Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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It wasn’t that Kayla wanted to suspect Payton. But after everything with Davon, she couldn’t help being wary of everyone.
Even though Payton had helped her multiple times, she couldn’t just blindly trust him.
Who would’ve thought Davon–someone I grew up with–had been scheming against me for two years?‘ Kayla thought. He’d used disgusting tactics just to make her grateful and dependent on him, nearly destroying her in the process.
If Kayla couldn’t see through someone she’d known her whole life, there was no way she could trust someone she’d barely met.
Even though Payton had helped her in her past life, and had stepped in for her multiple times in this one, Kayla still kept her guard up. She was wary of everyone now.
Payton seemed to sense her hesitation, but he didn’t look offended. He reached into his bag, pulled out two notebooks, and handed them to her.
“I noticed you’ve been struggling with math lately. I made some notes while studying and thought they might help you. So I came back to find you. I didn’t expect you’d run into those guys,” Payton said.
He’d planned to give her the notebooks at the school gate earlier, but when Kayla mentioned getting a tutor, he’d held back.
Later, after hearing Davon and Marianna’s tone, Payton suspected Kayla might run into trouble with a tutor. That’s when he thought his notes might actually be useful, so he doubled back.
Good thing Payton did. If he hadn’t come back, who knows what would’ve happened. Just remembering the scene made Payton clench his fists, cold fury flickering in his eyes.
Kayla took the notebooks, still looking puzzled. ‘Payton’s grades aren’t any better than mine. What kind of notes could he possibly have?‘ she thought skeptically. She flipped through them casually, not expecting
much.
But the second Kayla saw what was inside, her eyes went wide with shock. ‘No way. Is this really Payton’s work p>
The handwriting was incredibly neat, and everything was organized perfectly. Every formula and theorem was laid out step by step, going from easy to advanced. It was so clear that anyone could understand it.
The pages weren’t just color–coded to mark the key concepts and tricky parts. Payton had added diagrams and mind maps too, breaking down even the most complex ideas into something actually manageable.
“Wait, you made all of this yourself?” Kayla asked, looking up at him with surprise and admiration in her eyes.
Payton smirked, a hint of pride on his face as he nodded. “Of course I did p>
Kayla still wasn’t totally convinced. “Seriously? Your handwriting’s way too neat. Are you sure you didn’t get some girl to help you with this?” she teased.
18:09 Thu, Oct 23
Chapter 174
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The pride on Payton’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a frown. “No way. I spent several nights putting these together,” he said defensively.
“Look, organizing notes helps me understand and remember stuff better, especially with math. There’s so much content that you really need to sort it all out, so that’s why I did it,” Payton added.
Payton was really trying to prove how much effort he’d put in, but when he saw Kayla’s teasing grin, he thought she didn’t believe him and felt a little hurt. “If you don’t believe me… whatever, just give them back!” he huffed, reaching for the notebooks.
Kayla laughed and dodged his hand, clutching the notebooks tight against her chest. “No wait, I believe you! I’m just surprised you could be this thorough. And your handwriting’s actually really good. It’s way better than what I’ve seen on your tests p>
Payton pressed his lips together, and that pouty look disappeared from his face. He scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
What Payton didn’t mention was that his handwriting was usually pretty messy. But this time, he’d made an extra effort to write neatly because he didn’t want Kayla to think he was sloppy. That was why these notes looked so much better than his usual scribbles.
Now that Kayla was complimenting him, Payton felt embarrassed but tried to play it cool. “I just don’t bother making my writing neat most of the time. That’s not my real skill level.
“But now that we’re competing against Davon and Marianna, I figured I should bring my A–game. How else am I gonna beat them p>
Kayla glanced at him with an amused smile and kept flipping through the pages like she’d found buried
treasure.
When Kayla realized the notebooks didn’t just cover all the essential concepts but also included a whole section on “Common Mistakes“-complete with detailed breakdowns of typical traps and problem–solving techniques–she couldn’t help but whisper in amazement.
“Wow, this is so thorough! You even covered all the spots where I always mess up,” Kayla murmured.
What really surprised Kayla was that at the end, Payton had included carefully selected practice problems from past SATs.
Each problem had notes marking how frequently that concept appeared and how important it was, plus solution strategies and warnings about common errors.
“This is like the ultimate math guide!” Kayla practically squealed with excitement.
“Okay, you’re actually amazing at this. The timing couldn’t be more perfect. With these notes, even if our math teacher totally phones it in, we’ll be fine,” Kayla grinned. She reached out and gave Payton a solid smack on the shoulder, her eyes shining with pure, heartfelt gratitude.
She’d gone a little too hard, though, accidentally hitting right on his injured arm. Pain shot through him like a lightning bolt, and Payton sucked in a sharp breath, letting out a startled hiss. “Ow!” he yelped, flinching back instinctively.
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Chapter 174
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Kayla quickly set the notebooks aside, apology written all over her features, and hurried over to check on his injury. “Oh shoot, I’m so sorry! I just got way too excited and didn’t even think. Are you okay?” she asked.
Sweat popped up on Payton’s forehead from the hurt, but when he saw her concerned look, he put on an easy smile to act like it was nothing. “I’m… fine!” he said, trying hard to sound strong.
Kayla knew he was faking it. She felt awkward, so she gave a small laugh and scratched her cheek.
Outside, bright night lights came through the restaurant’s half–open curtains.
They spotted soft light on Kayla’s face as she looked hard at the notebooks, making her side profile glow gentle and detailed.
Payton sat across quietly, his eyes stuck on Kayla. He couldn’t stop staring. Her lashes moved light, like butterflies about to fly, each blink showing joy. She looked happy with what she saw.
Her long hair fell loose on her shoulders, some strands stuck to her cheeks, adding soft beauty that was nothing like her usual cool distance. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on.net
But at that calm nice moment, the red swollen slap mark on Kayla’s face stuck out bad, like a wrong spot on a pretty picture, ruining the flow.
Payton’s eyebrows drew together, and a weird mix of feelings hit his chest. Next, he grabbed the medicine bag she left nearby and started searching through it quick, worry filling his head.
Kayla frowned, confused. “What are you looking for p>
Payton didn’t look up, his eyes still on the bag. “Dr. Hunter gave you some meds. Since our food’s not here yet, let me put some on for you p>
Kayla hesitated, shaking her head. “It’s fine. I can take care of it when I get home p>
AD