At first, I couldn’t talk. Just the sound of his voice that was so clearly still in bed made my heart race. I took a steadying breath before continuing. “It’s Tessa.” My voice small.
“Morning, baby.”
“Uh, yeah. You haven’t been answering.” I twisted a dark strand of hair around my finger as I rested back in my wood chair.
“Haven’t been here.” There was the sound of sheets rustling.
“Where have you been?”
He was quiet for a second. “You’re calling about your phone, right?” he asked. “You left it in my car. Damn thing kept ringing, too. Had to shut it off.”
“You could have brought it back to me.”
He laughed. “Yeah. I could have.”
We were quiet for a second, and then he moaned, and it sounded like his stretch. The one where his long muscular body would extended to its full height, his T-shirt lifting just enough to give a glimpse of his impressive abs. I sighed.
“By the way,” he added, “tell Joel that he should really stop calling so much. He’s acting like a stalker.”
“Aiden.”
“Just trying to help you out, Tess.”
“Don’t need that sort of help.” When he didn’t answer, I started to feel bad. He was still being really casual and cool, but I knew Aiden. If he wasn’t acting smooth and confident, his mind was racing. I was ruining him.
“I’m really sorry,” I whispered.
“It’s just a few phone calls.”
“Not about that.” I lowered my eyes and stared at my hands, naked of polish. “About everything.”
He was quiet. It seemed forever that we sat there, listening to each other breathe. Finally he said, “I’ll overnight your phone to you, okay?”
The coldness of the post office hit me hard. In a way, maybe I wanted him to drop it off. Maybe I wanted him to talk to me. Maybe I wanted him to explain why I couldn’t just say yes to Joel. But in the end, I just thanked him and hung up.
I was immediately struck with loneliness.
But I barely had time to dwell before my doorbell rang. I craned my neck to look out my bedroom door, my eyebrows pulled together. Who could that be? I grabbed my crutches and steadied myself before working my way into the kitchen toward the front door.
When I opened it, I nearly lost my balance and had to grab onto the wall for support. Unexpected drama.
“Hey, Prez.”
“Chloe? What the hay are you doing here?” She looked great. Her dark makeup had been replaced with light-pink gloss and bronzer. Her normally pin-straight hair was curled at the ends, making it look softer. Healthier. I looked down at my yoga pants and slippers and suddenly felt self-conscious.
“Can I come in?” she asked. And for once, she didn’t sound snotty.
I debated. Could this be a trick? Sigh. I couldn’t very well let her stand in my doorway, so I hopped out of the way and let her in.
I motioned toward the kitchen table and then shut the door before crutching over to sit down. “What do you want to talk about?” I asked. I folded my hands in my lap, feeling them get cold with anxiety. Being alone with her like this made me uncomfortable. She and I had a sorted past.
“I’m sorry about Izzie.” She looked suddenly serious. “Leona told me what happened, and I feel terrible. I sent her some flowers.”
“You did?”
She shrugged. “I know what’s it like to have a guy mess with you. At East Washington I dated someone for close to six months, only to find out that half of the time he’d been seeing his ex. It’s why I wanted to be a part of SOS. Getting cheated on is something that can change a person, you know?”
I did know. I’d been investigating it for three years. But I couldn’t respond. Was Chloe confiding in me? Was she … being nice? It put me on edge.
“And when I heard about Izzie, I remembered what it was like to feel so alone. So desperate. I thought the flowers might cheer her up a bit.” She laughed to herself, the skin around her brown eyes crinkling. “God, I’m starting to sound like you.”
“Why are you here, Chloe?” For the first time, I realized that I wasn’t all that mad at her anymore. I mean, no, we weren’t going to be best friends, but I didn’t feel the familiar grudge. Maybe it was her admission. Maybe it was because I’d watched Izzie dissolve in front of me. Or maybe I was just lonely.
Chloe lowered her head, biting down on the corner of her plump lip. “I have to tell you something. Something I heard.”
I blinked quickly, straightening my posture. “Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good.” She looked up to meet my eyes.
“It’s not. Believe it or not, I don’t hate you, Tessa. In fact, I sort of admire you in a weird sort of way. Which makes what I have to say really difficult.”
I felt like I’d been transported to a different universe. One where Chloe wasn’t a vengeful shrew. But I didn’t think she was lying. I could usually tell when someone wasn’t telling the truth. “Spill.”
She spread her fingers across the table and took a breath. “Okay, well in physics class there was some chatter about the SOS. Word is the football team was sent the actual SOS forms with your names attached. Complete inside job.”
“Who’d you hear this from?”
“Blaze Harmon himself.”
Could it be possible that Chloe had gotten the information before us? She was not only a stellar cheerleader but a tush-kicking spy, too?
“Who sent it?” I asked.
Chloe pressed her lips together. “He wouldn’t give me the name, but he did say it had to do with Smitten Kitten. And I think I figured it out.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Look, if you don’t have actual proof. Then—”
“It’s Aiden.”
“What?” My heart stopped. How dare she make that kind of accusation! And how dare she talk about Aiden to me of all people.
“I know you don’t want to believe it, Tessa. But I thought I’d tell you before I went to the squad about it. He’s a mess. And whether you can see it or not, he’ll do anything to get back at you. Including ruining your reputation. Did you know that he’s leaving WSU?”
A small gasp caught in my throat.
“Found out from his roommate while I was investigating. He was in town the day you were caught. And he was at Rick’s party the other night. Don’t you think it’s odd that he’s popping up everywhere, always there when you need him?”