Page 45 of Matched with the Grumpy Secret Prince

She yanks it back, glaring at me through the rain. “I can handle it!”

“No, you can’t!” I snap, my frustration boiling over. “You don’t know what you’re doing, and you’re going to hurt yourself again. You really are a spoiled rich kid, aren’t you? Thinking you can just figure it out because nothing’s ever been hard for you!”

I haven’t even finished my statement before I know I have crossed a line.

Sophie’s face twists in anger, her wet hair plastered to her cheeks. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I say, louder than I intended. “You’re reckless and stubborn and don’t think things through! Like with the glass at the shop, you act first and deal with the consequences later.”

Her eyes blaze, and she stands up, fists clenched at her sides. “I am not a spoiled rich kid, Graham! And you don’t get to talk to me like that, like you know me!”

“Because I don’t,” I fire back. “You keep pretending like you’ve got it all figured out, but you’re out here in the middle of a storm trying to fix a tire with no clue what you’re doing! You think that’s normal? You think that’s smart?”

“I’m doing the best I can!” she yells, her voice cracking.

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a second, I don’t know what to say. The rain keeps pounding, soaking us both as we stand there, glaring at each other.

I take a step closer, my jaw tight. “And this is your best?”

“Yes, Graham!” she yells, her hands shaking. “This is my best! Because people like you never see past the surface! You don’t know how hard I’ve worked, how much I’ve sacrificed to get where I am! And maybe it’s not perfect, but at least I’m trying!”

Her voice breaks on the last word, and for a moment, I see it—how much I’ve hurt her, how much she’s carrying.

And then she turns back to the car, crouching again like she’s determined to prove me wrong.

That’s it.

Without thinking, I grab her waist and lift her off the ground.

“Graham!”she shrieks, pounding her fists against my chest as I carry her bridal style.“Put me down!”

“Not happening,” I growl, marching back toward the flower shop.

“You’re insane!” she yells, kicking her legs, but I don’t let go.

“And you’re reckless,” I bite back, shoving the door open and setting her down inside.

She whirls around, her chest heaving as she glares at me, her face flushed with anger. “What is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me?” I shout, stepping closer. “What’s wrong with you? You cut your hand picking up glass, and now you’re out in the pouring rain trying to fix a tire you have no clue how to handle! What are you trying to prove?”

“I don’t have to prove anything to you!” she yells, her voice trembling with fury.

“Clearly, you do!” I shout back, the words flying out before I can stop them.

She takes a step closer, her eyes blazing. “You’re unbelievable! You act like you’re so perfect, like you’ve got it all figured out, but you don’t know me, Graham. You don’t know anything about me!”

“And you drive me crazy!” I yell, my voice cracking.

The words hang in the air, both of us frozen as they sink in.

Her breathing is ragged, her lips parted as she stares up at me. My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it might burst, and I don’t know if it’s from the shouting or the way her eyes are locking with mine now, softer, searching.

I step closer, my gaze dropping to her lips, and she doesn’t move away.

The tension crackles between us, electric and overwhelming, drawing us closer without either of us realizing it. This is precisely why I’ve been shuffling back and forth with her; I knew it, could feel it, could sense it from day one.

From the moment I saw her at the café with Mia, I felt a strong pull toward Sophie, and I could feel it in my bones just how difficult it would be to stay away from her. I made everything worse by agreeing to work with her on Riley’s wedding. Being this close to her and not knowing if I can have her is the most excruciatingly painful feeling ever.

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