Page 72 of College Hockey Bully

Exactly where they found Noah’s man purse.

Melissa’s contained anger drives home how serious this is. I’ve never seen her wearing anything but a smile since I started here. “You should be lucky Noah isn’t pressing charges,” she replies. “What you did was totally disgusting.”

“I didn’t—”

“Your denial makes no sense, Scarlett. Otherwise, how did his stuff end up in your bag?”

“I don’t know, but it wasn’t me!” The gravity of the situation makes me thaw out. I approach her desk urgently, tears now filling my eyes. “Please believe me.”

“I believe the evidence, and it all points to you. I’m sorry, Scarlett. You seemed like such a nice girl. I understand your circumstances made you desperate, but stealing isn’t the way.” She shakes her head. “What’s worse, I have to report this to the school board—”

“No. Please!” I drop to my knees beside her desk, tears running down my cheeks. I don’t know what the exact repercussions will be, but I will suffer either way. “Melissa,please. I have my family relying on me to graduate. Give me a chance to prove it wasn’t me. Please!”

Intense sorrow moves across her face, then she sighs deeply. “Why would anyone set you up, Scarlett?”

“Someone’s still mad at me for messing with the team—which I didn’t do,” I add hurriedly when her brows lift. “They’ve been trying to get back at me since day one.”

I go on to explain what happened last March. An awareness fills her face as she leans back into the seat. “Now, that explains why they were so pissed when I brought you in. Oh, boy.”

“I swear to you, Melissa, I’m innocent. I thought they were done with the pranks—”

“They were pranking you?” she exclaims. “Why didn’t you report it to me?”

I push to stand, regret now filling me. “I didn’t want to make a terrible situation worse. I just wanted to complete my hours.” Add to the fact that their captain vowed to keep them off my back.

Which he hasn’t.

Noah has played his biggest prank yet, one that’s about to derail all my goals. Besides tussling with Noah, Aiden hasn’t done anything to protect me.

Because that wasn’t his end game at all.

My stomach twists into tight knots as the truth dawns on me. I drop into the chair in front of Melissa’s desk. “Oh my God.”

All that fighting with Noah was just a show, wasn’t it?Thiswas the ultimate prank. Aiden not only wanted me out of here. He wanted to ruin my life, too.

“Listen, Scarlett. I can only give you until the end of the week. If you prove those guys set you up, then I won’t report this.”

“Thank you,” I mumble, numbness overpowering me. I stare ahead, feeling nothing.

“So I’m going to record your hours for today, but you can’t come back without the evidence, got it?” she says.

Which means an eight-hour setback. I’m pushing it close as it is. I nod anyway, and at her gesture, I grab my backpack and leave. I power through a lecture, then start heading to a meeting with Tabitha to wrap up our assignment but for once, I don’t feel like doing any more schoolwork. I just want to curl up under my sheet and die.

I feel so fucking used.

Tabitha answers on the first ring. “I was about to call you. Again,” she greets.

My mind recalls the three missed calls I saw after leaving the exam room this morning. “Don’t kick my ass, but I can’t make it today. I’m not feeling so good,” I reply.

“Yes, I know.”

My brows lift. “Well, news travels fast,” I comment dryly.

“What news?”

“The one where I’m a bare-faced thief. I’m sure it’s spreading like wildfire now.”

“I haven’t heard anything,” Tabitha replies.

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