28. Tessa

28

TESSA

M y heart is still racing by the time I make it back to my dorm. The chill from the walk clings to my skin, but it does nothing to cool the heat of frustration burning inside me. Seeing Jace back there…he's the last person I want to deal with right now. I barely gave him a second glance before walking away, but that stupid knot of anger and regret he always manages to stir up hasn't left me.

As I approach my door, something feels…off. My stomach turns, unease crawling up my spine. The door is slightly ajar, just enough for a sliver of darkness to peek through. I freeze, gripping the strap of my bag like it's a lifeline.

No, I tell myself, trying to stay calm. Maybe I just didn't close it properly when I left.

But deep down, I know that's not true. I always make sure it's locked.

I push the door open, stepping inside cautiously. The second I see the mess, my breath catches in my throat. My bedspread is ripped off, my clothes are strewn everywhere, and drawers have been pulled out, their contents scattered across the floor.

It feels like all the air has been sucked out of the room. I can't breathe. I can't think. All I can do is stand there, staring at the destruction.

The nausea I've been fighting all day claws at my throat, and my knees buckle as I take it all in. Panic pulses through me, making everything feel fuzzy and distant. My heart pounds, racing so fast it hurts. My mind is a whirlwind of fear and confusion.

Who would do this? Why?

My stomach churns as I take a shaky step forward, my eyes darting from one overturned drawer to the next. My hands tremble as I kneel, picking up a photo frame that's been knocked to the floor, the glass shattered. The image inside is of me and Valencia, laughing at some party a lifetime ago. A simpler time.

I stumble backward, gripping the edge of my desk to keep from collapsing. My head spins, a sharp pressure building behind my eyes as I try to make sense of the chaos. I remember all the times I felt like I was being watched or followed. The time someone rearranged my stuff in here, or when I thought someone opened my notebook in class.

Someone is targeting me.

The realization settles in like a stone in my gut, heavy and cold. I've been telling myself that maybe it was all in my head, maybe I was overreacting. But this? This is undeniable. This is real.

A shiver runs down my spine, and suddenly, the room feels claustrophobic, like the walls are closing in on me. I need to get out of here.

I grab my coat, hands still trembling as I pull it on, and head for the door, my heart pounding with every step. My mind is racing, trying to figure out what to do, and where to go. I can't stay here. I don't feel safe.

Without thinking, I find myself heading toward Sigma Theta. My legs move on their own, pushing me through the cold night air as fear fuels my every step. I need to talk to them—Jace, Devin, Alec. I don't know why, but they're the only ones who might understand. They have to know what's going on. Maybe they've seen something, heard something.

My heart pounds as I rush through the cold, my feet barely feeling the ground beneath me. I can't shake the image of my dorm—trashed, invaded, violated. Someone was in there, going through my things. Someone knows where I live. Someone is watching me.

By the time I reach the frat house, I'm out of breath and shivering. I force myself up the steps, walking through the door into the warm, bright lights beyond. I look around wildly, spotting Matteo who looks surprised to see me. He's in a Sigma Theta hoodie, his dark hair slightly messy, like he's just showered. "Tessa?" His brows knit together in concern. "What's wrong?"

"Are they here?" I ask, my voice shaky as I peer past him into the house. "Devin, Alec, Jace—are they here?"

He shakes his head. "No, they're taking all the donations from the toy drive over to the community center. Is something going on? You look kind of upset."

I swallow, suddenly unsure of what to do. I hadn't planned for this—to be standing here, talking to Matteo instead of the guys. But I can't just turn around and leave, not with everything that's happened. "Someone broke into my dorm," I blurt out, my voice cracking. "It's a mess. They—whoever it was—they went through all my stuff. I don't know what to do."

Matteo's expression changes instantly, his casual posture straightening as the gravity of my words sinks in. "Shit," he mutters, "You think someone's targeting you?"

I nod, wrapping my arms tighter around myself as I stand in the middle of the room, too jittery to sit down. "It's been happening for weeks. I thought I was being paranoid at first, but now. After this…" I trail off, my voice trembling. "I think someone's stalking me. I'm scared, Matteo."

He wraps his arms around me, giving me a tight hug.

I take a deep breath as I try to calm my racing thoughts. I glance up at him, one question gnawing at me.

"Matteo," I start, my voice shaky. "Do you think…I mean, could it be them?"

He looks at me, confused. "What do you mean?"

"The guys," I say, twisting my hands in my lap. "Devin, Alec, Jace. Do you think they could be behind all of this?"

For a second, his face goes blank, like he doesn't quite understand what I'm asking. Then his expression hardens, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "No way," he says firmly, shaking his head. "They wouldn't do that. Not like this."

"But they've been messing with me for weeks," I insist, the doubt still swirling inside me. "What if—what if this is their way of taking things to the next level? What if?—"

"No," Matteo interrupts, his tone leaving no room for debate. "Look, I know they've done some stupid shit, and yeah, they've gone too far a few times. But stalking you? Breaking into your dorm? That's not them, Tessa. I can promise you that."

I stare at him, searching his face, looking for any sign that he's unsure. But Matteo's gaze is steady, certain. "They wouldn't break into your place," he says again, this time more gently. "They're not like that, Tessa. I swear."

I swallow hard, still fidgeting with my fingers. His words are starting to sink in, slowly replacing the fear and suspicion I've been carrying for days. He's right—everything they've done has been cruel, but not like this. Not dangerous, not invasive.

"They've done stupid things," I mumble to myself, "but this is different. This is…darker."

Matteo nods, watching me closely. "Exactly. They'd never cross that line. Whoever's doing this, it's not them."

As the tension in my chest starts to ease, I exhale, feeling a small weight lift. I still don't know who's behind this, who's making my life a living nightmare, but at least I know now—it's not them.

For the first time in what feels like forever, there's a sliver of relief.

Matteo sits forward, concern still etched on his face. "We're not letting this slide, Tessa," he says firmly. "We're going to the campus police. Right now."

I nod, and Matteo stands, offering his hand to help me up. I take it, grateful for the steady weight of his grip.

We walk across campus in silence, the cold biting at my skin, but I barely feel it. My mind is racing, trying to make sense of everything that's been happening, trying to convince myself this isn't just paranoia. Matteo keeps pace beside me, every now and then glancing over, like he's making sure I'm still okay.

When we reach the campus police office, I hesitate outside the door, nerves creeping up again. But Matteo gives me a reassuring nod, so I push the door open and step inside.

The campus police officer behind the desk barely glances up. "What can I help you with?"

I take a deep breath, stepping forward. "Someone broke into my dorm room. Everything was trashed."

The officer glances up, recognizing me from a few weeks ago when I had the last incident. "Oh, don't worry hon. I'm sure it's just another drunken student. We'll review the security tapes later, but I wouldn't stress."

"But this isn't the first incident," I argue, looking back at Matteo with a feeling of helpless dread creeping over me.

Matteo steps forward, his voice calm and steady but firm. "Look, you didn't see her earlier. She looked freaked out. If she thought it was just a drunk student, she wouldn't have come here."

"They made a huge mess," I tell the officer. "My stuff was everywhere. Can't you guys just investigate?"

"I'm sure it was scary seeing your stuff tossed around but I'm telling you, it's almost the holidays, finals just wrapped up, and you kids are going crazy with celebrations right now, so I'd relax and maybe stay with your boyfriend for the night," he says, glancing at Matteo.

I frown. "He's not my boyfriend. He's my friend and he came with me because I was worried you guys wouldn't take me seriously. I think I'm being stalked!"

The officer sighs. "Do you have any proof?" he asks, a note of irritation in his voice. "Do you have any evidence at all?"

When I shake my head he gives me a sad smile. "I'm afraid we can't do anything without solid evidence. Right now there's nothing for us to go on besides your ‘gut feeling,'" he says, putting air quotes around the phrase. "Come back when you have proof."

Matteo looks like he wants to protest but I stop him, shaking my head. Sometimes it's not worth arguing.

Still, what can we do now?