“I’m actually about to get out of here once I finish reviewing some paperwork.”
“Please. It will only take a minute.”
She sat back in her chair, clasping her hands in her lap. “You have a minute.”
“Thank you,” I said, taking a seat. “I just wanted to tell you what happened—”
“I’ve heard what happened and I must say I’m extremely disappointed,” she interrupted sharply.
I was a bit taken aback. “I don’t know what you heard, but I wanted to tell you the truth.”
“My team decided to play a prank on Pi Rho Omicron that will ultimately cost a lot of people a lot of things. What else is it for me to know?”
“I didn’t know what Dakota had planned. I went to the party because I wanted to talk to Aiden Black,” I confessed. “That was the only reason I went and that’s what I ended up doing. We were in the basement and I had no idea what was going on upstairs.”
“Did you know that there was a prank planned?”
“Well… yeah, but—”
“Then you’re just as culpable as the rest,” she interjected. “So, throwing Dakota under the bus doesn’t absolve you of anything, Brooklyn. You went along with it just like the rest, so you are responsible just like the rest. One of your teammates died!” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “As I told the others when they tried to claim their innocence, I’m extremely disappointed.”
The others? Fuck! I should’ve come earlier.
“I understand why you’d be disappointed. And I understand why you’d say there’s fault with going along with Dakota’s plan. I get that and I apologize for that. But I came here because I wanted you to know the truth. I didn’t have anything to do with any of that.” I used my hands for emphasis before counting off with my fingers. “I didn’t know what the prank was supposed to be. I didn’t have anything to do with the planning or execution of it. I didn’t steal anything. I didn’t light anything on fire. And I don’t know what happened to Carter, but the last time I saw her she was leaving the basement and heading to the living room. She had my phone and she was fine,” I concluded earnestly.
She looked at me for a long time. “And yet, here we are.”
“I know,” I acknowledged softly. A wave of sadness hit me. “I just—”
Standing, she placed her hands flat on her desk as she leaned forward. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, Brooklyn.”
I dropped my eyes to the papers on her desk. One word jumped out at me immediately. “Suspended?” I looked up at her. “Is the team suspended?”
She pursed her lips and turned the paper over. Her silence spoke volumes.
We’re suspended?
My eyebrows flew up. “Why?”
“Why?” she scoffed incredulously. “The sons of the biggest campus donors are saying their stuff is missing. The son of Harrison Dowd had his two-hundred-thousand-dollar boat destroyed. And the daughter of Tom and Carrie Yates is dead.” She shook her head. “Suspension is the least of your worries.”
I made a face. “What does that mean?” I asked slowly.
She shook her head. The look in her eyes was a mix between annoyance and pity as she took in my confusion. “Your scholarship money is predicated on you being able to perform. If the suspension turns into a termination, that is going to affect your financial aid.”
My jaw dropped. “But I didn’t do anything.”
“Do you think you’re the first member of the team to say that?”
My heart pounded in my chest. “Probably not. But I’m telling the truth.”
“Even if I believe you, it’s out of my hands. This situation is bigger than some he said-she said bullshit. What all of you have done has jeopardized our season.”
“I swear to God I didn’t have anything to do with it. I haven’t done anything. I don’t want to be penalized for something that I didn’t do—”
Ainsley threw her hands in the air. “Neither do I! But here we are. I wasn’t even there, but now my job is in jeopardy.”
My mouth was agape. I had no idea what to say. “What? How?”
“They are looking for someone to blame for this. The parents are pushing the school and the school is looking to resolve this as quickly, quietly, and cleanly as possible.” She shook her head. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into,” she muttered. “You may be excused.”
Still in disbelief, I rose to my feet. “Coach—”
Her office phone rang. She checked the number and then the time and grimaced. “I need you to leave. Now,” she snapped.
I was closing the door behind me when I heard her answer the phone.
“Hello, Detective...”
…
Chapter Seven
“Jay?” I called out as soon as I walked into the apartment.
Silence.
I took off my shoes and padded my way down the hall, checking around the apartment to see if he was there sleeping. I wanted to tell him about everything that happened. I was so wound up that I just needed a good venting session. When I made it to his bedroom at the back of the apartment, I sighed.
He wasn’t home.
I decided to do a little yoga to see if that would de-stress me and stretch my tight muscles. After the thirty-minute workout, I was sweaty, but I still felt tension in my neck, back, and shoulders. I grabbed my stuff for a shower and headed to the bathroom for a hot one.
“Love this song,” I mumbled as I turned the music on.
I stepped under the stream of water and let it massage me. The music kept me from getting too wrapped up in my head. I lathered my body
