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Disappointing doesn’t begin to cover it. Lifting my chin and hoping they can’t see the way my whole body is trembling, I put my palms on the table. “Is that all?”

President West nods and I return the gesture, pushing back from the table and walking out without looking back. The entire way back to the pool, my mind is a spiraling mess. Who the hell took those photos? They’re clearly not official ones from the wedding. They looked like the kind you see of celebrities, taken by paparazzi. Was someone hired to photograph us?

I stumble to a halt on the stone steps leading down from Franklin West Hall.Fuck.There’s one person I can think of who would do that. Someone who’s furious that I’m working here, and I know for a fact would stoop that low.

My jaw clenches so tight it aches as I march toward the gymnasium. I’m so fueled by my anger and disgust that I forget what I’m about to do—who I’m about to face. My steps slow and by the time I make it to the locker rooms, my feet are dragging like I’m walking through tar.

What the hell am I supposed to say to Aldo and Joy? Will they get called in, too? I should have asked. Although, they probably wouldn’t have told me. A wave of sadness slams into my chest and I lean against the lockers. Just an hour or so ago, we were laughing and joking in the corridor. It had all felt so normal. Soright.The thought that we had a few months of that before facing what might happen after graduation was something that had me walking on air.

Steeling myself, I push off the lockers and stride out to the pool. Aldo and Joy are at the side, goggles up, talking to each other. They look up as I approach, their eyes wide, but I only glance at them before clapping my hands and pulling the focus of the team.

“Right, Wolves. I want the relay teams on the starting blocks in the next thirty seconds. Everyone else, grab paddles and work on freestyle. Go!”

Turning my back on the pool, I walk over to where I left my clipboard earlier. I can keep it together a little longer. I have to. Maybe if they’d kicked me out immediately like they did to Doug, I’d be more inclined to lose my shit, but I’ve got to get through to the end of the week. The team needs me. Although, there’s no way I can avoid telling them that Doug’s gone. Maybe I can say it’s a family emergency again. The lie only needs to hold until the end of the week, then it’s someone else’s problem. Right?

Closing my eyes, I draw in a deep breath before plastering a smile on my face and turning back to face the pool. “Let’s go! I want PRs from all of you!”

I blow the whistle and march down to the middle of the pool, where I can see everything but there’s no chance of anyone talking to me. My fingers twitch on the clipboard, wanting to try and ring Doug again, but he won’t even be back at his house yet.

My gaze lifts to the slanted glass window of his office. I’m worried. He’s a mess right now and I don’t know what he might do. This kind of thing can ruin your career. At least they’re tying mine to my probation period. I can just tell future employers that it didn’t work out. Hopefully I can bypass West and get Drew to give me a reference.Drew.I should have stopped by his office on the way out. He might know what happened with him, or at least be able to give me some insight into how reckless he might be.

My stomach swoops at the thought of how he sped down the road to get off campus. What if he’s gotten into an accident? My muscles twitch, my entire body eager to get the hell out of here and find him.

I drag my attention back to the relay just in time to call it. If any of them want to know if they beat their personal records, they’ll be left wondering. I don’t write a single time down on my clipboard.

“Right. Hit the showers,” I bark out.

The mood is tense as the team pull themselves from the pool and I heave a sigh, pulling a hand over my face.

“Good job, team,” I try. “See you bright and early tomorrow morning.”

A few of them mumble their goodbyes, but Joy and Aldo both loiter, their robes hanging open and matching worried expressions on their faces.

Aldo speaks first. “What ha—”

“Not here.” I shake my head. “Classes?”

Joy folds her arms over her chest. “Irrelevant.”

“You have finals coming up,” I say softly. “You can’t afford—”

“Lane,” Aldo snaps. “Your office?”

Heaving a sigh, I turn and head to the men’s locker rooms, Aldo hot on my heels. We head straight through, Joy meeting us on the other side. Her long dark hair is down, and she’s ditched her goggles and cap on her way through. I give her a sad smile as I open the door to my cupboard of an office and stand back to let them both in.

There’s barely enough room for the three of us, but as I close the door, I can be sure at least that no one can hear us.

“What happened?” Joy asks the second the door clicks closed. “Where’s Doug?”

I grimace. “Doug got fired.”

“What?” Aldo barks. “Why? How?”

Leaning against the edge of my desk, I shake my head. “There were photos. Photos of us at your sister’s wedding. Kissing. They sent him to clear out his desk. I saw him tearing out of here, but he didn’t stop and he’s not answering his phone. He trashed his office.”

“Fuck,” Aldo mutters, his fingers tangling in his hair. “What about you?”

My stomach drops and I focus on my slides. “President West wants me to stick out the week, to finish off the season.”

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