Realization hit like a ton of bricks, and Grace moved back one step. Her heart started hammering.
“Alex… do you not want to be seen with me in public? Is that why you won’t go out?”
He didn’t say anything, just looked down at his hands like a schoolboy caught misbehaving. It was answer enough for Grace, who scoffed as she took another step back.
“Wow. Seriously? You don’t want to be seen with me?”
Alex stood and moved toward her. His voice was calm and soothing, as though he were speaking to an overexcited puppy. “It isn’t that simple, Grace.”
“Make it simple!” she snapped.
Alex sighed. “Honestly, yes. I am apprehensive about us being seen together in public and what that would mean.”
Tears gathered in Grace’s eyes, though she refused to let them spill. She just walked away from him, into the kitchen area. This was exactly what she’d been worried about. Despite her best attempts to wall off her feelings, she’d let Alex get close—andnow she was paying the price. Whatever she’d imagined between them, he clearly didn’t feel the same way.
At least she hadn’t kissed him.
“Grace,” Alex said. She turned to see that he’d followed her into the kitchen and was now looking at her in concern.
“Yes?” she managed.
“It isn’t that simple,” he repeated.
“Okay.” Grace spread her hands. “Then explain it to me. Why exactly is it that you don’t want to be seen with me in public? Am I just a shameful secret to you?”
“Grace…”
“Why?” she snapped. “Just tell me. Why?”
CHAPTER 20
ALEX
Alex felt like the worst person in the world. Grace stood across from him, tears shining in her green eyes, staring at him like he’d just broken her heart. And Alex knew he probably had. They’d lived for the last six weeks or so in their own little world, where they could dream about a future together with their children. He loved living there. He wanted to make that dream real.
But the more logical part of Alex also knew that the dream and reality were very, very different. He’d thought that Grace understood that, too. But from the way her hands were clenched into fists and her eyes were narrowed to keep tears in, he knew that he’d been wrong.
“MatchupNow is about long-term, real relationships,” Alex began.
“I know what the app’s about!” Grace snapped.
“I know you do, but please let me explain.”
“Fine.”
“We prioritize real connections, family, and love. And because of that, there’s a high standard for how I should act. I mostly don’t date, which is strange enough. But what if it came out that I’d had a hookup? Not only that, but a hookup with an employee? And that the hookup led to a pregnancy? And that, despite the pregnancy, the employee was now suing me?” Alex shook his head. “I would be ruined. My reputation would be in tatters. I could lose investors… I could even lose my company.”
Grace took a slow step backward as one of the tears that had been gathering in her eyes slipped down her cheek. She was still staring at him.
“I knew it,” she whispered.
“Knew what?” Alex asked.
“I knew that this would happen eventually.” She folded her arms across her chest, and in an instant, her sadness seemed to sharpen into anger. Her eyes narrowed. “Well, good. I’m glad you’re finally showing me how you really feel.”
“What do you mean?” Alex asked.
“You care about your company more than me, more than your babies, more than anything,” Grace replied. “But I knew that already. I just forgot about it for a little while, when we seemed to be in such a good place.”
