20. Alec

20

ALEC

W atching Tessa leave in a hurry, I feel my fists clench at my sides. The plan was supposed to be flawless, the final move to get Tessa out of our lives once and for all. Seduce her, humiliate her, and make her realize she's no match for us. But she just friggin left before we could finish the job, rushing out with barely a mumbled goodbye.

I should've tried harder, should've pushed her to stay. Now all I feel is frustration simmering in my chest, a hollow ache that won't go away. It was so close—so damn close to ending this once and for all. Instead, I ended up sulking the rest of the night, unable to shake off the bitter disappointment.

The next morning, I drag myself out of bed and head to the kitchen where Jace and Devin are already awake, eating breakfast like everything is fine.

"We need to find another way," I say, cutting straight to the point as I sit down across from them. "Our plan last night didn't work, so we need to hit her harder. Make her back off for good."

Jace gives me a look, his usual cocky grin absent. "Dude, I'm not sure that's the move anymore. She left, didn't she? Maybe it's a sign that we should just stop."

I scoff, my frustration bubbling over. "A sign? Hardly. She's still going to be hanging around, still looking for a way to screw us over."

Devin, surprisingly quiet, finally chimes in, his voice calmer than mine. "Look, I was all for it, but the more we keep this going, the more we lose focus on what matters, Alec." I stare at him blankly. "The frat. Our rep. That's what we should be worrying about—not this petty revenge crap." he snaps.

I blink, thrown off by how quickly they're backing down. "You're both just gonna let her get away with that shit? After everything?"

Jace shrugs. "It's not about winning or losing anymore, Alec. It's about keeping the frat from crashing and burning. We've got a lot to prove to the campus, and if we keep messing with Tessa, we're just adding fuel to the fire."

"Besides, Tessa isn't going to win anyway," Devin points out. "She can go after us for the pranks because there's no proof. If we ignore her from now on, keep our heads down, and continue to be the best leaders Sigma Theta has ever had, we don't need to worry about her."

Jace nods, looking up from his cereal. "We've been so ready to believe she's poised to take us down that we forgot if we just don't do anything, she can't write a bad story about us."

I sit there, silent, my frustration still gnawing at me. They might be right. But that doesn't mean I'm ready to give up just yet.

Without another word, I push up from my seat and storm off, needing space to cool down. Grabbing my jacket, I head out the door, slamming it behind me.

I'm supposed to be in charge, but it feels like Jace and Devin are ganging up against me, trying to tell me how best to do my job. It's not that I think Tessa is going to go after us, it's about doing whatever it takes to protect the fraternity, to protect our reputation at the school.

My feet carry me halfway across campus before I realize how far I've gotten. It's not until I'm at the doors to the campus café, door handle in my hand that I realize how petulant I've been acting.

Heading inside, I find my way to the counter and order a coffee, trying to sort out my thoughts. While I wait for the barista to finish, I find myself absently scanning the café. That's when I hear a voice that snags my attention.

Julian.

His voice is low, but sharp, carrying just enough edge to pique my curiosity. I glance over, but from my spot near the counter, I can only see him leaning in close to someone seated in the far corner. Whoever he's talking to is hidden from view, but it's clear this isn't just casual conversation.

I shift slightly, straining to listen without looking too obvious. Julian sounds…irritated? Maybe even angry?

"God, she's been a real pain in the ass, you know? I just worry that my brothers aren't taking this situation as seriously as I've been. Tessa Collins is bad news, and I think it's time someone does something about it."

I freeze, my stomach twisting as he says her name. What the hell is he talking about? I inch closer, keeping my eyes on the barista while my ears are glued to Julian's voice.

"Dude, I'm sick of it too," Julian mutters, his voice dripping with frustration. "She always acts so high and mighty, like she's untouchable, but I'm not about to let her get away with that act."

There's a pause before I hear a quiet murmur from the other person that I can't catch. Julian leans back, shaking his head slightly. "Nah, I'm serious. We can't let her walk all over us like this. She's been causing problems for all of us. I say we get even—hit her where it hurts."

My eyebrows furrow, confusion creeping in as I try to piece together what the hell Julian's talking about. He knows we've been working on trying to take her down a peg, but all this should be stuff that we talk about and discuss as a frat. No one should be striking out on their own, not without running it by me first.

The barista slides my coffee across the counter, but I barely notice, too caught up in Julian's conversation. I pick up my cup, turning it in my hands as I glance back at them one more time. From this angle, I still can't see who he's with, but something about this whole situation feels off. A part of me wants to go over there, to demand an explanation, but I hesitate. Julian's just frustrated, right? Hell, I'm frustrated too. Maybe he's just blowing off steam, like we've all been doing lately.

I take a long sip of my coffee, letting the bitter warmth roll over my tongue as I try to shake the unease settling in my gut. Whatever this is, it's probably nothing. Julian's got a temper, sure, but he wouldn't do anything stupid. He's just venting.

Right?

With one last glance at the corner, I turn and head for the door, stepping back out into the brisk fall air. I don't know what's going on, but I need to clear my head. Maybe wandering around campus for a while will help. As much as I hate to admit it, Devin and Jace might've had a point. We're losing focus. I've got enough on my plate without getting wrapped up in whatever Julian's pissed off about.

The chilly air clears my head as I walk across the tree-lined sidewalk. I sip my coffee, an Americano, while considering everything I've heard today.

The way Julian was talking to that person about Tessa unsettled me. It was like looking in a mirror and I didn't care for what I was seeing. The vitriol in his voice, the way he was so focused on revenge…it echoed the things that Devin and Jace were talking about this morning.

It's hard to swallow, the idea that I'm maybe letting my resentment get in the way of doing my job. I was elected to this position for a reason, and I don't want to cause issues because of one person. My single-mindedness can sometimes be a good thing, like my determination to bring Sigma Theta back from the brink, but other times it can be my greatest weakness.

I stop at a bench and sit down, the cold metal pressing into the back of my legs and bleeding into my slacks. As I take another sip of coffee, I think back to last year, when the fraternity had a meeting. We had to do it off campus for obvious reasons, but Dean Harrison wanted us to decide on what was going to happen moving forward.

He wanted to see proof we planned on taking the fraternity in a more positive direction, and that we had ideas about how to foster a better sense of community and brotherhood.

I was fiercely determined to make things better, so much so that I stood up and gave an impassioned speech to my fellow brothers.

"We have one shot here," I said, slamming my fist down on the table inside the hotel meeting room. "Sigma Theta was founded on principles of brotherhood, integrity, and service. Somewhere along the line, we lost sight of those values. It's time we return to our roots and show the world who we truly are."

Taking a deep breath, I continued. "This won't be easy. Trust has to be rebuilt, reputations have to be restored, and that takes time and consistent effort. But I believe in us. I believe that together, we can transform Sigma Theta into an organization we're proud of—one that stands for honor, respect, and positive leadership."

I stand by those words, even today. It was those words that got me unanimously elected as president of Sigma Theta, and now as I sit here, remembering what I said, I start to feel that old sense of determination building inside me once more.

Just then, something catches my attention and I find my eyes drawn across the way. I see Tessa hurrying across campus, with short strides and a quick pace like she's on a mission.

My mouth opens to call out to her but I stop myself, holding back. I don't know what I'd even say to her after last night. I'm not entirely sure I'm ready to move past everything yet either, but I do know that I'm starting to get just as sick of the games as the others.

Maybe it's time to let the past go and focus on the future.