The Naughty List (The Naughty List #1)(16)

CHAPTER FIVE

“UH …” I MOANED FROM MY BED, MY STOMACH twisting in knots.

“Baby,” Aiden said, standing at the edge of my bed and resting his hands on the wrought iron frame. “You can’t go to school like this.”

“I can’t miss practice again,” I mumbled, putting the pillow over my head to block out the sunlight streaming in my window. “And if I don’t go to school, I can’t very well show up in the gymnasium at three thirty.” I wished Aiden hadn’t pulled up my blinds. My well-dusted furniture was highly reflective, and my room was filled with prisms. They were making me dizzy.

My gut took a sharp turn. “Good golly.” I sat up, dazed, nauseous. “I’m going to be sick again.”

Aiden walked over, holding my elbow out to help me out of bed. “Let’s try and make it to the bathroom this time,” he said.

I’d made it as far as the hallway twenty minutes ago. My parents were setting up for a big show in Seattle and wouldn’t be back until Monday, so Aiden had to take care of my mess. I bet when he showed up for breakfast, he hadn’t expected to find me in this condition. In fact, I don’t think Aiden had ever seen me sick, let alone cleaned my upchuck.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I hung over the toilet. I looked back to see Aiden sitting on the edge of the tub, his elbows resting on the knees of his long nylon shorts.

“You’re sick, Tess. Nothing to be sorry about.”

I felt a little better. Moving across the blue slate floor, I slid against the wall and looked at him. He stared back at me and smiled softly, but something was bothering me.

“Why didn’t you call me last night?” I asked. My eyelids felt heavy, and my fingers were trembling, but my gut wasn’t twisted anymore. That was a vast improvement.

Aiden furrowed his brow. “Last night?”

I swallowed, feeling my throat burn, and rested my head against the cool wall. “Yeah. I was sick, and I called you, but you didn’t call me back.”

“I didn’t know you called.”

Aiden stood and walked over, climbing down onto the floor in front of me. He reached out to rub my thigh. “I’m sorry, baby,” he said quietly. “Figured you were sleeping.”

I watched his eyes. They looked honest, worried. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t in SOS mode. I shouldn’t be looking for signs of guilt, like twitching mouths or upturned eyes.

I exhaled and then got to my knees, trying to stand. “Help me get dressed?”

“Tess, I’m not taking you to school. I’m going to call your mom.”

“Don’t! They’re probably sleeping at the hotel.”

Aiden took my hand, helping me to my feet. Then he put his arm around my waist and led me back to my room. “Fine, I won’t call her, but you have to get in bed. Now.”

“No.” I turned, putting my hands on his chest as I tried to make my way to my closet.

Aiden chuckled, taking me by the wrists. “Stop being so f**king stubborn, Tessa.”

I shot him a look.

He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so effing stubborn.”

“Better.” And I knew he was right. There was no way I could function in an academic setting at this point. I needed a day in bed. Chicken soup. Possibly a foot rub.

“Will you come over after school?” I asked. Aiden smiled.

“Baby,” he whispered, wrapping me up in his arms and burying his head in my hair. “I’m not going without you. I figured I could stay here and take care of you.” He kissed my ear softly, making a little growl.

It felt good. Even though I’d been throwing up all morning, Aiden had a way of still making me feel beautiful.

“You need to go to class.” But I put my hands under his shirt against his hot skin, hugging him. Snuggling with Aiden sounded like the best medicine ever. But we couldn’t. He was barely passing Language Arts as it was. “Just come back at three.”

“Of course I’ll come back,” he murmured, gently nibbling my neck. “And you better not be sick anymore. I have plans for this weekend.”

I grinned, squeezing him a little tighter. “Oh, yeah? What about your mom?” I tilted my head up to give him better access to my skin.

“Don’t care.” He kissed my collarbone.

“She won’t let you sleep here.”

“That’s why she thinks me and Darren are going camping,” he said, mocking my tone.

I laughed. “I love camping.” I would have kissed him then, but … I’d just vomited. Instead, I moved back and looked up into his green eyes. “I love you,” I said.

He winked. “I know you do, baby.” Aiden patted my rear before he let me go and pulled back my sheets.

I got on the pillow-top mattress, curling up as he covered me. He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

“Take care of that body for me,” he said, smiling.

“You can take care of it when you come back.”

He straightened up and walked to the door. “Oh, I will,” he called over his shoulder. “Don’t you worry about that.”

I watched as he left, and when I heard his car start, worry was exactly what I tried hard not to do.

Kira called me at lunchtime. SOS had obtained photographic proof of Selena and Paul. The two had been meeting secretly in the cafeteria storage room. In fact, they’d been hooking up in there. Where our food was kept! Now that was tacky. And completely unsanitary.