Page 77 of How to Break My Heart 1

A small laugh escapes my lips. As Aston takes to the machine like a pro, it allows me time to take the remaining orders and finish icing the rest of the pineapple donuts. As usual, they’re a hit.

“Pineapple donuts, eh? That’s new,” Aston mentions casually, then motions for me to glance at the old lady sitting at table three with two of her friends. “See that lady wearing the blouse with the upside-down pineapples?”

I glance over to see the bright pink shirt with pineapples scattered all over. “Yeah?”

“She’s into swinging.”

My eyes widen in disbelief. “Why would you say that?”

“Pineapples on clothing, specifically upside-down ones, means you swing,” he informs with a gleam in his eye. “So, Grandma likes to take it on both ends.”

My mouth opens, then I slap his arm. “What’s wrong with you? Why would you tell me that? Now it all makes sense. She told me she had a hip injury. The injury must be from the swinging.”

Aston keeps his laugh at bay. In that split moment, gazing at him, I realize it’s been a long time since I’ve seen him genuinely smile. Most of the time, he’s acting like an asshole to get a reaction from me.

And the truth is—he looks so devastatingly handsome when he’s happy.

I demand that we work in silence since the swinger talk has left me somewhat disturbed. I find myself glancing at her to see if there’s any truth to what Aston said. The ladies all seem to be giggling at something as swinging grandma shows them a picture on her cell phone.

The two ladies cover their mouths, almost as if they’re embarrassed.

I wrinkle my nose and imagine the picture to be some old dude’s penis.

God, why did you even say that in your head?

An hour later, the group leaves. They finalize their bills and head back to their bus.

And that’s when I breathe a sigh of relief, turning to face Aston. If it wasn’t for him, I would have gone insane trying to wrangle this crowd. Not to mention, they tipped generously because we were so accommodating.

“Thank you for helping me.”

“My pleasure,” he states simply.

“If only business were thriving like this every day, then I might be able to open a second café one day.”

“Well, if you ever need an investor,” he mentions with a grin, “Manhattan has a big swinging community and those pineapple donuts would be a drawcard.”

“Eww.” I cringe, shaking my head before laughing. “Manhattan would be a dream. Though, should I be worried you know so much about the swinging community?”

“I knowofthe swinging community, but that does not mean I partake in such activities. I’m selfish. If I want someone, I want them all to myself.” Aston gazes over at me. “But I’m serious, if you are looking for an investor.”

I drop my head, staring at the floor. “I want to do it myself. Save my money and open when the time is right, plus there’s a house I’m working toward purchasing. I’m trying to adult the right way.”

“I understand. If you change your mind, the offer is on the table.”

I could never imagine being in business with Aston. When I initially borrowed from the bank, it was a small amount that I managed to pay off in the first year. The timing right now isn’t ideal. I don’t feel confident expanding when sales are not as great as I would have hoped. For now, I’ve parked the idea, but never say never.

“Listen, I spoke to Maddy last night…” I begin. He cocks his head, waiting for me to finish. “She asked if we are getting along. Look, I know things have, um… escalated. But I think we should stop and just be friends. For Maddy’s sake. I don’t like lying to her, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Whatwe’redoing. We fooled around, so be it. Time to move on.”

Slowly, he places his hand in his pocket and retrieves his phone. He taps on the screen to read a message, then places it back in his pocket.

“If that’s what you want, Everleigh,” he responds in a notably cold tone.

I nod, then avoid his eyes. “That’s what I want, Aston.”

Reaching beneath the counter, he fetches his coat and pullsit on. I lower my gaze, ignoring the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I know I’m doing the right thing.