Page 20 of Kings of the Campus

It’s not long before Jace strolls down the steps, looking far more relaxed than either of us, but I know better. He’s been just as wound up about Tessa as the rest of us—he’s just better athiding it. He catches sight of us, makes his way over, and gives a tight smile.

“All good?” he asks, though he already knows the answer.

“Not until we find her,” I mutter, glancing at the clock on the wall. It’s getting late.

Jace nods, his eyes scanning the room just like Alec’s did. “She’ll show. Trust me.”

I hate that he’s right. Tessa’s never one to miss out on a party like this, especially when she knows we’ll be here. But the question is—what’s her move? Has she already figured out that we’re on to her? That tonight, we’re done playing nice?

We spread out through the house, each of us keeping an eye out, weaving through the crowd like sharks in water. There’s a weird energy in the air, one I can’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it’s just me, or maybe it’s the fact that I know what’s coming. Either way, the anticipation’s gnawing at me, getting harder to shake off.

As I pass through the kitchen, I catch a glimpse of Jace talking to a couple of brothers, but I can see it in his eyes—he’s not there. He’s focused, watching the door just like Alec and I are. This isn’t a social thing for us tonight. Not anymore.

The music shifts to something heavier, and louder, and the party’s starting to peak. People are packed into every corner of the house now, and it’s getting harder to move through the crowd.

Then, just as I’m about to head back to the main room, I hear Alec’s voice cut through the noise.

“She’s here.”

Alec steps forward to greet her but I can tell by their expressions that something is off about their exchange. I hurry forward, just catching the tail end of their conversation.

“…don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tessa snaps. Her eyes meet mine and confusion turns to clarity as she catches sight of Jace coming from the other direction.

“You didn’t think we’d find out?” Alec demands. “You thought you could mess around behind our backs and face no consequences?”

Tessa bites her lip and looks up, her eyes large and bright in the dim neon lights. “I wasn’t trying to hurt anyone,” she says. “We were just having fun, right?”

“You played with us,” Jace says, leaning into her space. “But it’s over now. Time to choose. One of us or none of us. You can walk away free and clear, but you’d better not come around ever again.”

Tessa tilts her head, studying him for a moment. “What if it doesn’t have to be all or nothing?” she asks, voice soft. We have to lean in to hear her over the noise.

“What do you mean?” Alec’s voice is tinged with suspicion.

“I mean, what if all of us can have some fun…together?” Tessa offers, twirling a short strand of hair in her fingers.

“Like…together?” Jace asks, raising a brow. Tessa gives him a slow smile, the kind that has my blood rushing south.

“Yeah. What if all four of us went upstairs together right now?” she said, letting the offer hang in the air.

We turn to face each other, the idea settling over us as we exchange glances, trying to get a read on what the others are thinking.

Are we truly going to do this?

12

ALEC

The second those words leave Tessa’s mouth, the air shifts. My stomach tightens, and I know Jace and Devin are feeling it too. We exchange a glance—quick, but loaded with a thousand questions. Tessa’s standing there, waiting, looking between the three of us like she’s daring us to say no.

I clench my jaw, my mind running through every possible outcome. This wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go. We came here for answers, to make her choose, to force her to stop playing these games with us. But now she’s flipped the whole thing on its head.

Jace lifts a brow, looking more intrigued than shocked and I can tell he’s already considering it. Devin shifts on his feet, eyes darting between us and Tessa, his usual grin nowhere in sight for once. He’s just as thrown as I am, but there’s something in the way his posture eases like he’s already made his decision.

It all happens in a split second. The unspoken conversation between the three of us. A question. An answer.

I exhale, the tension releasing just a little as I nod. It’s subtle, but Tessa notices. She smirks, giving us a look that says she’s incontrol of everything. Maybe she is. But right now, none of that matters.

“Alright,” I finally say, my voice low. “Lead the way.”

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