Page 22 of Matched with the Hollywood Heartthrob (Matched for Love #4)

JACK

I ’m still angry.

Seeing Mia with Ryan earlier hit a nerve I didn’t even know I had. The way they were sitting so close, so comfortable—like nothing ever happened between us. Like we didn’t share a passionate kiss.

I try not to care, trying to convince myself it’s none of my business. This is business, right? So why does it bother me so much? I keep replaying the look in Ryan’s eyes, the way he gazed at her like he owned her. It’s like he was trying to claim her again, like he thinks he has some right to her.

And the worst part? Mia—she wants him. I can see it. It’s clear.

There’s a knock on my door.

“Jack?”

It’s Brody. For a second, I think about ignoring him. But for how long? We live in the same house. Nova and Harry have been calling to ask about the date, but I’ve not taken their calls. I’ll call them back tomorrow.

“Come in.”

Brody opens the door, peeks in, and frowns. “Okay. This doesn’t seem like the face of a man whose date went well.”

“Nothing on Denise. It’s just me.”

“So the date didn’t go well?”

I shake my head. “No, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

Brows raises his arms. “I made food. If you’re hungry, you can help yourself.”

“Thanks.”

As soon as he leaves, my phone buzzes, pulling me from my thoughts. It’s Denise.

Now, this is a call I can’t ignore. I swipe to answer, forcing my voice to sound cheerful. “Hey, Denise.”

“Hi, Jack! Just checking in—how’s everything going?” she asks, her voice cheerful and bubbly, the kind that should be pleasant but only grates on my nerves right now. I don’t want to hear it.

“It’s fine. Fine.” My voice feels like it’s made of ice, and I know she can probably hear it, but she doesn’t seem to catch on.

“Good to hear!” She giggles, like she’s trying too hard. “And the headache? It was probably because of the noise, you know?”

“I know. I feel a whole lot better, Denise. Thank you.”

There’s a pause, where it feels like she finally catches on.

“You seemed a little distant during the event. Everything okay?”

I want to groan. I want to tell her that everything’s okay, but it’s impossible. I’m nothing if not honest. I hate to string a woman on.

“Denise, you’re a beautiful lady…”

She chuckles. “You know when a sentence starts like that, it usually doesn’t end well.”

“It’s not you, really, it’s me.” Ew. I sound so cliche right now. “I’m just battling a lot at the moment, you know? Mentally, I wasn’t able to get into the moment.”

Denise sighs. “Fine. I hope you find what you’re looking for, Jack.”

Before I can say anything else, she hangs up.

I run my hand through my hair again, taking a deep breath.

Great. I just royally messed up my first date in town.

This seems like a great idea. I rub my hands over my face, trying to shake the frustration off.

I feel my phone buzzing again, but I ignore it.

I don’t have the patience for this right now.

The knock at the door catches me off guard. It’s soft but persistent.

“Brody, leave me alone. I’m not hungry.”

“I’m coming in.”

It’s not Brody. It’s Mia. The door opens and she walks in. My heart does a little flip, and I bury this beneath several layers of annoyance. Her eyes scan over me, but I can’t tell what she’s thinking.

“Hi, Jack.”

I try not to act like I’m annoyed, even though my blood is still boiling. My voice comes out more curt than I intend. “Hey.”

I thought she was here to talk about my visit to her shop and my hasty exit, but my irritation grows when she asks about the date.

“How did it go with Denise?” She smiles like we’re chummy friends.

I shrug, leaning against the pillows, doing my best to keep the irritation from lashing out. “It was fine, I guess.”

I don’t know why she’s asking. She already knows the answer. I don’t even care about the date.

Mia doesn’t miss a beat. “I need to know what went wrong. What you didn’t like. How can I improve on the other dates?”

The other dates.

Her words hit me like a reminder of the whole situation.

I force myself not to roll my eyes. “Mia, I’m not remotely interested in Denise.

And I think we can cut her out of the race right now.

There’s no connection there, and I don’t need to waste anyone’s time.

” My tone is sharper than I intend, but I can’t help it.

“I’m so done with this whole matchmaking thing. ”

She crosses her arms, her eyes narrowing as if she’s trying to decipher me. “You can’t decide that quickly, Jack. You have to meet the other women. Maybe you’ll have more of a connection with one of them. Maybe you’ll see something different.”

I let out a frustrated sigh, pushing off the bed and swinging my legs to the floor. “I don’t care about any of them, Mia. I don’t want some random woman shoved in my face just because it’s part of some grand plan. I’m not looking for some fairytale ending.”

Mia’s expression softens, but only for a moment.

She doesn’t back down, though. “You can’t decide like this.

You have to give them a chance. Meet the others.

Don’t make up your mind so quickly. You might find something you’re not expecting.

Remember, we had an agreement. You promised Nova you would give this a try. ”

I shake my head. “I already know I don’t have a connection with Denise. She’s nice enough, but I don’t think it’s going to magically develop.”

Mia holds my gaze for a moment, and I can’t tell what she’s thinking. It’s like she’s measuring me, trying to figure out if I’m being genuine or just being stubborn.

“Okay,” she finally says, an edge in her voice. “I’ll take that into consideration.” She pauses, then adds, “But you should meet Ashley. At least give her a shot. Maybe you’ll find a connection with her. A picnic might be a good start. It’ll be casual. No pressure.”

“Who is Ashley?”

She steps into the room and sits on the chair across from me, whipping out a tablet and scrolling through it. It makes everything seem more professional, and then she wonders why I can’t seem to get into it.

“Your next date is Ashley Benson,” she says, reading the screen. “She’s an event planner and has worked on some amazing weddings and ceremonies. I’ll leave you both to discuss that. She studied business in NYU and moved back home last year to live a softer, slow-paced life.”

“Okay.” I nod, not sure I remember anything Mia just said. I’m too distracted by her lips, her hands as they mirror her words, I’m too distracted by her .

She closes the tablet and leans forward. “Let me tell you a bit about how I found these women.”

I stifle a sigh. “Mia?—”

“Just because you said ordinary doesn’t mean these ladies are unremarkable.” Her voice is stern enough to grab my attention, and my eyes rise to meet hers.

“I don’t expect you to look down on them. They’re only single because they’re looking for something meaningful. I deliberately chose ladies from outside town so you won’t have to run into them or risk them fan-girling you, but I assure you that these are mature, beautiful women with brains.”

“Okay.”

She frowns. “Really, Jack? That’s all you’ll say?”

Why does she think I’m interested in whatever she has to say? She hasn’t explained why I walked into her shop and saw her cozy with her ex-boyfriend. If she wants to get back with him, she should. I don’t care.

“Yeah, whatever,” I mutter. “Is that all?”

“You need to be more involved in this, Jack,” she says, crossing her arms again, this time with more authority. “Stop acting so unbothered. Everyone involved here is trying their best to make things work out for you, and it’s frustrating to watch you act like you’re above it all.”

Her words hit harder than I expected. I know she’s right, and I hate that she’s calling me out. But I can’t help it. I’m not interested in any of these women, especially when my mind is stuck on one person. Still, I can’t say that to her.

I let out a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, I’m sorry for taking your time, Mia. I’m sure you’d rather be cozied up with your high school sweetheart, right?”

She gasps. “Jack! Stop being so childish. I don’t see how what I do with Ryan is any of your business.”

You know what? She’s right. It’s a tough wake-up call. I am being childish. And I hate myself for it. Why can’t I just accept that this whole thing isn’t about me and her? It’s about restoring my reputation and helping me get back to my job. That’s all that matters.

I take a deep breath, my shoulders slumping in defeat. “You’re right,” I admit quietly. “Sorry for acting like an idiot.”

“I never said you were an idiot,” she answers. “You’re not.”

“Not an idiot. Just childish.” I flash her a smile.

Mia sighs, her expression softening just a little. “I’m just trying to help you, Jack. It’s not all about you and what you want. If you want this to work, you need to put in some effort.”

I run a hand through my hair, nodding slowly. “Yeah… I’ll try. A picnic with Ashley sounds fine.”

I try to sound like I’m agreeing, but in the back of my mind, I can’t shake the feeling that no matter who I meet, nothing will make sense.

“You can send an envelope containing everything I need to know,” I add. “Brody will deliver your message.”

She sucks in a breath. “I’ll text you everything. It’s in a couple days.”

Wow. The fact that the next date is so close has my mood plummeting all the way down. Do I have absolutely no say in this matter at all? Am I not allowed to mentally refuel and emotionally recharge before another ordeal? But I don’t argue, because there’s already tension between us.

“Thanks, Mia. See yourself out.”

She narrows her eyes at me before marching out the door and slamming it behind her. My heart twists with guilt, but I don’t succumb to it. Instead, I slide under the sheets and shut me eyes, telling myself that this is all for the better.