Page 39 of Matched with the Playboy Next Door

Her gaze locks on me, and the weight of her stare makes it hard to breathe. “Ethan,” she says, her voice trembling slightly. “What’s going on?”

For a moment, I can’t speak. The sight of her—so close, so hurt—ties my tongue in knots. But I force myself to step forward, meeting her eyes.

“Riley,” I start, my voice unsteady. “I can explain.”

She folds her arms, her jaw tightening. “Then explain.”

I glance around at the volunteers, who are trying very hard to look busy and failing miserably. “Could we… talk privately?”

She hesitates, her eyes narrowing slightly. But after a moment, she nods and steps toward the back room.

The second the door closes behind us, she rounds on me. “What is all this, Ethan? Why are all these people in my store? What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to fix things,” I say quickly, my words tumbling out. “After everything that happened, I wanted to show you that I’m serious. That I’m not going anywhere. This—this workshop—it’s for you, Riley. For the store. For everything you’ve been working toward.”

Her eyes widen, and for a moment, she looks completely thrown. But then her expression hardens again. “I don’t understand why you’d do this, Ethan. You can’t just step in and change everything. This store—it’s all I have. It’s my responsibility, not yours.”

“I know that,” I say, stepping closer. “And I’m not trying to take that away from you. I just… I wanted to do something for you. To show you that you’re not alone. That this town cares about you. That I care about you.”

“I know I should’ve told you,” I add quickly, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. “But I was afraid you’d tell me to stop. And I couldn’t, Riley. Not when I see how much you give to this place, to this town, without ever asking for anything in return. You deserve this. You deserve to know that you’re not alone in this.”

Her breath catches, and I see the flicker of vulnerability in her eyes before she looks away.

“Riley,” I say softly, my chest tightening. “I know I should have explained things sooner. Iknow I messed up. But I’m trying to make it right. Please… just let me do this.”

She doesn’t respond right away, her arms still folded tightly across her chest. But then she exhales slowly, her shoulders sagging slightly.

“This was a stupid idea,” she mutters, shaking her head.

I flinch, but then I notice the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“But,” she continues, glancing up at me, “it’s also kind of sweet.”

Relief washes over me, and I can’t help but smile back. “Kind of sweet?”

“Well, I can see you tried. And that means something.”

For the first time in days, the tension between us eases, and I feel like maybe—just maybe—I haven’t completely blown my chances.

CHAPTER 14

RILEY

Istep out of the back room, the weight in my chest a little lighter than when I walked in. The store feels different now—not because of the renovations, but because of the people filling it.

Frank’s wiping down one of the new workbenches, Mrs. Harriet is stacking the last of the cleaned-up tools, and even the butcher is still here, chatting with a group of volunteers near the door.

They all stop what they’re doing when they see me, their expressions shifting from focused to expectant. My throat tightens as I glance around the room, taking it all in.

“This…” I start, my voice catching slightly. “This is incredible. I don’t even know what to say.”

“Say thank you,” Mrs. Harriet quips, her eyes twinkling.

I smile despite myself, shaking my head. “Thank you. All of you. For giving up your time to do this.”

Frank steps forward, crossing his arms. “Don’t thank us,” he says with a grin. “Thank Ethan. He’s the one who rallied us all together.”

The room hums with agreement, and my gaze shifts to Ethan, who’s standing near the counter. He looks a little awkward under the attention, one hand rubbing the back of his neck, but he meets my eyes and offers a small, hesitant smile.

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