35. Jace

35

JACE

V alencia stands in front of us like some kind of bouncer, arms crossed, eyes narrowed. She's already yelled at us to go away but I'm not about to leave Tessa alone right now. Not like this.

"Valencia," I start, putting on my most charming smile, the one that's gotten me out of a hundred messes before. "Can we talk for a sec? Please?"

She raises an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. "There's nothing to talk about, Jace. She doesn't want to see you."

I exchange a glance with Alec and Devin before taking a step closer, lowering my voice. "Look, I get it. We screwed up. But we care about her. You know we wouldn't be here if we didn't."

Valencia's eyes narrow, but she doesn't immediately shut me down, so I press on. "I know she's mad, and honestly, she has every right to be. But we're not here to make it worse. We're here because we want to be there for her."

"She doesn't need you guys showing up and making her feel worse," she snaps, but there's a flicker of doubt in her voice.

I nod, keeping my tone gentle. "I get that, I do. But you know Tessa. She puts on a brave face, but she doesn't like doing things alone. We're not here to fix everything overnight, we just want to talk to her. Even if it's just for a minute."

Valencia hesitates, biting her lip. I can tell she's weighing her options. Time to tip the scales.

"Val, you've known me long enough to know I wouldn't hurt her on purpose," I say. "We're here to listen, that's all. She deserves to know we're on her side."

Her eyes soften, just a little, but she's still guarded. "And if she tells you to leave?"

"We leave," I promise. "No drama, no pressure. Just…let us try."

We push past her and step into the room. Tessa's lying there, pale and exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes. The moment she sees us though, her expression hardens.

"What are you doing here?"

Alec steps forward first, his voice low and careful. "We just wanted to check on you."

She glares at him, then at Devin and me. "Check on me? Now you care?"

The accusation stings, but I swallow it down. "Tessa, we're sorry. We didn't know about the baby until tonight."

Her whole body tenses, and for a second, I think she's about to kick us out, but then her face crumples. She turns her head away, her shoulders shaking as tears start spilling down her cheeks.

I move closer, keeping my voice soft. "We know it's a lot, and we can't imagine what you're going through, but we want to help. Please, let us help."

Tessa doesn't say anything, just wipes at her eyes, but the sobs come harder now, her breath hitching in her chest. Alec reaches out, touching her arm gently, and she doesn't pull away this time.

The sight of her tears slowing down is like a weight lifting off my chest, but Tessa still looks so small, so worn out. I don't say anything, just watch as she wipes her face, like she's embarrassed to have broken down in front of us. I want to tell her it's okay, but something about the way her eyes flicker, the tension in her hands, tells me there's more.

"You don't understand…how bad it's been," she finally says, her voice shaky.

Devin's frown deepens, and I can see Alec watching her carefully too. "What do you mean?" Devin asks, stepping closer.

Tessa inhales, like she's bracing herself. "They left a note on my car this time," she tells us. Her eyes start watering again but she takes a deep breath, steadying herself. "The note said that the next thing slashed will be my throat."

A cold chill runs through me. "What?" Devin's eyes widen, and Alec goes rigid beside me, fists curling.

"I feel so alone, so scared. No one's taking me seriously, and I don't know what to do."

Shit. We'd been so wrapped up in our own stuff that we didn't think about how badly things had been going for Tessa. "We should've been paying more attention," I mutter. "We should've been there for you."

She glances up, and I can see it in her eyes—how worn out she is, how much she's been carrying alone. It's killing me to think we weren't there when she needed help.

"We should've talked to you sooner," Alec says quietly, his voice thick with regret.

There's a long silence. Tessa looks between us, her expression softening, but there's still hesitation in her eyes. Like she's not sure she can trust us yet. And honestly, after everything, I wouldn't blame her.

But we're here now, and I swear, we're not leaving her to deal with this alone anymore.

"Tessa," I start, taking a step closer, "there's something we need to tell you. We didn't just come here because we're worried. We—" I pause, trying to find the right words. "We care about you. We've been falling for you."

Devin nods, his face serious. "We know it sounds crazy given everything that's happened, but before all of this, we wanted to ask you something. We wanted to ask you to be with us—all three of us. But we were worried, especially after you accused someone from Sigma Theta of being your stalker. We thought…maybe you wouldn't want that after everything."

Tessa looks at us, her eyes widening slightly. "You wanted…what?"

Alec takes a deep breath, stepping forward. "We want to be with you, Tessa."

Tessa's eyes flicker between us, a mix of surprise and vulnerability. "You wanted that? Even after everything?"

"Yeah," Devin admits quietly. "We're hoping you might give us a chance."

I see the conflict in her eyes, the struggle to reconcile our offer with everything she's been through. She seems to be weighing her options, trying to understand what this means for her, for us.

"No matter what happens next, we're here for you. Whatever you need, however you need us, we're here."

Her gaze softens a bit, though I can still see the exhaustion and fear lingering. "I don't know what to say," she whispers, her voice trembling. "This is a lot to take in, especially with everything that's happening."

"We get it," Alec says gently. "We just wanted you to know that we're here, and we care. We want to be more than just friends. If you're open to it, we're willing to work through everything together."

There's a pause as Tessa absorbs our words. I can see the wheels turning in her mind, the struggle between her fears and the hope that maybe, just maybe, this is what she needs right now.

Before she can respond though, the doctor comes bustling in. He's an older man, in his late fifties maybe, with salt-and-pepper hair and a friendly smile.

"I'm Dr. Shepard," he says, introducing himself. "I took a look at your ultrasound and I have good news for you. Your baby is fine, as far as I can tell. I need to do a few more tests but I think you're in the clear for now."

Profound relief washes over me. I feel it in my chest, a weight lifting that I hadn't fully realized I was carrying. The tension in the room seems to dissolve as the doctor's words sink in—Tessa isn't having a miscarriage; the baby is fine.

I look at Tessa, and something in me shifts. As I take in the sight of her, the exhaustion and fear starting to fade from her expression, I realize just how much this baby means to me. It's not just about being there for her anymore; it's about being a part of this new life that's on the way.

The thought of having a baby with Tessa, of starting a family with her, suddenly feels more real and urgent. It's a mix of emotions I didn't expect—excitement, hope, and an overwhelming sense of protectiveness. I can see a future with her in it, and the thought should terrify me. I'm only twenty-one, after all, but it doesn't scare me. It feels right, somehow.

Dr. Shepard leaves and the three of us look at Tessa, trying to take our cues from her.

"You know," Tessa begins, her eyes filling up with tears. "I didn't know what I wanted when I found out about this baby, but I have to admit that the thought of losing him or her scared the crap out of me. Now that I know that they're not going anywhere, I feel so much better. Is that okay?"

"Whatever you want to do, we support you," Devin says, a fierceness in his words that makes Tessa's eyes widen. "You're our main priority from now on. We're here to protect you and to take care of you. If you want this baby, it's your decision."

She fiddles with her fingers, a faint smile on her face. But then she frowns and glances back up at us, worry etched in her brow.

"I know this is a lot," she says slowly. "If it's too much, I understand. You don't have to stick around. If you don't want to be part of my, or the baby's life, then it's okay with me. I don't expect you guys to stick around just because of this situation that you never asked for."

I open my mouth to protest but Tessa holds a hand up. "Please, don't answer right away. I need you to think about it. Really think about what it is you want. You don't deserve to be saddled down with all my baggage. You can walk away now if you want and I won't hold it against you."