Chapter 19 In the middle of the night at the guys ' dorm , Jaxon stared at his computer screen , eyes bloodshot . [ ] He'd searched every social media platform but couldn't find any recent updates about Riley . [ ] It wasn't until 3 AM that he found a clue in an old high school classmate's Instagram- [ ] It was a group photo from an academic conference , and there in the corner were Riley and Ethan standing side by side . ] ] She wore a light blue dress with her hair flowing over her shoulders , looking up at the guy next to her with a smile . That smile stabbed Jaxon in the eyes . Once upon a time , smiles like that had belonged only to him . [ ] He zoomed in on the photo and noticed Ethan's hand hovering protectively around Riley's waist - their intimacy was obvious . His stomach churned with acid . Jaxon slammed the laptop shut , grabbed his car keys and rushed outside . Sophia's nightmare was just beginning . ] ] Former followers who used to kiss up to her now kept their distance , and some even publicly apologized to classmates they'd bullied before . Campus forums exploded with posts about her bullying , and Rain Industries ' stock price took a hit because of it . ] ] She hid in her mansion , frantically calling Jaxon , but no one ever answered . ] ] Her final text showed as read but got no reply : [ Jaxon , you'll regret this ! That slut's been sleeping with other guys ! ] ] Outside , thunder crashed as Sophia swept all her makeup off the vanity . [ ] In the mirror , her makeup was smeared , her eyes bloodshot - not a trace left of the former campus queen . [ ] Ethan and Riley were chatting leisurely , unconsciously walking all the way to her dorm building . ] The post - rain air was especially fresh , moonlight filtering through clouds and casting dappled shadows on the ground . [] " Thanks for the pasta earlier . " Riley's eyes were still puffy from crying , but she was smiling again . Ethan gently squeezed her hand : " Thank you for trusting me . " He paused , " About what you said earlier … I can wait . " [ ] Warmth flooded Riley's heart . [ ] She knew that with Ethan's background , he could easily find someone better than her , but he was willing to wait for her wounds to heal . ] ] " You won't have to wait long . " She gathered her courage and stood on her tiptoes to give him a light kiss on the cheek , " Good night , Ethan . " That butterfly kiss made Ethan's ears burn red . [ ] 108 % Chapter 19 He stood there watching Riley disappear into the dorm building , unable to stop smiling . ] Meanwhile , Jaxon's motorcycle was parked outside Harvard's gates . ] He stared at the brightly lit campus but suddenly lost the courage to go in . ] Riley's agonized expression in the surveillance footage , the image of her nestled in Ethan's arms at the Italian place , that photo of her smiling at someone else … ] All of it reminded him- ] He'd lost her . ] Completely , forever , lost the girl who had once been completely devoted to him . [ ] ( 1 ) 000 ( 0 ) 11 19