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Chapter 10

Matthew

Matthew rose from his gaming chair and faced the cheering audience. He flashed them one of his signature smiles and waved as the competition’s MC quickly took the stage to regain control of the event.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!” he said. “Matthew Cardhart, otherwise known as Mr. Cards!”

Matthew dipped his head graciously as the crowd exploded with louder cheering. He let his eyes wander over the hordes of people. Although thousands of people had come to watch him compete, there was only one face Matthew was searching for. His gaze finally landed on the press and staff section in the front row of the stadium. Regardless of how hard he had tried to resist, Matthew was forced to admit, even if only to himself, that Eve Greenwood had captured his attention.

The MC’s voice was reduced to a dull hum in the background of his mind as he scanned the faces in the section. The thought of seeing her face compelled him like a magnetic force. There. When a particularly tall man moved forward out of his seat, Matthew got a clear view of her. She stood out in bright red pants that hugged her thighs and waist like a glove. Eve stood facing Hannah, mid-conversation. She gripped a blue, spiral-bound notebook flush against her chest as if she were afraid it might get stolen. A thick strand of hair, shimmering golden in the lighting of the stadium, had escaped from the rest, which lay neatly tucked behind her ears. Suddenly, Matthew was overcome with the urge to force his way through the crowd and tuck the hair behind her ears. To feel her silky hair in his hand and to run his fingertips over the top of her ear.

All at once, there was movement in the audience. The MC had made his closing remarks—most likely about the finals that weekend —and people were being dismissed from the arena. Eve turned to leave, and that’s when their eyes met. Matthew felt an electric jolt shoot through his spine as she blinked her huge, brown eyes at him.

Embarrassingly, Matthew felt his smile widen as they made eye contact. Eve froze. The rogue piece of hair fell further forward, and the insane desire to caress her face overtook Matthew once again.

Why doesn’t she tuck her hair already?!

Matthew quickly glanced away before he had a chance to lose his composure and instead turned to shake hands with his opponents. The guy who came in second place gripped his outstretched hand begrudgingly.

“Good game,” Matthew said.

“Yeah, sure, good game.”

As Matthew left the arena with the other contestants, he twisted his head for one last wave to the crowd and risked another look in Eve’s direction. Eve was already making her way toward the exit, with John and Hannah close behind her. He let his eyes linger for just a few moments on her retreating body before pulling himself together and leaving the stage.

Matthew met up with members of his security team backstage. He wasn't surprised to see Angela there as well.

“Congratulations,” she said, nodding curtly.

“Thanks, Angela, but I imagine you’re here to do more than offer congratulations.”

She grunted in agreement and gestured down to the large tablet in her hands. “I’m here to keep you on track. We have to sign paperwork with registration for the finals this weekend, and after that you need to do two hours of VIP meet and greet.”

Matthew crossed his arms. “VIP only? What about my other viewers?”

Angela remained unforgiving. She simply tapped the tablet with her finger. “VIP only. The numbers don’t lie.”

Angela held the tablet, and the tablet’s word was final, no matter how much Matthew hated it.

“Fine, which way to registration?”

After hours of paperwork and putting on a brave face to shake hands, shoot videos, and take pictures with minor influencers and rich kids who wanted one-on-one time with him, Matthew was exhausted. As his security guards closed down the meeting area, he leaned back heavily in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face.

“Got time for one more?”

Matthew looked up. John stood leaning against the end of his table, grinning wickedly.

“John! What’s up?”

John settled into a seat next to Matthew. “Just thought I’d check in after the match and say congratulations.”

“Thanks, man, I wasn’t so sure I was going to get that last ghost. It was a pretty close call.”

“I never doubted you.”

Matthew shot John a sideways glance. “So, how have things been going on the media team?”

John snorted. “Do you mean, how’s Eve doing?”

Matthew tried to play it off. “She is the newest member of the team.”

John leaned forward. “Matt, I can see why you wanted her. The only other person I’ve seen this dedicated to their work is you. She’s at the hotel right now polishing her articles. She literally went straight to the war room. Didn’t hang out at the event center, didn’t even stop for lunch. She’s passionate.”

Matthew imagined Eve hard at work in the war room surrounded by pages of notes. “I’m interested in reading her work,” he said.

John sighed. “That’s the thing with people like Eve.”

“What do you mean?”

John chose his words carefully. “Her work is going to be good, great, even, but she has a journalistic heart. Just be careful that you don’t get hurt while she’s in pursuit of a big story.”

“I appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing to worry about there,” Matthew said.

John rose to his feet and slapped Matthew on the back. “Just trying to look out for a friend,” he said. “Congratulations again.”

“Thanks, John.”

Night had fallen by the time Matthew made it back to the hotel, and the last several sleepless nights were beginning to wear on him.

“Where to?” his security guard asked him, opening the car door for him.

“My room,” Matthew said. “I’m calling it a night.”

He parted ways with his bodyguards at the door and collapsed onto his bed. Despite how tired his body was, Matthew’s mind raced, keeping him awake. He couldn’t help but think of all the fans he didn’t spend time with earlier that day because he was busy with the VIP’s.

I didn’t have a choice.

Restlessly, he pulled his phone from his pocket and began scrolling through his social media pages. John had done a fantastic job keeping things updated while Matthew had been busy. One post read:

Excited to announce that I will be playing in the Ghost Exterminators competition finals this weekend. It is an honor to be able to play my favorite games for charity!

Matthew swiped through the comments. Many people congratulated him and wished him luck in the finals, but his heart sank when he stumbled upon a large cluster of negative comments.

That other guy was robbed. Mr. Cards stole his ghost.

I waited for hours to see you today, but the line said VIP only? What a rip-off.

A thin film of sweat coated his forehead as he scanned the comments. He felt like he had let his viewers down, and that thought was nauseating. The room began to feel suffocatingly small and hot. He leaped up from his bed and paced over to the door. His hand hesitated on the doorknob.

I’m not supposed to leave without security.

Defiantly, Matthew swung the door open. He was a grown man. He could go wherever he wanted, and right now he wanted to walk to the vending machines. He turned down the hallway and instantly began to feel relieved after escaping the confines of his room.

Matthew took another turn, and as he rounded the corner, he froze in his tracks. An entire Boy Scout troop lined the hallway, shuffling their feet and lugging suitcases. They followed a worn-down-looking troop leader who held a clipboard and a stack of room keys.

Oh, s**t.

A gaggle of teenage boys was probably the last thing Matthew wanted to see at that moment. He knew that if he drew attention to himself or tried to walk past, he would be recognized immediately. The ensuing chaos would be a nightmare. He reached for the nearest door and smoothly slipped inside, breathing a sigh of relief as the thick wood door clicked shut behind him. It read “Roof Access.”

“Looks like I’m going up.”

Matthew climbed the stairs to the roof, hoping to find an alternate way back into the hotel and to the safety of his room. He stopped to listen at the frosted glass door to make sure he couldn’t hear anyone up there. After a satisfactory amount of silence, he slid open the door to the roof pool. The dark water gleamed, reflecting the inky sky. Rows of beach chairs sat abandoned in perfect rows. The air smelled faintly of chlorine and salt from the ocean below. A large ripple formed on the water’s still surface as a shape began to emerge—a person. Matthew stumbled backward in surprise.

He watched, awestruck, as Eve hoisted herself out of the water and into the night air.