I smooth down my little blue dress, swallowing hard as I approach the door, my heart racing. When I pull it open, there he is.
Matt.
Tight jeans hug his frame, the hoodie gives him a casual edge, and a leather jacket adds an undeniable touch of rugged charm. It’s an odd combination, but somehow, he makes it work. Theway the fabric clings to his broad shoulders and the slight scruff on his jaw catches the light—yeah, he looks incredible. My eyes drop to the flowers in his hands, and just like that, the tension in my chest eases. A soft breath escapes me as I take him in, and his smile widens, his gaze traveling over me like I’m the only thing he sees.
With a small sigh, I raise a brow and tilt my chin. “Looking sharp, rock star.” He grins at me, no reply, no comment, just stares. My smile falters, panic racing through me instantly. “What? Do I lookthatbad?”
I glance down at my dress, smoothing the fabric like I can fix something I can’t even see. That creeping edge of inferiority rising again.
“No, Alex,” he says, voice low but certain. “You look… stunning.”
That throws me. My head lifts. I meet his eyes and feel my breath catch.
I try to laugh it off. “Yeah, well, I don’tfeelstunning,” I mumble.
He steps closer, holding out the bouquet. “Trust me, Logan’s a lucky guy. Now c’mon, let me in before your flowers die.”
I blink in shock. “Wait…my flowers?Aren’t those for Jaci?”
He smirks. “I’ve got some for her too. But these are just for you. A little boost. A‘you got this’kind of thing.” He hands them over, his eyes twinkling. “For you, doodlebug.”
My stomach flips, and I chew on my bottom lip as my nerves float away. Matt really is trying to make this easy on me, and I love him for that. “Thank you, you’re amazing. They’re beautiful.” I look down at the freshly cut bunch of daisies and daffodils. He even knows what type of flowers I like. I’m not your traditional roses and lilies type. I like the more understated flowers. So I take a deep breath and reach up on my toes, wrapping my arms around his neck and embracing him tightly.“Thank you. This means so much that you made an effort to ease my nerves.”
This man is truly amazing.
“Of course, Alex, we’re in this together. We’re a team!”
I pull back and nod. “Yeah, we are. I’ll just put these in some water, and we can go.”
He looks over to my art area, raising a brow. “You’ve been painting?”
I glance at the half-painted canvas and nod. “Yeah, couldn’t sleep last night. So I started painting. I do it mostly when I’m stressed or nervous.”
Matt walks over as I place the flowers into a vase with some water. His hand reaches out and gently caresses my back. “If this is too much for you, Alex, and you’re only doing it for me, you’d tell me… right?”
I turn to look at him. We’re close, and I can feel his warm breath tickling my chin. A tingling starts in my tummy as I stare into his eyes. “We gotta get back on the horse sometime, right?” I whisper, my voice extremely breathy.
Matt nods and swallows hard as he looks down at my lips. I inadvertently lick them, and he suddenly breaks away from me and clears his throat. “We should get going if we want to make it there before them.”
I take a deep breath. “Okay then, let’s go meet ourPessimisticlovers,” I chime, and he chuckles before walking out of my apartment with me to his car. I notice the security detail in the car behind us, and I gnaw on my bottom lip as we slide into his car.
“Do you think being in a restaurant is going to be an issue for you tonight?” I ask, and Matt smiles crookedly.
“Nope,” is all he replies.
I furrow my brows at why he thinks he will be able to get away with being in a crowded restaurant without being noticed.I just hope fans do not crowd him. That wouldn’t be good for him or Jaci, I’m assuming. Unless she likes attention, then she’d probably love it.
Looking out the window, I watch the city blur past, the lights and shadows dancing across the glass as we weave through the streets. The steady hum of the car does little to soothe the nerves tightening in my chest. A flicker of a thought crosses my mind—a wish that we could ditch this plan entirely, head somewhere quiet, and have dinner, just Matt and me. The idea surprises me, and my stomach flips, a mix of guilt and longing swirling inside.
How am I supposed to focus on Logan when Matt is so close? In the short time we’ve spent together, Matt has become something unexpected—a sense of comfort. He’s steady in a way I didn’t realize I needed. But that thought scares me, too. Can we ever be anything more than friends? Or is that comfort just a fleeting thing, destined to disappear if we try to turn it into something it’s not? The questions tug at me, twisting through my nerves as the car continues its journey, carrying me closer to Logan and farther from answers.
We arrive at the restaurant, and instead of pulling up front, Matt drives around back. At first, I’m a little confused, but then something in the back of my mind clicks. “They know you’re coming, don’t they?”
He nods, giving me no further explanation.
We get out of the car, and he pulls his hoodie over his head before grabbing the flowers from the back seat. Then his security detail follows us as we continue to what appears to be a service entrance for the restaurant, and we ring the bell.
A chef comes to the door, his greeting pleasant, like this isn’t out of the ordinary, then walks us through the kitchen into a separate dining room like he’s done it a thousand times before.
