“I don’t know if I can keep doing this much longer.” I already look worn out in the bathroom mirror. My cheeks hurt from holding a smile I have to force. I can hardly remember half the stuff I said in the last few hours. It’s a good thing I had my presentation memorized. All that was going on inside my head while I was up on stage was a wail of shock and confusion. And the image of Jack kissing his match on replay.

Where’s the fast forward button when you need one? Or better yet, rewind and erase?

Riley’s reflection gives me a stern look. “You can’t bail yet, Mac. You’re in the big leagues now. You’ve had this dream since before Jack was ever on your radar. Don’t let him ruin it for you. You won’t forgive yourself.” She pokes me with her elbow. “I won’t forgive you.”

“Right. You’re right.” I splash a little cold water on my face, dry it off, and accept the lipstick tube Riley hands to me. “I can do this. It’s just a little after-party.”

“I’ll be right there with you,” Riley promises.

I shouldn’t have kidded myself. It isn’t a little after-party—it’s a honking big after-party. On a yacht. In the middle of the Hudson.

Riley, Warren, and I wade through swarms of tech folks who are now packed even more tightly than on the conference hall floor. Music blares. Colored lights flash. Glasses clink and booze sloshes. In one room a bunch of acrobats are spinning on hoops over the crowd.

Yeah. This wouldn’t be my scene even if my heart were in one piece.

Which it definitely is not. It seems like no matter where I wander on the damned boat, I turn and see Jack with his arm around Claudia. Stroking his thumb over her shoulder. Leaning in to give her another kiss. He looks so fucking happy about it too. And so does she. A picture-perfect couple.

My stomach won’t stop churning. I don’t think I can blame it on the faint rocking of the boat.

None of this makes sense. If it is some kind of elaborate publicity stunt, the Jack I thought I knew would have warned me ahead of time. There were plenty of moments when he could have. He was barely even friendly when he talked to me before the presentation.

Is this because I dared talk back over our office move?

It can’t be. But what else is there? One moment of conflict, and he’s thrown in the towel. And not only thrown in the towel, but gone running to hook up with the nearest available woman in five seconds flat. Where is the guy who promised me we’d talk more and kissed me goodbye last week?

It’s hard to believe I could have been that wrong about someone. But I’m not sure what else to think. Maybe he’s been a playboy all along. After all, we never had the talk. About who we are to each other, if this thing we were doing was exclusive.

I just assumed he felt the same as me. But I guess I was wrong.

I take a glass of champagne, but my one sip just makes me more queasy.

“McKenna!” a voice calls. I glance up to see the tech bro who wouldn’t take no for an answer at the awards gala pushing through the crowd toward me. His face is flushed and his eyes glazed with alcohol. I’m going to bet he doesn’t remember grabbing me at the bar.

“Hi,” I say warily.

“Chip Harking. Manager at E-Dimension.” He waves his badge and then offers his hand. “That app of yours sounds amazing. Had to let you know. Really fantastic work. If you’re ever looking to partner up on a project, give us a shout.”

I guess I should be glad he’s not still trying to “partner” with me in other ways. But it’s hard to enjoy the offer when a month ago he couldn’t see me as anything except a piece of meat.

“Thank you,” I say with all the fake graciousness I can produce.

That seems to be enough for Chip, because he wanders off into the crowd again. But he’s hardly the only guy here who’s changed his tune since the last time I saw them. I shake hands with at least five possible investors I pitched to, who are suddenly completely sold on the merits of Perfect Match. The exact same merits I told them about months ago. But, you know, this time they heard a man saying it was great, so now it must be true.

It’d be easier not to be bitter if I hadn’t just gotten an eyeful of that man shoving his tongue down someone else’s throat.

I clutch my glass and nod and smile some more. My cheeks are about ready to fall right off. A guy who two months ago told me the dating industry was too crowded already raves about how Perfect Match is exactly what the market needs right now. Where the hell is Riley now?

“I’m so sorry,” I say. “I just saw someone I really need to talk to.”

I hightail it out of that room, past the dangling circus performers, and into the bar room near the stern of the boat. Beyond the tall windows, the evening sky is clouded, the river water frothy. A gloomy setting to fit my gloomy mood. Which immediately becomes twice as gloomy, because two seconds later Jack and lady friend stroll in after me. I want to turn and run, but I know I can’t hide forever.

Time to bite the damn bullet.

Squaring my shoulders, I make my way over to the bar. Jack is just accepting a couple of glasses. He turns to hand one to his date, and his gaze catches on me. He pauses, leaning his elbow casually on the bar counter. Nothing in his posture or his smile suggests he’s uncomfortable. But his eyes still look strangely cold.

“Ms. Delaney,” he says. “Quite the reception we got, wasn’t it? You must be very pleased.”

I’m Ms. Delaney again now? My throat tightens, but I keep my own voice even. “Yes. It’s been great.”

He slings his arm around Claudia, who beams at me. She has no idea that just days ago I was in her shoes, obviously. “I don’t think I properly introduced you to Claudia,” he says. “Although in all fairness, it was your app who introduced her to me. I can’t thank you enough for that.”

“I’m a fan,” Claudia grins.

“Uhhuh,” I manage to murmur. If he’s trying to drive a knife in, he’s doing a great job. “You’re very welcome. Listen, I need to talk to you for a few minutes. Alone. It’s important.”

He glances at Claudia. As if he needs her permission before he’ll hear me out. She gives him a playful push. “Go on. There’s a buffet table with my name on it.”

He sneaks in one last kiss before pointing me to the doors to the deck. We step outside. It’s quiet out here, the chatter of the party faded to a dull hum, but it’s also freezing. I restrain a shiver, crossing my arms over my chest. Jack leans against the railing.

“What’s going on?” I ask. By some miracle my voice stays steady.

Jack gives me that same blank gaze. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. We’re both where we wanted to be, aren’t we? I got the soulmate you promised, you got your funding. All’s well in the world.”

“But—” I am so confused. How can he not get that? “What about us?”

“Us?” he repeats. His tone turns incredulous. I see a spark in his eyes then, but it looks more like anger than anything else. “There was never really an us, was there? We had a little fun, that’s all. Now that the app is public, it wouldn’t help you for us to be seen together. Isn’t that how you felt?”

“That’s not— I just wanted to be careful how people saw us.” I shake my head. “But together . . . I thought we had something.”

“Not enough for you to turn down dates with somebody else.”

His voice is clipped, and I finally connect the dots. “You mean that article?” I stare at him. “That was just something Nelle put together, for her story. I didn’t . . . I mean, I wouldn’t . . . I never saw him again! We took some photos, then I told him it wasn’t going to go anywhere.”

I only wanted you.

But Jack stays cool. “It’s none of my concern who you date.”

My eyes have started to itch with tears. “Why are you being like this?”

“Like what?” Jack replies.

“Like I’m just one of your employees!” I exclaim. “I thought we had something real together. I thought you felt it too!”

My voice breaks.

Jack blinks at me. For a second, I think I see his expression soften. Then he jerks his gaze away.

“You thought wrong,” he says. “You should be happy, we’re on the same page. You got everything you wanted from me, and now I have a piece of the next billion-dollar company. It really was the perfect match.”

He straightens up and stalks across the deck without another word. The door bangs shut behind him with a heave of wind. I turn away from the bright windows, clapping my hand over my mouth to muffle a sob. Nothing can stop my tears from finally overflowing. They sting on my cheeks as they streak down. But that pain doesn’t hurt half as much as the ache inside me.

He’s gone.