“Chloe, I don’t know where to begin. I didn’t expect this from you.” She sighs. “Aside from the obvious infraction of possessing illegal substances, you put the team at risk. The type of scandal and bad press this could bring to Valley is the sort of disruptive PR that can kill a program.”

She gives me a look that says I, of all people, should know better and she’s right. I should. It’s not the first time I’ve brought scandal to a team.

“It’s not mine. I know how it looks, but I need you to believe me.”

Her pinched expression tells me she doesn’t and why should she?

Everything I’ve worked for—transferring schools, the extra workouts, the dedication and determination I put into it all—it’s disappearing before my eyes.

“Wait.” Sydney pushes into Coach’s office unannounced. She’s breathless, hair wild, still in her team colors. Emily is two steps behind her and then, astonishingly, Bri appears.

“Ladies, this is a private meeting.”

“That wasn’t Chloe’s book,” Sydney insists, totally disregarding Coach’s not-so-subtle hint to get out of her office.

Tears prick behind my eyes. I can’t believe they showed up for me.

“Chloe isn’t even taking Microeconomics. Ask her.”

Coach glances from them to me, weighing their words and trying to decide to entertain it, from the look on her face.

“If it isn’t yours,” she asks me. “Then whose is it?”

My stomach drops. “I can’t tell you that, but I swear it’s not mine.”

She presses her index fingers to her temples and rubs with a pained expression.

I’m so mad at Nathan and myself too for getting swept up in a guy I clearly don’t know. This is what happens when you live in a make-believe world—reality eventually crashes down.

Murmurs from the doorway brings my attention back to where Sydney and Emily stand. Bri pushes past them into the office, looking angrier than I’ve ever seen her. “The textbook doesn’t belong to Chloe. The truth is, it’s my fault. I put it in her bag.”

“What?” I ask, shocked by every word that came out of her mouth.

She doesn’t look at me as she continues. “I found it near Chloe’s things and I just assumed it was hers. I put it in her bag, but I had no idea what was inside.” Her gaze flits to me, but she doesn’t quite look me in the eye. “My bad, Chloe.” She shrugs and looks back to Coach. “Emily and Sydney were with me, they can vouch for her.”

Emily nods, and Coach looks to Sydney. “That true?”

“Definitely,” Sydney says a little too enthusiastically. She might be overselling it a bit.

I chance another look at Bri but her hard expression is pinned away from me.