Chapter 3

The air at the edge of the woods was thick with the scent of pine needles and woodsmoke. A massive bonfire roared in the center of the clearing, a towering beast of orange and gold that sent embers spiraling toward the stars. For most of the students gathered, it was the highlight of the week—a chance to get loud, get messy, and forget about midterms.

For Tess, it was a minefield.

"Deep breaths," Liam whispered, bumping his shoulder against hers. He looked vibrant in a cropped denim jacket, but his eyes were darting around with the focus of a bodyguard. "If we stay near the keg, we have a quick exit to the trailhead. If we stay near the music, we can disappear into the crowd. Your call."

"I just want to stay invisible," Tess murmured, clutching her soda like a shield.

"Invisible isn't an option when you're with him," Liam muttered, nodding toward the other side of the fire.

Julian was standing with Noah and Jayden, leaning against the rusted tailgate of an old Ford. He looked like something out of a dark cinematic dream—black hoodie, sleeves pushed up to reveal forearms that were lean and corded with muscle, and that face. Even in the flickering, uneven light, Julian looked devastatingly composed.

He wasn't drinking. He wasn't laughing. He was just watching. To the rest of the world, he was the mysterious, reformed brother keeping an eye on his family. To Tess, he was a predator waiting for the herd to thin.

"Julian! Seriously, you have to try this," Melissa laughed, appearing out of the darkness and looping her arm through Julian's. She held up a marshmallow on a stick, glowing red-hot. Cora was right behind her, her soft features illuminated by the flames.

Julian smiled at them—a thin, polite ghost of a smile that never reached his eyes. "I’m good, Mel. Just making sure Tess is settling in."

Melissa looked over at Tess and waved. "Tess! Come over here! Stop hiding in the shadows with Liam!"

Tess felt the familiar cold prickle of Julian’s gaze. It was heavy, physical, like a hand pressing against her chest. "I have to go over," she whispered to Liam. "If I don't, he'll come get me. And I don't want him coming over here."

"I’m coming with you," Liam said, his jaw setting.

As they approached the inner circle, the group opened up to let them in. Jayden gave Liam a playful shove. "There he is! The man, the myth, the guy who refuses to drink anything that isn't craft-brewed. Grab a cup, Liam."

"I'm good, Jayden. Dedicated driver tonight," Liam said, his voice tight.

"So responsible," Cora teased, her eyes kind. "Julian says you're the most protective friend Tess has ever had. It’s sweet, really."

Tess felt a sick twist in her stomach. Julian had been "selling" Liam to them as the overprotective best friend, a narrative that made Julian look like the reasonable one.

"I have my reasons," Liam said, his eyes flicking to Julian.

Julian didn't flinch. He pushed off the truck and stepped into Tess’s space, his movements slow and deliberate. He didn't touch her, but he stood close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him.

"You're cold," Julian said. It wasn't a question. He started unzipping his hoodie.

"I'm fine, Julian," Tess said, taking a step back.

"Take it, Tess. I don't want to tell Mom you caught a chill on your first weekend." He pulled the hoodie off, revealing a plain black t-shirt that fit him like a second skin. He draped the heavy fabric over her shoulders. It smelled like him—cedarwood and rain—and for a second, the scent made her head swim.

It was a "gentle" gesture that felt like a collar.

"Hey, Tess?"

A voice broke the tension. A tall guy with messy brown hair and a friendly grin stepped into the light. It was Caleb, a junior from her Psychology lecture.

"Caleb! Hi," Tess said, her voice sounding breathless with relief. A normal person. A normal interaction.

"I thought that was you. You vanished so fast after class today," Caleb said, ignoring the heavy silence of the group. He looked at Julian, then back to Tess. "We were gonna head to that late-night diner after the fire. You and your friend should come."

Tess felt a spark of hope. "That sounds—"

"She’s tired, Caleb."

Julian’s voice was a low, smooth rasp that cut through the music. He stepped forward, his shoulder brushing Tess’s as he moved to face the other boy. He didn't look angry; he looked like he was discussing the weather.

Caleb blinked, his smile faltering. "Oh. I mean, it’s only ten—"

"She has a lot of reading to catch up on," Julian continued, his blue eyes locking onto Caleb’s. He didn't blink. He just stared with a terrifying, flat intensity. "And our parents are very strict about her schedule. Academic integrity is a family value. Right, Tess?"

The way he said family sounded like a threat.

Caleb took a half-step back, his instincts clearly screaming at him that the air in this circle had turned toxic. "Right. Yeah. Sure. Maybe another time." He looked at Tess, his eyes confused and a little bit pitying, before he disappeared back into the crowd.

"What was that?" Tess hissed, her face burning with humiliation. "You don't even know him!"

"I know the way he was looking at you," Julian whispered, leaning down so his lips were inches from her ear. "Like he thought he could just walk up and take a piece of your time. You’re too trusting, Tess. You always have been."

"Julian, leave her alone," Liam snapped, stepping between them.

Julian finally looked at Liam. The indifference in his eyes was more chilling than rage. He looked at Liam the way an architect looks at a crack in a foundation—something to be fixed or filled in.

"You're still here, Liam," Julian observed. "Don't you have a date? Or a life? Or something that doesn't involve hovering over my sister?"

"Step-sister," Liam spat. "And I’m not the one following her across the country, Julian. I’m not the one with the 'reputation'."

The group went silent. Melissa and Cora looked between them, their smiles fading into uneasy confusion. Noah stepped forward, his hand resting on Julian’s shoulder—whether to support him or hold him back, Tess couldn't tell.

Julian laughed. It was a short, dry sound that had no humor in it. "You think you know me, Liam. You think you’re the hero of this story. But you're just a bystander."

He turned back to Tess, his expression softening into that terrifyingly beautiful mask of concern. "I think we’ve had enough for tonight. Noah, Jayden, I’ll see you guys at the gym tomorrow?"

"Yeah, man. Sure," Jayden said, looking uncomfortable.

Julian’s hand landed on the small of Tess’s back. He didn't push her, but the pressure was firm, guiding her toward the SUV. "Let’s go, Tess. Liam, I’m sure you can find your own way back."

"Tess, you don't have to go with him," Liam said, his voice desperate.

Tess looked at Julian’s friends—the "normal" people who thought she was the one being dramatic. She looked at Julian, whose eyes were promising a much worse scene if she stayed.

"I'll text you, Liam," she whispered.

The walk to the car was a blur. The moment the doors closed, sealing them in the leather-scented silence, the "brotherly" mask vanished. Julian didn't start the engine. He just sat there, his hands gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

"You like him," Julian said, his voice a low growl.

"Who? Caleb? I barely know him!"

"You liked the way he looked at you. You liked the idea of someone who isn't me." He turned to her, his eyes dark with a wild, forbidden obsession. "I spent three years in that hell-hole thinking about this moment. Thinking about the way your skin feels. And you’re going to throw that away for some boy who can't even hold my gaze?"

"Julian, stop! We’re family! This is sick!"

He lunged across the center console, not to hit her, but to pin her against the passenger door. He didn't touch her face, but his arms were on either side of her head, caging her.

"We were never family, Tess," he breathed, his face so close she could feel the heat of his skin. "We were a secret. And I’m done keeping secrets. You’re going to learn that I’m the only one who stays. Caleb will forget you in a week. Liam will find a boyfriend and move on. But me? I’m the only one who’s forever."

He pulled back and started the engine, the roar of the SUV drowning out the sound of her heart hammering against her ribs. As they pulled away from the bonfire, Tess looked into the rearview mirror.

Liam was standing at the edge of the woods, a small, lonely figure in the dark, watching the red taillights disappear.

Julian reached over and took her hand, forcing her fingers to interlace with his. He didn't look at her; he just kept driving into the night.

"Welcome home, Tess," he whispered. "I’m never letting you go again."