3. Jace

3

JACE

M usic pulses in the air, vibrating the floor beneath my feet as I switch out another track. Matteo's been holding down the music, but I can't resist jumping in here and there to take a few turns. The energy of the crowd is infectious as I feel the party hitting its stride.

The house is packed, laughter and chatter filling every corner, and I've been making my rounds, greeting everyone with a grin, making sure they're having a good time. It's nice to see Sigma Theta coming alive again, the way it should be.

I step away from the booth, passing a group of freshmen who are playing Just Dance when loud shouting catches the attention of the partygoers and the crowd goes quiet. It's Alec, and he sounds upset.

Waving a hand and getting everyone's attention, I announce a dance contest to redirect them away from the commotion.

Weaving through the crowd, I spot Alec in the hallway, towering over someone and my brow shoots up. Isn't that Tessa Collins, the podcast chick for the Sentinel ?

The two of them face off, postures tense as they glare at each other. The last thing we need tonight is a scene, especially between Tessa and the Sigmas.

"She needs to leave," Alec hisses, a fire in his eyes that threatens to consume everything in its wake.

I shift, trying to take stock of the situation. Alec's got a point—Tessa's presence here could be trouble, but the way he's going at her isn't going to help anything. I can see the fire in her eyes, the way she stands her ground, and I know this could go south fast if I don't step in.

With a deep breath, I plaster on my most charming smile and slip between them like it's the most natural thing in the world.

"Hey, what's going on here?" I ask, my tone light and easy as I lay a hand on Alec's shoulder. He's tense, coiled like a spring, and I give him a reassuring squeeze before turning to Tessa. "Tessa, right? It's Jace, nice to finally meet you," I say, offering her a warm smile.

Her eyes flicker between Alec and me, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. "I was just leaving," she says, but there's a challenge in her voice that tells me she's not backing down just yet.

"No need to rush off," I reply smoothly, keeping my tone calm. "We're all here to have a good time, right?" I glance at Alec, giving him a look that says, Relax, I've got this .

Alec grumbles something under his breath but doesn't push the issue further. I know he's worried about the fraternity's reputation, but we don't need to be making enemies right now.

"Besides," I add, turning back to Tessa, "I heard you love a good story, and I've got a million of those for you."

Tessa's eyes narrow slightly, as though wary, but I see a flicker of curiosity there too. She crosses her arms but the tension in her posture eases slightly. "What sort of stories?" she asks, shifting on her feet.

"Let's go get a soda and I'll tell you all about it," I say with a wink before turning back to Alec. "Go supervise the dance contest," I mutter, giving him an out.

As Tessa follows me back into the fray, I keep one eye on Alec, making sure he doesn't blow a gasket. He's under a lot of pressure, but that's why I'm here—to balance him out, keep things from getting too heavy.

The party's still going strong, and with any luck, we'll get through the night without any more drama. I just need to keep Alec calm and Tessa entertained. No big deal, right?

It takes a fair balance of work, but I manage to keep Tessa busy by having her play water pong with Devin, and I keep Alec calm by convincing him that someone needs to stay upstairs in case people try to go into the dorm rooms there.

By the time the party is wrapping up, Tessa is nowhere in sight and I breathe a sigh of relief. I figure that she's left with whoever she came with, so I head up to check on Alec. Rapping my knuckles against the door, I wait until I hear him call out before walking inside.

"The party was great," I tell him. "Did anyone come upstairs?"

"A few people but mostly they were looking for the bathroom. I guess I expected worse. Thanks for taking care of things for me."

"No prob," I say, leaning against the doorframe with an easygoing smile. "I knew when I saw you talking to Tessa Collins that you were all keyed up."

"Did she end up leaving?" Alec asks, sitting upright, a frown on his face.

I nod. "I had her playing water pong with Devin and the others and then I lost track of her, but she was gone before the end of the night," I assure him.

My mind traces back to our brief conversation. "She asked me about our plans for the semester, and what charity events we're doing," I tell him, a frown on my face. "I don't know why but I got the sense she was trying to feel us out."

"She's going to be a problem," Alec says, crossing his arms. "I don't want her around."

"I know that she probably doesn't have the purest motives," I tell him, trying to ease him into the conversation. "But I also think we can't just jump to conclusions. How about this? I'll keep an eye on her for the next few days, just see if she's trying to cause trouble."

Alec nods, picking at his comforter. "That works," he says, breathing out slowly. "Sorry, I always get so worked up."

"You're just passionate about our success," I say, kneeling on the bed next to him. "I get it. We've got a lot riding on things going well. It's not just about the fraternity's legacy, or our legacy either. It's about making a difference, showing the world that not all fraternity brothers are scum-sucking rich boys who think they're above the law."

"Exactly," Alec says, then frowns. "I just want people to see us differently, but we've got an uphill climb to get there."

I pat his knee. "We'll get there. Devin and Matteo are supervising cleanup. You just try to get some rest."

I leave and head for my room, figuring I need some rest if I'm going to start a stalking campaign.

The next day I head to the campus bookstore where Tessa is buying a notebook, and I watch her from behind the snack shelves.

I recognize the cashier as Matteo's girlfriend Valencia. "Did you have fun at the party?" Valencia asks her.

"It was fine," she says, tapping her finger to her thumb. "I guess. I'm not sure why but a few of the frat guys gave me a vibe. I think I should look into them."

"Oh my God, I told you that you need to let this go," Valencia says, groaning and rolling her eyes.

I shift, annoyance rising. This girl needs to learn to back off. There's obviously no story here so why waste her time sniffing one out?

"I can't rest until I've made sure that no one else will get hurt at the hands of the Sigmas," Tessa says, a stubborn tilt to her jaw as she speaks. My mouth pulls into a half grin at how much she reminds me of Alec at this moment.

Tessa eventually leaves and I follow her as she heads for the library, heading to the second floor. She sits down at a desk and pulls out the notebook, jotting something down before I slip into the chair across from her and flash her my most disarming smile.

"Hey," I say, tossing my hair as I lean back in the chair. "Nice to see you again Tessa."

Her brows narrow as she takes me in, but I'm caught short by the deep green of her eyes. They're like emeralds situated in the middle of her heart-shaped face and I study her for a second, almost forgetting what I was doing. She's got an upturned nose, round cheeks, and full lips—almost kissably soft-looking.

I blink, wondering where that thought came from. "What are you doing here?" Tessa asks, curiosity in her gaze.

"Just wanted to see you again after the party. I had a good time talking to you," I tell her. "You're intriguing."

A faint blush spreads across her cheeks and she ducks her head, looking down at her notebook. "You are too," she says. "I think it's interesting how you guys plan to turn things around."

A chuckle escapes me at this. Even when she's trying to be flirty, she's still ready to find a good story. "You know it," I tell her, winking. "We're out to show you and the rest of the world that Sigmas aren't the bad guys."

Tessa nibbles on the tip of her pen, watching me carefully. "I guess you have a lot to make up for after the scandal."

"I don't want to talk about that," I say, leaning forward. "I said all I wanted to say about it during the trial. Maybe we could talk about something else?"

"Like what?" she asks, tilting her head.

"I'm curious to know your opinion since you saw how well the party went," I say, gently pulling the pen from her mouth.

She stares at me for a moment, blush deepening. "I uh…I think that it went well, all things considered," she says. "But honestly? I don't think you guys are done cleaning house yet. I think there's still some members in your ranks who would love to see a return to the old days."

I sigh, leaning back in my seat. "Figures. You can't just let things go, can you?"

"Nope," she says, the smile on her face sending a tingle down my spine. "I'm going to be keeping an eye on you guys."

"Don't worry, sweetheart," I say, a smirk blossoming. "We'll be sure to keep an eye on you as well. A very, very close eye."