Page 34 of Falling for My Matchmaker

Instead, he looked at me once, nodded slightly—that maddening, neutral Nate nod—and walked out.

I stood there for a full ten seconds then turned around, leaned back against the closed door, and exhaled so hard I felt my lungs empty into the floor.

What the hell just happened?

I didn’t have time to answer.

Not now.

Not with Brad pulling up outside, right on cue.

Perfect timing.

Perfect guy.

And me—in absolutely no condition to be kissed again byanyone.

But the doorbell rang, and I smiled like it didn’t ache.

Time for the real date.

Whatever that meant anymore.

Chapter 11: The Surprise

Technically, I was on a date with Brad.

But “on a date” was a generous way to describe sitting in a car, saying nothing, while my brain rewound the last two hours like a teenage romcom on fast-forward.

I hadn’t said much. Not because I was nervous, but because I was still mentally kissing someone else.

And also mildly carsick. But mostly the kissing thing.

We’d been driving for just over an hour, and the trees were getting taller while the road signs were getting rarer. Brad didn’t seem to mind the silence. He was focused on the road, humming faintly to a playlist that could best be described as “Spotify for Men Who Own Leather Coasters.”

I’d missed the first few turns, the moment we left the city limits, and whatever explanation he’d given about the destination. Something about a surprise. Something “off-grid.” I’d nodded like a person who definitely wasn’t still rewatching a mental movie in which her matchmaker’s shirt had been halfway off.

By the time I tuned back in, there were no more buildings. No streetlights. Just woods. Miles and miles of them.

I blinked, finally surfacing. “Hey. Where are we going again?”

Brad smiled, eyes on the road. “You’ll see.”

Never a great answer. Especially when paired with zero bars of cell service and a man who had mysteriously avoided the photobooth.

At first, I tried to enjoy it. I told myself the silence was peaceful, not unnerving. That the trees weren’t ominous, just scenic. That the way Brad stared at the road—focused, unmoving—was just good driving, not a complete personality shift.

“You okay?” he asked finally.

“Yeah,” I said too quickly. “Just curious where we’re going.”

He smiled. “You’ll see.”

I smiled back, but it didn’t quite reach my stomach.

I glanced at my phone. One bar. Then none.

I checked again. Still none. No signal. No Wi-Fi. Just...digital silence.

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