Page 26 of Matched with the Hollywood Heartthrob (Matched for Love #4)

JACK

I ’m still trying to wrap my head around what just happened.

One moment, Mia’s looking at me like she’s trying to figure me out, the next, her lips are on mine, and I’m kissing her back just as desperately, just as fervently.

It’s not just a kiss. It’s more like something I’ve been holding back for too long, like I’ve been fighting it all this time, and now that it’s finally happening, I can’t stop.

Her lips are soft, urgent against mine, and for a few seconds, everything else falls away. It’s just her. Just the feel of her body against mine, her hands in my hair, her breath mingling with mine. She tastes like something I haven’t had in a long time—real, raw, unfiltered.

I pull her closer, not wanting to let go, not ready to face the reality of whatever this is.

But then, just as quickly as it started, Mia pulls back. I don’t understand why. I’m just getting started. My mind’s still racing, my heart thumping erratically in my chest. I’m still so caught up in it all, in the kiss, in her, that I can’t fully process the space between us.

Mia takes a shaky breath, avoiding my gaze. “I’m sorry,” she mutters, her voice barely above a whisper. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

I blink, thrown off by her words. Sorry? She’s apologizing for kissing me?

I take a step forward, stopping her retreat. “Mia, don’t—don’t apologize,” I say, my voice hoarse. “That… that wasn’t something you have to apologize for.”

I try to hold her again, but she skirts away from me, giving me a wide berth.

“I’m sorry,” Mia repeats, her voice steady. The passion is gone from her eyes, replaced by the headstrongness that frustrates me.

She wraps her arms around herself, almost as if to shield herself from me. “But this—what just happened—it can’t happen again. What we have is strictly professional. And that’s where it needs to stay.”

I blink, processing what she’s saying, and the weight of it settles heavily in my chest. It’s like everything between us just deflated, as if we’ve both been holding our breath and now I’m gasping for air.

I want to argue, to tell her that I don’t want things to be just professional, that I don’t care about that line we’re supposed to be walking. But her eyes, the way she’s holding herself so tightly, makes me realize she’s setting hard boundaries.

For a moment, I don’t say anything. I just stare at her, my mind racing, trying to come to terms with what she’s said.

“Right,” I finally say, my voice tight.

We’re pretty much back to square one, and I’m aware that nothing will ever change between us. The weight of her words hangs in the air between us, and as much as I want to fight it, I know that I can’t force her to feel something she doesn’t want to feel.

I can’t shake the feeling of defeat, like I’m standing in front of a door that’s just been slammed shut. Maybe it’s better this way. Maybe it’s for the best. But man, it stings.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and turn back to face her.

“I should go,” I say quietly. “Where’s your car?”

She sniffs and forces a smile. “I’ll call an Uber.”

“Get in.” My car is a few steps away, and I unlock the door and open the passenger side. She starts to shake her head but I slide her a glance. “Come on, Mia. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

She hesitates for a moment before rolling her eyes and sliding into my passenger seat with a murmur of appreciation. The last thing I want right now is to be in a car with her. We just kissed for the second time, and I’m not even over the first.

I’m a complete wreck as I start the car and pull out of there. I think about everything in the past few weeks that led me to this point, and I’m not sure when my attraction to Mia started. All I know is that it’s a waste of time going on all these other dates because all I can think about is Mia.

The ride back to town is suffocating. The silence hangs between us like a thick fog, neither of us willing to break it.

Mia’s eyes are trained on the window, her face unreadable as the scenery passes by in muted shades of green and brown.

She’s lost in thought, and I can’t help but feel like she’s a million miles away.

I grip the wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white. What do I even say? Am I sure I want to say anything?

It’s killing me.

I glance over at her briefly, wondering what’s going through her head. What is she thinking? I don’t know why, but my curiosity is eating away at me, gnawing at the back of my mind. But I don’t ask.

The engine hums, the only sound filling the quiet car. And then, just as I’m about to lose it, she speaks.

“Why did you come all the way to the hospital to see me?”

I’m caught off guard by the question, and now that she’s asked, I don’t know how to answer.

I shrug, trying to play it off, but I know I’ve been cornered.

I didn’t have a good reason, and it’s frustrating.

Why did I go there? I didn’t need to. I could have waited until tomorrow or just stayed in town and kept my distance—like I should have.

But for some reason, I couldn’t. I had to see her immediately.

“Just wanted to get around, you know? See the town a little bit,” I say, trying to make it sound casual, like it doesn’t matter. “I haven’t been around town much. And your mom said the hospital wasn’t far, so yeah.”

It sounds weak even as I say it, but what else could I say? I don’t want to admit that I went there because I couldn’t stand the idea of not seeing her, of not being close to her.

Mia doesn’t respond right away. She just nods, as if my answer is enough for her. Maybe it is. Or maybe she just doesn’t want to push it further, the way I don’t want to push her.

“So, how did your date with Ashley go?” she asks casually.

“It wasn’t any better than the one with Denise,” I say, my tone flat, as if I’ve said this a thousand times already. Well, I think I have. In different ways. No one seems to be listening to me.

I can feel her eyes on me, studying me. “Are you even trying, Jack?” she asks, her voice a little sharper now, tinged with something I can’t quite place.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. “I’m not sure how to try when I don’t feel any connection with either of them. It’s not my fault, Mia.” I sigh. “There’s nothing there. Not with Denise, not with Ashley. It’s just not happening.”

She doesn’t push it. Instead, she just nods, her gaze turning back to the window, her fingers tracing patterns on the dashboard.

I want to say more, to explain why it’s so hard to put myself into these dates, but the words are stuck in my throat.

So I focus on the road, the quiet between us settling like fog.

As we near her shop, Mia glances at me, her eyes soft but unreadable. “Take me to my parents’ house, please,” she says, her tone soft. “I need to grab my car.”

I nod, not saying anything, and make my way toward her parents’ place. The drive feels shorter than it should, and it feels like time is my opponent. I don’t want her to leave, even though it was a quiet and uncomfortable drive.

When we pull up to the house, Mia doesn’t waste any time. She opens the door before I can say anything else, but then her dad, Ben, steps out onto the patio. He spots us immediately and waves enthusiastically.

“Jack!” Ben calls, a big smile crossing his face. “Good to see you! Come on in, join us for dinner!”

I’m about to say something, but Mia cuts in before I can get the words out.

“No, thanks,” she says bluntly, her voice firm and not leaving room for negotiation. She doesn’t even look at her dad as she says it.

Ben seems taken aback for a second, and he looks like he has a lot to say about it, but before he does, I stop him with a smile.

“I’ll come by some other time, Ben. I promise.”

Ben nods, glancing at Mia. “Sure, sure, Jack. You take care.”

“And you too, sir.” I wave Mia off and pull out of the driveway. As I drive, I can’t help but wonder what’s really going on in her head. And, more importantly, what’s going on in mine?

I arrive home and curse my bad luck when I run into Brody lounging on the couch, his eyes glued to the TV. He looks up when he hears me, grinning like he knows something I don’t.

“That was a long date,” he says with a teasing smile. “Someone had a good time.”

I don’t even bother correcting him. The truth is, I spent more time with Mia than I did with Ashley, but it’s not something I’m willing to admit right now.

Instead, I just shrug it off and turn toward my room, not in the mood to entertain Brody’s comments.

Brody chuckles, but I don’t look back. As I reach my room door, my hand hovering over the handle, something stops me.

I turn back to Brody, the question I’ve been dying to ask suddenly surfacing in my mind.

“Hey, Brody,” I say, my voice a little quieter than I mean for it to be. “Do you have any idea that Mia used to be sick?”

Brody looks up from the TV, his expression shifting just slightly as he processes the question. “Yeah, I know.”

My curiosity spikes, and I step closer to him, unable to mask the frustration of not having this piece of the puzzle earlier. “How do you know?”

He shrugs casually, leaning back into the couch.

“That’s the only reason she accepted this matchmaking job,” he explains.

“So Nova can fund her foundation, where she helps kids with leukemia and cancerous illnesses. After doing more research, I found out she actually had leukemia herself when she was younger. That’s the reason she’s so passionate about helping those kids. ”

“How come no one told me?” The revelation hits me harder than I expect. Mia, the woman I can’t seem to stop thinking about, has been through something far more intense than I realized. She’s been fighting battles, internal and external, long before I ever came into her life.

“She was pretty clear that she didn’t want you to know. Or anyone, from what I can tell. Nova says she seems incredibly private about it.”

Because she hates the pity. I know that from what she was saying just before we kissed again.

The worst part is that I judged her. She was so adamant about not doing this job, so when I walked into Nova’s office to see her finally agreeing to it, I shamed her for doing it for the big, fat invoice.

She’s doing this not for financial benefits, but for kids like her —kids who need more than just sympathy; they need real help, real people who understand.

I saw those kids today. I played with them.

I loved them. I’d love to go back there and even make some donations of my own.

I feel a weight in my chest, like I’ve been carrying around a stupid, selfish mindset without realizing it.

The anger I had toward her for making me go through this ridiculous matchmaking charade seems so small now. How could I have been so blind?

I run a hand through my hair as I return to my room, frustration bubbling up again. I’m mad at myself. I’m mad at the situation. And most of all, I’m mad at the way she’s been handling everything with so much grace while I’ve just been a total mess.

The guilt gnaws at me, but I can’t seem to escape the thoughts of her. Every moment I spent criticizing her, I can’t help but feel like I’ve wronged her.

I toss and turn in bed, the sheets tangled around my legs as I try to find some kind of rest. But it’s useless. Every time I close my eyes, all I can see is her—her passion for the foundation, her strength, the way she looked at me earlier today, the way she kissed me. With so much passion.

I realize I’ve been avoiding the truth, trying to convince myself I don’t care about her, when in reality, she’s been slipping under my skin for days. Maybe it’s more than just the attraction I’ve been fighting. Maybe I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.

And the worst part is, I’m not even sure what to do with all these feelings. I’m not even sure if I can fix the mess I’ve made with her.

The thought of it keeps me awake, and I finally give up on sleep altogether, tossing back the covers and sitting up in bed, staring out the window at the moonlit sky.