Jake walked across campus at his usual pace, bag slung over one shoulder, expression composed and unreadable. Nothing about him suggested tension. He looked the same as he always did—calm, self-contained, difficult to read..
He spotted Alex first.
He was leaning against a low concrete railing near the finance building, head tipped down toward his phone with a level of exaggerated casualness that only ever meant one thing: he was waiting for something and trying not to make it obvious.
As Jake approached, Alex looked up.
Their eyes met for half a second.
That was enough.
Alex straightened just slightly and lowered his voice. "You might want to brace yourself."
Jake did not break stride. "For what?"
Alex tipped his head toward the far end of the courtyard.
Mason stood there.
