Page 95 of Kings of the Campus

“Tessa, I’m so sorry,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “For everything. For being part of Max’s mess, for not stopping it sooner. I should have done better.”

I stay silent, letting him talk. The anger that I felt toward Ryan has dulled over time, especially now that Max is gone, but it still lingers, the hurt of it all.

Ryan takes a deep breath, continuing. “I just wanted to tell you that Max is back in prison. He probably won’t be going anywhere for a long time. And Julian dropped out of school. Enlisted in the military to get away from the legal mess he was in.”

I smile wryly, knowing that the military is a fate worse than jail for someone like Julian.

“And I’ve got enough community service hours to keep me busy until graduation.” He forces a smile. “I deserved it. I know that.”

I bite my lip, glancing down at Jamie, then back at Ryan. before nodding. “I’m glad you’re taking responsibility for what happened. It’s…it’s not easy for me to forget, but I can forgive you.”

Ryan visibly relaxes at my words, a small wave of relief passing over his face.

I shift Jamie so he’s upright, patting his back gently to burp him. “I’m sorry too. I did steal the story from you, you were right about that. Max and I had a history, he was my ex so I felt like I needed to be the one to do this, but it wasn’t right for me to take it from you either.”

“I get it,” Ryan says. “You did a great job on it though, for the record.”

“Thanks, kid. And hey, maybe you should consider makingthiswhole mess into a podcast series,” I joke. Ryan’s eyes widen.

“Are you serious?”

I think for a moment, then shrug. “Why not? I’ll even help you produce it. Just promise to stay out of trouble, okay?”

“Deal,” Ryan says, eyes crinkling as he smiles.

54

JACE

The sun’s barely up when I find myself standing in the kitchen, packing up the kids’ lunches. Preschool. I still can’t wrap my head around it—our triplets, Rosie, Mia, and Jamie, are about to start their first day of school.

Behind me, I hear the unmistakable sound of little feet sprinting toward the kitchen, followed by that familiar, high-pitched giggling. Turning around, I see them, the three of them, bouncing in with their backpacks that look way too big on their small frames.

“I’m ready!” Mia declares, spinning around to show off her sparkly shoes and pink overalls. She’s beaming like this is the best day of her life, and maybe it is.

“We know, kiddo,” I say with a grin, zipping up the last lunchbox. “But we still need to brush your hair before you conquer preschool.”

Devin comes in, holding a hairbrush like it’s a tool of war, while Alec follows with sippy cups and their school folders. I’m already by the door, making sure the backpacks are zipped and their shoes are on the right feet.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Devin says, kneeling to fix Rosie’s hair, which is sticking out in every direction. “It feels like they were just learning how to walk, and now…”

“Now we’re sending them to school,” Alec finishes, handing Mia her cup and shaking his head with a soft smile.

Jamie tugs at my shirt, eyes wide with excitement. “Can we go now? Is it time?”

“Almost, bud,” I chuckle, patting him on the head. “We’ve got to make sure your sisters are ready.”

Rosie twirls, making her dress flare out as she grins up at us. “I’m gonna make lots of friends today!”

Mia nods, serious as ever. “I’m gonna color inside all the lines this time.”

Jamie, puffing out his chest like the superhero on his backpack, adds, “I’m gonna run the fastest.”

I exchange a look with the others, the kind of look that says,How did we get here?“They’re gonna crush it,” I say, but mostly to reassure myself.

“Of course they will,” Alec says, walking over to kiss Tessa on the cheek. “They’ve got us for parents.”

With the chaos of getting everyone dressed, fed, and ready finally behind us, we load the kids into the car. The back seat is filled with excited chatter—talk of new friends, games, and everything they’re looking forward to.

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