Jacob felt a chill run down his spine. The guy in front of him was definitely unhinged. Kneeling on the ground, Jacob''s lips trembled, afraid to move or speak. The man casually leaned back in a ck chair, resting his head on one hand. A silver mask covered his face, making it impossible to read his thoughts.


    Finally, the man spoke, "She broke up with me."


    Jacob''s heart skipped a beat. Was he talking about ra? But ra was always chasing after Simon, so who was this guy? Desperate to stay alive, Jacob knew he had to say something the man would want to hear.


    "She probably doesn''t really want to end things. Maybe she''s just waiting for you to make the first move. She can''t let you go."


    The man tilted his head slightly as if considering Jacob''s words, and Jacob felt a glimmer of hope.


    "ra definitely likes you the most. Women can be stubborn. Sometimes breaking up is just a way to see how you''ll react."


    Jacob was scrambling, trying to say anything to please this obsessed stranger. The man looked intrigued.


    "Testing my attitude?" he mused.


    Relieved, Jacob nodded eagerly. "Yes, she''s probably afraid you don''t truly care. Maybe if you meet her, you can clear things up. She might just be waiting for you."


    The man seemed to ponder this, and Jacob''s heart raced. If this guy actually met ra, what then? But right now, all Jacob wanted was for the man to let him go. "She doesn''t like me," the man said suddenly, and Jacob quickly jumped in. "No, she does! She''s just not the type to show it openly."


    "Really?"


    "Yes! Text her, ask her out. She''lle. Or pretend you''re hurt-she''ll be worried sick!"


    Jacob was desperate, hoping the man would leave to find ra and forget about him. The man pulled out his phone, typing away. Could he really be messaging ra? Jacob was on edge, feeling like his life depended on her response.


    If he made it through today, he''d definitely avoid ra from now on.


    Meanwhile, ra was ignoring Simon''s incessant texts as she headed to see Megan. She had already messaged Ryan to hold off on any ns.


    Ryan, always looking out for her, couldn''t help but ask, [ra, you''re not really into Jacob, are you?]


    [No.]


    Ryan called her right away. "Where''s your boyfriend? Why haven''t I met him? Did he bite your lip-did you guys fight?"


    ra touched her lip, deciding not to get into it about Z. "We broke up. Let''s focus on getting thepany stable for now."


    Ryan sensed her mood wasn''t great and left it at that.


    At Megan''s ce, ra slumped on the couch, staring nkly at a soda can. Megan, recovering from a shoulder injury, noticed the cut on ra''s lip. "Did your boyfriend do that?"


    ra leaned back, eyes on the ceiling. "Yeah, we broke up.”


    Megan poured them both some soda, surprised. "What happened? I thought you just went on a trip with Mr. Dn. Did something happen?"


    ra took a sip. "We just weren''t a good fit."


    Megan''s grip on the soda bottle tightened for a moment. "I thought you were really into him."


    ray back down. "Sometimes memories from the past pop up-just bits and pieces. It makes me uneasy. I saw someone who looked like Simon today, and it threw me. I guess I still have a soft spot for him."


    Megan rxed a bit, smiling. "Maybe you haven''t moved on from Simon. You chased him for so long. Even if you''ve forgotten, those feelings don''t just go away."


    ra''s phone buzzed. It was a message from Z. [Injured.]


    Attached was a photo of his hand, a nasty gash visible, bleeding heavily. ra shot up, dialing his number frantically.


    No answer.


    She tried three more times. Still nothing.