Page 18 of Matched with the Hollywood Heartthrob (Matched for Love #4)

MIA

T his is a dinner from Hades. There’s no other way to put it.

The air is thick with tension, and my parents don’t seem to notice. I can’t handle Jack’s presence, not with Ryan sitting across the table, looking at me like he has every right to be there.

And then there’s Jack, who I can’t seem to shake off. My attention is on him, no matter who is speaking, and it’s funny how I can tell that he’s not in the best of moods. Not like I care. He could have left my father in the mall and gone his own way. My father would have found his way home.

I glance across the table and notice Jack’s tense gaze on Ryan. He’s not saying anything, but I can see the irritation in his eyes. What exactly is his problem?

My worst fear comes through when my mom—instead of concentrating on eating—decides she wants to start a conversation. There’s no way this would end well.

“Are you enjoying the meal?” she asks Jack first.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s great. I haven’t had food like this in a while.”

“Oh, you’re so sweet. And you, Ryan? How do you like it?”

Ryan’s smile is wiser than Jack’s. “It’s superb. Thank you for having me.”

My mom waves him off. “Ben, isn’t this amazing? I never thought it’d be possible to see Mia and Ryan eating at the table like this again.”

I freeze, and so does Jack. Ryan is the only one who looks like he’s enjoying this.

He turns to grin at me, but I act like I don’t see him.

I’m starting to get pretty annoyed about this entire arrangement and wish I’d told my parents the real reason behind our breakup.

It’s not cordial like they think; it was selfish.

On Ryan’s part. I’ve forgiven him, but seeing him back here rubs me the wrong way.

“Remember when we thought Ryan and Mia would get married?” Mom laughs. “Jack, Mia and Ryan were high school sweethearts. They were so in love, the whole of Bardstown thought they would end up together.”

“You didn’t mention that they were prom king and queen,” Dad adds, tearing into his chicken.

“Oh, really?” Jack turns to me and our gazes meet. There’s a coldness there that I’ve never seen before. He seems pretty angry and I’m not sure why. “Seems like you’ve been a lover of love all your life, Mia.”

“That makes her a good matchmaker,” Mom adds.

“About that…” Ryan suddenly speaks up. He’s been quietly grinning all the while and I’m not sure which one upsets me more—grinning or speaking.

“Mia is doing really well as a matchmaker,” he says. “Her video went viral. It’s beautiful to see what she’s doing here in Bardstown. She’s always been selfless.”

“My daughter is always putting people first.” Mom glances affectionately at me. “I can only hope that one day she puts herself first. Her matchmaking business is really going global.”

“Mom,” I groan, deciding to clear the air now that everyone is here. “I’m a florist. We’ve discussed that.”

“Even your flower shop is successful,” Ryan says.

“How would you know that?” There’s more bite in my tone than I intend.

“I’ve been keeping up with you, Mia.” His voice dips low. “I’m proud of you, really.”

I abruptly leave the table, taking my plates into the kitchen, unable to stand one more second under Ryan’s gaze. Why’s he staring at me like that? Like he wants me? He can’t be serious.

I hear footsteps and turn to see my mom.

“Are you okay, darling?”

“What do you think?” I roll my eyes. “I can’t believe you actually invited him here, Mom.”

She scoffs. “He’s like a son, Mia. Ryan spent most of his younger days in this house. It’s only natural to invite him for dinner.”

I don’t even have the energy to argue, so I stay silent.

She takes my arm. “I’m not asking you to get back with him, dear. You can be friends again, right?”

I don’t respond to her as we return to the dining table, where my dad is already championing the conversation between Jack and Ryan, telling them about the sports team in Bardstown. When Mom arrives, she takes over.

“Ryan, I heard you already moved your dental practice to Bardstown. That’s a huge shift, isn’t it?”

Ryan sets down his spoon, like he’s been waiting for this moment. “It’s a gradual process,” he says. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but the city life got to be too much. The pace, the noise—everything felt a bit… overwhelming.”

He looks at me. From the corner of my eye, I see Jack looking at us, his brows drawn.

“So, I decided to bring my practice here, a place where I can really settle down. You know, get back to basics.”

My mom nods along, clearly interested. “And how do you plan on setting it up here?”

Ryan grins, clearly excited to share the details.

“I’ve been working with a few local contractors to build a small office on Main Street.

Nothing too big, just enough to take on a small group of patients who need a dentist they can trust. I’ve got a couple of experienced hygienists on board already, and I’m planning to start with just a few days a week, see how it goes. ”

He pauses, glancing around at the group. “My goal is to make it a part of the community, not just another business in town. I want people to feel comfortable, like they’re coming to see a friend, not just a dentist.”

“Beautiful.” Dad nods. “Everyone in town knows you. Settling in will be a piece of cake.”

“I really hope so.” He turns to Jack, who’s been very silent, flashing him a smile. “What about you, Jack? What do you do?”

Mom, as usual, jumps in before Jack has a chance to respond.

“Oh, Jack’s a movie star,” she says with a smile, the kind of proud expression a mother wears when talking about someone she admires.

She practically beams as she shares this little tidbit, clearly enjoying the fact that she knows someone famous.

Ryan’s eyebrows furrow, his expression flickering with confusion for a moment. It’s subtle, but noticeable. “A movie star?” he repeats, his voice tinged with a hint of disbelief, as if the concept doesn’t quite match with the person sitting right in front of him.

I can see Jack’s face stiffen instantly, his jaw tightening in that way he does when he’s trying to suppress something—like irritation or, maybe, annoyance. Again, I hate that I notice. I hate that I’m learning him.

“I’m surprised you don’t know Jack,” Mom says. “You must not watch TV or have a phone, which isn’t surprising because you’re a doctor,” she laughs. “Jack is very famous.”

“Oh. Wow.” Ryan shrugs. “Don’t know him.”

I feel a flicker of tension in the air. The awkwardness of the moment grows, and I notice the way Jack’s hands flex on the table.

His knuckles whiten slightly, and his muscles tense as he leans back in his chair, his gaze narrowing just a little.

He’s mad, and I can feel my own irritation rise in response.

Of course, Ryan wouldn’t know who Jack is.

He’s been living his own life, building his career, doing his own thing.

Meanwhile, Jack’s been living in the public eye for years, constantly in the media’s spotlight, but Ryan doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal. Maybe he’s just too out of touch with the world Jack lives in. Maybe he just doesn’t care.

The tension between Jack and Ryan becomes thick, like it’s hanging in the air, suffocating any casual conversation. My parents, thankfully, don’t pick up on the undercurrent of discomfort.

“I’ll recommend some of his movies,” Mom says. “You should watch them.”

“No, that’s okay.” Ryan shakes his head. “I don’t have much free time right now.”

Jack doesn’t help by remaining silent, his mouth set in a tight line.

I notice how Jack avoids looking at me now. Instead, his focus remains fixed on the table, his expression closed off, almost brooding. Soon, we move to dessert, and this time, thankfully, the conversation is no longer about me, Ryan, or Jack. My mom finds other interesting topics to discuss.

But among us three, the awkwardness drags on until dinner is finished. Jack, in a stiff, controlled manner, stands up, his posture rigid. “It was nice meeting you Ben, Flora,” he says, his voice polite. He turns to Ryan and nods, completely ignoring me.

The table stills as my parents finally catch on to the tension.

By now, Jack is already at the door, letting himself out.

I feel my heart sink as I stand up to follow him outside.

I don’t know why, but I feel an urgent need to talk to him, to clear the air, to make sense of whatever this thing is between us.

But when I step outside and call after him, he turns, raising an eyebrow.

“What is it, Mia?”

I swallow. Why exactly am I here chasing after him? I don’t have to explain anything to him. Who cares that he’s upset? I don’t.

“The kiss,” I say plainly, cutting through the tension. “You should never do that again.”

Jack shakes his head and bursts into a cold laugh. “Wow, Mia. You’re colder than I thought.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugs carelessly. “Tell me you haven’t been thinking about that kiss, Mia. That’s why you’ve not come by the cottage. You’re scared of how you’ll react.”

“Wake up, Jack,” I answer, lying through my teeth. He’s right. I’ve been thinking about the kiss, but I’ll burn before I tell him that. “I don’t want to be another trophy you stack up on your long list of conquests. I’m not interested in being some fleeting moment for you to add to your resume.”

My words come out harsher than I intend, but the raw honesty of them feels necessary.

And as I say them, I realize how much I mean them.

I can’t allow myself to fall into this trap with him, to let him treat me like all those other women he’s dated.

I won’t let myself be just another person for him to use and toss aside when it’s convenient.

“It’s not about that,” he answers softly. “It’s about your almost-husband in there.” He nods toward the house. “Ryan, right?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Of course.” In the moonlight, he looks devilishly handsome; it almost steals my breath away. “Don’t worry. I’m not planning to come between you and your high school sweetheart.”

He jerks his car door open and slides into the driver’s seat. Without another glance at me, he tears out of the driveway and down the road.

I stand there, watching him go, feeling a mix of emotions—anger, hurt, frustration—swirling in my chest. Jack’s gone, leaving me with nothing but the sound of my own breath, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Why am I even feeling this way? What’s going on with me tonight? Jack is my client. A famous celebrity who’s known for being with multiple women, all of them more sophisticated than me. Why would I even want him? He’s a jerk! My stomach twists.

Just as I turn to go back inside, I see Ryan standing on the top step, his arms folded. There’s a blank look in his eyes, and I don’t know what he’s thinking. Frankly, I’m not sure I care.

“Dinner went well?” He clears his throat.

I narrow my eyes at him. “Ryan, what do you want?”

He walks down the steps. “We need to talk.”

“I’m not sure there’s anything to talk about.”

“Oh, there’s a lot,” he says gently. “First, I owe you an apology. I?—”

I don’t want to deal with this right now. I’m exhausted from the emotions swirling around in my mind. “I’m tired, Ryan. Not tonight. Please.”

But he doesn’t back off. He’s persistent, leaning in a little. “Come on, just a minute,” he pleads, his hand resting gently on my shoulder.

I shake my head, pulling away from him. “I’m done with this, Ryan. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

He doesn’t understand that the only thing holding me together right now is a thread of control, and it’s very much close to snapping with how incessant he is.

I’ve always wondered what would happen and how it would play out if Ryan returned to Bardstown or I saw him again.

I know I’ve moved on, but sometimes, these thoughts pop up.

I still have love for him, but nothing like he’s looking for, and I think it has something to do with the celebrity in town.

I don’t want this, but I don’t know how to stop it.

I turn and walk back into the house, leaving him standing there.

I don’t have the strength or emotional ability to return home alone tonight, so I steer down the hall toward my childhood bedroom.

I don’t even know what’s going on anymore, but I do know one thing: Jack Calloway is a mess, and somehow, I’m the one tangled up in it.