Page 69 of Kings of the Campus

“Alec, oh Alec!” Tessa’s voice is melodic as I go back to sucking on her hard. I can tell she’s getting close because she starts bucking up against me harder and my other hand moves from her wrists to lift up her shirt and flick my fingernail over her other nipple, then twist and pinch it.

She’s falling apart underneath me immediately, a warbled cry escaping her mouth as she throws her head back, leaning it against the armrest as she breathes slowly in and out.

I look down at her, mischief in my eyes. “Was that fast enough?” I ask, a teasing lilt to my voice.

Tessa gives me a half-hearted glare before giving up and pulling me down for a kiss.

“What about you?” she asks once we break apart, her eyes drifting to the bulge in my pants.

“Maybe later, after class,” I say, sitting up and pulling her with me so we’re both on our feet. “We need to get ready to go.”

The two of us head to the back bedroom with the en suite and we stand together at the long sink, brushing our teeth.

It’s little moments like this, the plain, domestic ones that have me feeling like everything is going to be okay.

Of course, it’s that moment when Devin walks in with the news that will shake up our day.

“Guys!” he calls out, his steps echoing across the hardwood. “We have a lead!”

40

DEVIN

Iburst into the house, barely able to contain the rush of adrenaline. “Guys, we have a lead!”

Tessa and Alec come out of the back bedroom, toothbrushes hanging from their mouths. They look startled by my sudden entrance. Alec shoots me a curious look while Tessa’s expression shifts from confusion to cautious hope. I know how much she’s been wanting answers, how much she needs something to hold on to.

I take a deep breath and glance between them before diving in. “I’ve been digging through every single member of Sigma Theta,” I say, pacing as I talk. “I wanted to show you that I’m taking this seriously. I wasn’t going to rule anyone out until I combed through everything I could find. And today…I found something.”

Tessa’s eyes are locked on mine, waiting for the punchline. Alec stays quiet, but I can tell he’s just as interested.

“Julian,” I say, the name hanging heavy in the air. “Last year, during the trial, he made this post on his private Instagram. It was weird. He was promising to get even with everyone who brought down Sigma Theta, he had a whole rant about it.”

Alec frowns. “I remember how mad he was. But you think it’s more than just him venting?”

“At first, I thought it was just frustration, maybe some empty threats,” I admit. “But then I started looking deeper. All last semester, Matteo was constantly urging us to be cautious and not stir the pot with Tessa too much. But Julian? He was always egging us on. Pushing us to do things that made the whole situation worse. He was fanning the flames of our anger, encouraging every move we made.”

Tessa’s face pales as she processes the information. “So you think…Julian might be the one behind the stalking?”

“I don’t know for sure,” I say, my voice grim. “But after seeing that post and remembering how he handled everything last year, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s not just a coincidence. He might be more involved than any of us thought.”

Tessa starts pacing, one hand on her back as she walks through the living room. “Julian never warmed up to me,” she admits. “I remember a few times when I was at the Sigma parties or some of the events and he was always polite but distant. I didn’t think much of it but now, looking back, it was kind of odd because it started before any of the stuff with us went down.”

My mind races as I think this over. Maybe Tessa was right all along. She’d said very early on that she didn’t think we were done cleaning house yet. I feel guilty for ignoring her and brushing her concerns aside for so long.

“I’m sorry we didn’t listen to you,” I say, moving forward to gather her in my arms and press my face to the side of her neck, breathing her in. “If we had, none of this would be happening.”

Tessa sighs, wrapping her arms around me. “I probably wouldn’t have listened to me either,” she admits. “I came in acting high and mighty and ready to jump at the slightest sign of a story. I spent so long treating you guys like hostile witnesses and didn’t bother to see your side.”

She goes over and sits on the couch. “I mean, how would anyone feel if the same reporter that broke the scandal of their organization started showing up and asking questions again, even though they were working hard to fix the past?”

Alec shakes his head. “I know we’re in a better place now but God, if we hadn’t been such idiots…” He sighs. “That doesn’t matter now. All that matters is confronting Julian and getting him to confess to everything.”

“Shouldn’t we go to the police about this?” Tessa asks, a nervous expression on her face. “I don’t want him to go crazy and attack you guys.”

Alec purses his lips before speaking, “Maybe, but if we go to the police, who’s to say that they’ll believe us? One venting social media post and some rude behavior isn’t a great lead.”

A long, drawn-out sigh escapes her. “Yeah, you’re right. Thank you guys for finally believing me. It’s nice to have someone on my side for once.”

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