hands shifted in the pockets of his khakis. “Saw you sitting over here. Wanted to say hi.”

  My heart leapt from my chest as I ran my eyes over my favorite guy. “Hi,” I answered. I’d thought Aiden left for campus a while ago. Maybe he stayed for me. Maybe he missed me!

  Joel extended his hand to Aiden. “Hey, man,” he said. Aiden nodded in greeting. “I should probably head out.” Joel exhaled, motioning at his seat for Aiden as he stood up. Then he faced me, his expression soft. “Thanks for the talk, Tessa,” he said. “And good luck hooking that fish.”

  I smiled, wrapping both hands around my nearly empty cup. After Joel walked away, Aiden plopped down across from me, but it was obvious something was wrong. His eyes were a little red and his T-shirt was wrinkled. I was suddenly filled with dread. Why did he look so upset? Especially when he’d stayed behind to look for me?

  “You look positively dismal, Aiden. Is everything okay?” I reached over to put my icy fingers on his. He looked down and smiled weakly. When he finally lifted his head, he stared deep into my eyes. But rather than being comforting, his gaze was completely unsettling. There was something on his mind.

  “Everything’s all right,” he finally said, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. When I saw you sitting here earlier…you just looked so sad. I couldn’t leave you like that.”

  “Aww…” He really was sweet as honey.

  “I—”

  “Oh my God! A!”

  My stomach twisted as Chloe Ferril came out from behind a bookshelf and beelined straight for my ex. Drats! She hadn’t left after all. And now she was taking away my Aiden time. I might have growled under my breath.

  “Uh…hey,” Aiden said, looking back at me. I had just opened my mouth to talk when Chloe leaned in for a quick hug.