So Many Boys (The Naughty List #2)(44)

Megan appeared. She came running in the room, her straight hair trailing behind her like a blonde ribbon.

From outside, the operative couldn’t hear what they were saying, and she hadn’t had enough time to plant a recorder. No. She’d have to use her lip-reading ability again. She was proud of the progress, really. Those online courses were very thorough.

Megan was talking, her arms flailing around her as she did. She looked upset. The operative narrowed her eyes and readjusted her feet in the sludge. She moved her lips along with Megan’s.

“Riley, it’s over. I don’t care. Jenn is going to find out! Yes—you know I do! Look, with this rumor about SOS going around, I can’t risk it!”

Right then, Megan’s lips began to tremble, making it hard for the operative to translate her words. Instead she pondered her next move.

If Megan cut off the relationship, Jenn would never find out about the almost affair with her best friend and boyfriend. That wouldn’t do.

The operative stood, her blood pumping as she walked closer to the window, not even trying to stay hidden anymore. But the subjects weren’t looking at her; they were staring at each other, looking heartbroken.

“Aw…” the operative muttered bitterly. “Maybe next time you don’t mess with an attached guy.” Once at the window, the operative leaned against it, running her fingers quietly down the glass as she recorded them.

Riley reached over, taking Megan’s hands as she cried, looking at the floor. He was murmuring something, something that looked like “I love you.”

Megan tilted her head toward Riley—her mascara smudged under her eyes, causing her makeup to become a monster-movie disaster. She said something, but the operative couldn’t read it. But she could guess.

Then it happened. Megan got up on her tiptoes, and Riley put his hands on her cheeks and leaned down, touching his lips to hers. Slowly they became more passionate until it was a full-on make out. The operative smiled and clicked off her camera.

Bingo. With that, she pulled a business card out of her black wraparound trench coat. She turned the stiff paper over in her hand. Then she brought the card to her mouth and kissed it, leaving a smooth, dark print.

Pulling back, she smiled. Then she took the card and slapped it—lipstick side first—against the window with a loud bang so it stuck there. Both Riley and Megan jumped apart, but the operative turned, flipping her black hood over her hair, and began walking across the parking lot. Away from them. Away from the smell of trash.

She could hear the window open behind her, probably to pull in the card. And even from a few yards away, she heard Megan gasp.

Now that Megan and Riley knew they were being followed, things would change. But first, there was time for revenge.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I’D JUST CAUGHT MY FAVORITE GUY WITH MY NOT-so-favorite ex-captain, and I couldn’t even enjoy the weekend. I spent it on the couch with a pint of Chubby Hubby ice cream and a CSI marathon—at least some of those people were worse off than me. To make life more tragic, I had to go to school on Monday looking halfway decent. The whole “getting back on the squad” image.

I’d just arrived when I saw Joel leaning against my locker, dressed in dark jeans and a white Nirvana T-shirt, with perfectly mussed hair. Everything about him looked comforting—maybe because I felt like a perfect disaster.

“Oh, man,” he said, pushing off the metal locker to walk toward me, taking my backpack off my shoulder. “Kira said you were upset, but damn, Tess. You look bad!”

I smiled. “Thanks, Joel. That really helps.”

He stepped back, looking proud. “You’re getting more and more sarcastic every day. I’m loving it.”

“Glad somebody is.” I walked over to my locker, swirling the combo and looking over my shoulder at Joel. “I’m sorry,” I said with a sigh, and opened the locker to grab my language arts materials. “I have a lot going on, including faking perky. It’s so unpleasant.” When I found my notebook, I took my backpack from Joel’s hands and set it on the floor of the hallway. I unzipped it and tucked my book in. When I was done, I turned around to Joel and slammed my locker shut.

“Now,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets. “How are you really?” He pressed his lips together in sympathy, but I wished he would smile. It made me feel better.

“How much has Kira told you?”

“Up to the kiss between the ex-captain chick and your ex-boyfriend.”

I closed my eyes and scrunched my nose, the sight coming back to me all too quickly. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“Sorry.” He moved a little closer to me, filling me with the smell of him. Shampoo, soap, light cologne. “She said you took it like a champ and even asked for her to get you on the squad without a vote. Pretty bold.”

I nodded. “That’s true. I think it’s time for all the Smitten Kittens to get their lives in order.” I certainly couldn’t tell him about the copy-Kitten, but I was sure he already knew about Izzie and Sam.

Joel licked his lips, watching the ground as he seemed to think this over. “Brave answer, Tessa. Now again, how do you really feel?”

I blinked quickly, my stomach beginning to twist with the pressure of thinking about it. “Peachy.” But when I looked up to meet Joel’s eyes, my vision began to blur. By Cleopatra’s crown! I was starting to cry.