Chapter 10 Jaxon's face went deathly pale . [ ] He stared at those words like he could burn a hole through the paper . ] ] She knew ? When did she find out ? No wonder - no wonder she'd changed schools , no wonder she'd been acting so weird ! [ ] After a long moment , he crumpled the letter and threw it in the trash , then lit a cigarette and took a deep drag , trying to suppress the strange agitation in his chest . [ ] Suddenly , his phone rang - it was Sophia . ] " Jaxon , did you see the campus forum ? Riley, she … " Sophia's voice was urgent . [] " I saw , " Jaxon cut her off , his tone ice - cold , " Whether she's hot or not has nothing to do with me . We already broke up . " [ ] He hung up and walked to the window , looking out at the bustling campus . ] ] Everything was going according to his plan … ] Except for Riley figuring out he'd been using her for practice , everything else was on track . ] ] He and Sophia were at the same college , he and Riley had broken up , and now he could openly pursue Sophia . So why did he feel so empty inside ? ] ] He irritably stubbed out his cigarette and told himself over and over again : [] Riley was just a substitute , not worth wasting his emotions on . Meanwhile , in Harvard's library , Riley was focused on reading academic texts . [ ] Suddenly , a cup of hot milk tea appeared in front of her . [ ] She looked up to see Ethan smiling gently : " Even studying needs breaks . " [ ] Riley paused , then quietly thanked him . [ ] Ethan sat across from her and opened his notebook : " I heard you're looking for economics references ? I happen to know a professor whose classes are perfect for freshmen . " ] ] Riley's eyes lit up : " Really ? That would be amazing . " They chatted for a while before Ethan suddenly asked : " The injuries on your hands … were they from a fall ? " [ ] Riley's smile faded slightly , and she unconsciously touched the scabbed wounds : " Yeah , accidentally fell down some stairs . " | [ ] Ethan didn't probe further , just pulled out a tube of scar cream from his bag : " This stuff's great for scars . Give it a shot . " [] Bed War ? Hey ! Hip Please My Payback ! 3.44 Chapter 10 . Riley took the cream , warmth spreading through her chest . [ ] She suddenly realized that here , nobody knew her past , and nobody would mock her because of Jaxon . ] She could truly start over . ] ] It wasn't until late in the evening that Riley finally shut her heavy Macro textbook and rubbed her aching eyes . The library was still brightly lit , but most students had gradually left , with only a few still buried in their books . ] She checked the time - 10 : 30 PM , thirty minutes until closing . ] " Studying this late again ? " A gentle male voice came from beside her , Ethan stood by her table with two cups of hot coffee . He slid one cup toward her and smiled softly : " Wake - me - up . " [ ] " Thanks . " Riley accepted the coffee , her fingertips accidentally brushing his . She instinctively pulled back , but then relaxed . Over the past month , Ethan always seemed to " run into " her at the library , sometimes bringing drinks , sometimes just sitting quietly across from her reading . ] At first , she'd been guarded , but gradually she realized he was different from others . He never pried into her past , never looked at her strangely , and never seemed interested in her looks - like he simply … cared about her . " How's your research paper coming ? " Ethan sat across from her and opened his notebook . ] " First draft's done , but I still need to verify some data , " Riley sipped her coffee - bitter with a hint of sweetness , caramel macchiato , her favorite . She paused and looked up at him : " How did you know I like this flavor ? " Ethan pushed up his glasses , his eyes crinkling with a gentle smile : " I saw you order it at the cafeteria last time . " [ ] Riley was stunned . She hadn't even noticed that detail herself , but he'd remembered .