chapter 10
The next morning I couldn’t technically go into school (the whole suspension thing) so I staked out the parking lot, waiting for Janet. Now that our names were out, there wasn’t much use in sneaking the reports into a locker.
It was hard standing there on my crutches next to my car, getting stared down by every passing guy. Even the ones we hadn’t investigated seemed to hate us. When had the cheer skirt ever brought out this sort of animosity?
But my heart really started to pound when I saw Blaze Harmon get out of his SUV. His eyes immediately found mine and narrowed. I’d known Blaze since the eighth grade, and we’d never had any problems. In fact, we were sort of friends through Aiden. But now things were definitely different. So when he started walking over, I tightened my grip on my crutches.
“What are doing here, little spy?” he spit when he got close enough. His dark spiky hair looked extra sharp and dangerous. “Thought you were suspended.”
I tried to not look threatened. “Blaze, I’m not going to engage you in an argument, so maybe we can skip the part where you call me all sorts of awful names.”
He grinned. “And why would I want to do that, you bitch?”
Pinpricks covered over my skin, that feeling you get just before you cry. I could feel my face reddening, but I’d never cry in front of him. I was a much tougher Kitten then he realized. Instead, I turned my body toward him and tilted my head.
“You’re right, Blaze. We have been spying—for over three years. Do you really think in all that time, we haven’t dug up something, even just a little thing about you? Or Trishelle?”
His jaw hit the pavement. I could see his hamster wheel spinning as he tried to remember everything he’d ever done or any suspicion about his girlfriend he’d ever had. Before he was done processing, Janet’s blue Mini Cooper pulled into the parking lot.
I almost felt bad for lying, since I had nothing on Blaze. But he was trying to physically intimidate me, and although I was trained in the art of tae kwon do, I was no match for him.
With him temporarily distracted by his thought, I saw my chance to escape. I smoothed out my ponytail with my hand and crutched my way over to where Janet had parked. I shot one cautionary glance over my shoulder back at Blaze, but he was already walking toward school, scratching his head.
I realized limping toward Janet that I was nervous. I’d never given someone bad news in person before. It was definitely easier to do when hiding behind an alias.
“Hi, Janet,” I said with as much pep as possible when she climbed out her driver’s side door.
She turned to look at me, her blond hair falling in her eyes before she pushed it away and smiled. “Oh, Tessa. Hey.” She seemed awkward and glanced around the parking lot, maybe frightened that people would see her with me.
“I was wondering if I could talk to you for a sec.”
“Um …” She fidgeted and clicked the locks of her car. “Sure. Is this about the investigation? Don’t you do that secretly?”
She looked really uncomfortable, and it was obvious that she didn’t want to talk to me. It made me feel icky. Like I wasn’t worth her words.
I straightened my posture. “Yes, it’s about Garrett. We finished the investigation and have a report for you.” Careful not to tip over, I reached into my backpack that was hanging over my shoulder and pulled out the manila envelope. When I held it out to her, she stared at it as if it were infected. Her eyes began to water.
“It was true, wasn’t it? He’s cheating.”
Her statement knocked the wind out of me. Sometimes when investigating, I forgot the human factor. That these were real couples who had been dating—kissing. Holding hands. I swallowed hard.
“Yes. I’m so sorry, Janet.”
She let out a low, disbelieving laugh and looked away, still not taking the envelope. She wiped roughly at her cheek when the first tear streamed down. Forest Gump! My lip was quivering.
“It was Stacy.” She didn’t ask. It was like she knew. When she looked over at me, I nodded. “Any chance you girls double as hit men?”
“I don’t support violence in any form.”
“Too bad.”
My center was tilted, and I wanted to go home and take a hot shower. Something to distract me from the tragedy of the moment. I held up the envelope to her again.
“I do have to deliver this,” I said.
“Okay.” She sighed, as if resigned to the truth. “You know, I have to tell you. When I heard about the Smitten Kittens being SOS, I totally didn’t believe it. I mean, SOS is pretty badass. So I was, like, cheerleaders? No offense, Tessa. But I didn’t think cheerleaders were very smart.”
I considered correcting her and telling her that the Smitten Kittens had a median grade average of 91.3. Or that all of our former squad members had attended college.
“But you proved me wrong,” she added suddenly. “Obviously I underestimated you.” She looked away across the parking lot. “I guess I misjudged a lot of things.”
I waited until she turned back to me, and then I leapt forward, embracing her. I wanted to hug it out. Poor girl just learned that her boyfriend was cheating. I was so sad! I hadn’t even brought her any flowers!
Janet hugged me back and soon she was crying into my sweatshirt. We didn’t say anything else, but when she was done, I pulled a package of travel tissues out of my jacket pocket and gave them to her.
This was why SOS had to go on. We were saving lives.
“We can’t just accuse her,” Kira said as she typed on her laptop. I was standing behind her as she sat at the counter of the Coffee Break. I decided that with all of our hard work I deserved a latte. Just so happened that Kira was here trying to IM some of the guys from school under a fake name—Kara Reynerd. She was starting with Rhett.
She felt fairly confident that she could IM some information out of the football team. Also, I think she really liked to do IM seduction.
“But Chloe is—” I tried to continue.
“Tessa.” Kira turned around to look at me. “This is bordering on obsession. Chloe has done nothing since the horrible—and I agree it was horrible—incident. I mean, yes, she was in your boyfriend’s bedroom, attacked you, and hit you in the head with an alarm clock—requiring stitches. But you really need to let it go.”
I clenched my fists at the side of my crutches. If there was one phrase I was sick of hearing, it was “let it go.”
Kira glanced down at my fists and then scanned my leg where my cast was hidden under my track pants. She was thinking about Joel’s note again. I lowered my eyes.
She then turned in her seat and started clicking on her keyboard. When the barista called out my drink order, I was grateful for the temporary distraction. I crutched up to the counter to pick up the frothy vanilla goodness. Somehow a warm drink and the scent of coffee made me feel better. Safe.
I glanced over to Kira and watched her pause to peek at her phone. Then she texted something quickly and set it back down. I wondered who she was communicating with, but then I decided it wasn’t my business. I’d let Kira have her space. Even if mine was feeling a little empty. I cupped my drink in my hand and was about to walk out when Kira called my name, waving me over.
“You got something?” I asked. She grinned and turned her laptop so I could see her illuminated screen.
LOVELYLADY: Yes, I totally think you’re hot. So what are you doing tonight?
BBOY: Party 2nite at Rick’s
“A party?” I smiled at her, enjoying the feeling of a plan coming together.
“Yep. And you know that there are two things that go on at parties. Hooking up and gossiping. Chances are if we listen in, one of the players will get drunk and spew out some names. Among other things.”
“Ew.” Wait. “How are we going to get in? There’s no way Rick will let us. Remember last February when we caught him with Marilyn Magee? I haven’t gone back to that theater since.”
“Don’t remind me. I can’t even look at my James Bond poster.” She wrinkled her nose. “They weren’t even in the back row!”
“Lickety-split! I’ve got it!” I snapped my fingers, adrenaline rushing through me. “Disguises! We can totally sneak into the party.”
“Brilliant!”
“I know!”
“Can I dress as a kitty cat? Maybe you can be a devil, or an angel or something.”
I stared at her. “Um … not those sort of disguises.”
She looked disappointed. “Oh.”
“There’s no way we can all sneak in, I mean, we’re sort of noticeable.”
“Especially since my boobs have grown a size. Have you noticed?” She cupped them. “They’re huge.”
I hadn’t noticed, but they were impressive. “Right. I think it should be Leona. She’s really great at not attracting attention—a total undercover expert.
“Whatever.” Kira started typing again.
This could work. If Leona could get into that party, she could infiltrate the enemy, listen in on their conversations. Surely the Smitten Kittens would be a hot topic. And with booze flowing and girls all around, the guys are going to brag. And they’ll let out their secrets.
Hah! We totally had them kitty-cornered.
In my pocket, my cell phone vibrated. “Hold on a sec,” I said, slipping it out and turning away from Kira. It was a private call, and I debated letting it go to voice mail in case it was another heavy breather, or a dissatisfied customer. But I felt a little braver now. So I put the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”
“You answered.”
My breath caught in my chest. I should hang up. I should definitely hang up on Aiden.
“Let me just talk for a minute,” he said as if reading my thoughts. “I promise I won’t bother you again.” He paused with a chuckle. “Okay, that’s probably not true, but I won’t bother you anymore today.”
My mouth twitched. The fact that I hadn’t heard from him since my ankle-breaking accident had perturbed me. I was mildly curious as to what he wanted. “Continue.”
He exhaled heavily. “Thank you. Here’s the thing, Tess. I can tell you a million times how sorry I am, and I know it doesn’t change a thing. So I’m using a new strategy.”
“Strategy? This isn’t a chess game, Aiden.”
“Ooh …” I heard Kira say from behind me. “It’s Mr. Not So Wonderful.” I looked over my shoulder at her and nodded.
“That didn’t come out right,” Aiden said as if he were mad at himself.
“No, it certainly didn’t.” If Aiden was calling to play some sort of a game with me, I wasn’t in the mood. I shouldn’t even be talking with him. I was trying to make a clean break—and I wasn’t talking about my ankle.
“It’s just that after I saw you in the hospital—”
“And why were you there?” If he were oh, so concerned, then why hadn’t he called me after? Why did he just disappear?
“Because I was worried. Blaze Harmon called and told me he put you in the hospital. I wanted to f*cking kill him, but first I had to make sure you were okay. I called Leona, and she told me what had gone down in the field house. Which, by the way, was really stupid, Tessa. You should have known better.”
“You talked to Leona?” I couldn’t believe she hadn’t told me! Why would she keep that from me?
“Yeah, baby. And then I got to the hospital, and you were so hurt and helpless in that bed. I would have stayed, but when your parents got there, I went to find Blaze.”
I gasped. “Did you hit him?”
“Naw. He was already gone. But I’ve made some calls.”
Well, I guess that’d explain some of Blaze’s anger. I looked over to see Kira staring at me intently, her blue eyes curious. I wondered what she was thinking.
“And then I decided, Tess. I can’t just give up on you. Yes, I f*cked up. But don’t you think it kills me? Don’t you think I’m hurting, too? God, baby. All I care about is you. Protecting you, making you happy. All I want is to make you happy again.”
“It’s too late for that.”
“I’ll prove I’m worth it, Tess. I’ll—”
I closed my eyes, a tingling spreading from my face down the front of my chest, my nose burning with the start of tears. “Stop,” I whispered. “I have to go.”
“But our anniversary—”
I hung up, dropping my phone to my side. Our anniversary. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten. Next Saturday would have been our three-year anniversary. Oh, my heavens. I might melt into tears right now.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and opened my eyes to see Kira. She seemed uncomfortable being this close, but she tried to smile anyway. “Letting go is the hardest part,” she said. “But it’s the most important.”
I nodded as if I agreed, but I didn’t. For a long time, Aiden had made me happy. If I hadn’t screwed up by believing Christian’s lies about him, maybe Aiden wouldn’t have slept with Mary Rudick. Mary Rudick. I wasn’t sure I could ever get over them being together. Him (sort of) cheating on me. I was a SOS operative, and my (sort of) boyfriend had been sneaking around behind my back. It was irony at its worst. And I knew Kira was right. But still …
I had no idea how to let go of Aiden.
TO DO LIST
1. Yoga
2. Nail appointment
3. Buy a black Lycra kitten-suit and cut out room for cast
4. Place order for a new GPS-tracking device
5. Help Leona pick out an awesomely covert disguise
6. Practice routine—with crutches
7. Call Joel to set up a dinner date ? ?
8. Shower and get dressed in new kitten-suit for mission
9. Make cookies before the squad gets here—oatmeal chocolate chip
10. Get to the party at ten
11. Totally kick traitor tush!!!