Page 82 of How to Break My Heart 1

“Aston has told us nothing about you,” Amelia says, scolding Aston with her dagger eyes. “I’m glad he brought a date.”

Aston is busy talking to Will, so I lean in to correct her. “It’s not a date. We’re just friends. I’m a plus-one. Actually, a last-minute plan since his actual date is sick.”

Amelia shakes her head with a grin. “That’s how it always starts.”

Sitting on Amelia’s other side is her mother, Charlotte. I try not to stare in awe since her mother looks more like a sister. The family genes are strong and she looks a lot like her mother, too.

“Millie,” Charlotte chides. “You’re reading too many romance books.”

I laugh, enjoying their company. “You sound like my best friend, Maddy. She’s Aston’s sister.”

Amelia places her hand on top of mine, her eyes wide as she holds her smile. “Wait a minute. Best friend’s older brother? This willdefinitelyend well.”

“Everleigh, please excuse my daughter.” Charlotte eyes Amelia dubiously. “She doesn’t get out much since the kids were born.”

“Mom!” Amelia shakes her head with pressed lips. “For complete transparency, Dad is Mom’s best friend’s older brother. They’ve now been married for, like, what… a million years?”

“Thirty,” her father intervenes. “And yes, Everleigh, please excuse our daughter. I’m glad you could attend tonight. This charity is important to our family, so the more, the merrier.”

Amelia is chill and nothing at all like a billionaire’s overprivileged daughter. In saying that, Maddy is nothing like that, either. I enjoy chatting to Amelia for most of the night as the men leave the table to talk business. Normally, I would be pissed if my date—but alsonot date—left me to fend for myself, but it’s fun hanging out with just women sometimes.

Charlotte is just as chill as Amelia. They have a great mother-daughter bond, making me miss my own family. I decide to visit my parents once the wedding is over and maybe take a trip to France to see my brother. It’s been way too long.

“May I have this dance, Miss Woods?” Aston is standing beside me with his hand extended, waiting for me to join him. Since I danced with him at the violin and cello audition, this doesn’t seem like a big deal.

Yeah, but you didn’t have feelings then.

Amelia presses her lips together to hide her smile, but she’s doing an awful job at it. Will leans in and whispers something in her ear, only for her to shake her head as if he said something dirty to her.

The dance floor is full, and since we haven’t been served any food yet, I’m surprised so many people are already dancing. According to Charlotte and Amelia, the charity auction takes place after dinner.

Aston places his hands on my hips as I wrap mine around his neck. We dance to the band playing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” The singer has a soft, velvety tone, with his spin on the song giving it a slower vibe than how it’s usually performed.

“I really like Amelia,” I tell him.

He chuckles softly. “If I tell her that, she’ll want to double-date every time she’s in the city.”

Unsure what to say, I continue with the same topic but avoid the whole double-date thing. “And Charlotte and Lex. They seem really chill.”

“Charlotte, yes,” he agrees with a twinkle in his eye. “But Lex, he’s a shark in the boardroom. My father loathes him.”

I try not to roll my eyes. “Your father loathes everyone.”

“That is true. Lex has taught me a lot. If I ever need anything, he’s always been there for me. If only my father could take a page out of his book.”

“I’ve only spoken to him for a few minutes, but I can see that.”

“It’s hard to trust people in our industry…” He trails off, then sighs. “Not everyone plays fair.”

“Well, as long as you do. You can’t control everyone, Aston. Just your own actions,” I remind him softly.

“You make it sound so easy.”

I still my movements, raising my eyes to meet his. “Being a good person is easy.”

Seconds pass as I wait for him to continue dancing. With hishands still around my waist and our bodies almost touching, his gaze pierces into me while I try to read him.

“My life isn’t easy,” he says with reluctance. “There’s a lot of responsibility and pressure on me to perform a certain way. Everything is calculated, nothing is done because it is my choice.”