Page 95 of How to Break My Heart 1

Bowing her head, she grabs her purse from the counter. “I’ll go deal with this.”

Maddy doesn’t say goodbye, only sulks while leaving the shop. I glance at Billie, tilting my head in confusion, then rush to follow Maddy until we’re outside on the sidewalk.

Thankfully, the weather is warming up and the sun is shining for once. My skin so desperately needs it after the long, cold winter we’ve had. The warm weather means more people are out strolling the streets, which is great for business.

“Hey, what’s gotten into you?” I question, stopping her at the front of the store. “I understand you’re stressed, but from day one, you said this would be easy. Why are you letting something as trivial as chicken get to you?”

“This is the biggest day of my life, and so many things are going wrong,” she complains, bringing her shaking hand to her forehead.

“That’s why I’m here,” I remind her, then smile softly. “You know… to take the stress off you.”

Maddy crosses her arms. “Yeah, well, you’ve been busy.”

My hands slip into the pockets of my jeans as I smile at the elderly lady walking past with her two toy poodles. Maddy’s tone comes across as cold and resentful, and I try to ignore the nagging feeling she suspects something has happened between Aston and me. She’s not one to keep a secret, so if she was onto something, I’m sure she’d tell me.

“I’m trying my best here, Maddy. Let me worry about all of this, okay? We have the bachelorette tomorrow night, then therehearsal on Saturday.” As she drops her gaze to the sidewalk, I place my hand on her shoulder. “By Sunday, you’ll be Mrs. Whitney. You need to relax and be in the moment.”

Maddy nods in silence. Then slowly says, “Okay, beef it is.”

She presses the button on the new silver BMW Myles’s parents bought her as a wedding gift. Maddy has never cared for cars and was happy to drive her red Jeep around town. With a noticeable weight still resting on her shoulders, she gets into her car and shuts the door.

I wait for her to open her passenger window to say something, but she drives down the street instead, leaving me standing alone.

My shoulders curl, prompting me to take a deep breath and pull my phone out of my back pocket to text Aston. For the past week, Aston’s father insisted he attend meetings. Why they were so important before the wedding is beyond me. It’s easy to see Harvey Beaumont barely lifts a finger, instructing all his workers to do his work, including Aston.

Aston is the CEO, though he never gave a straight answer when I asked what it entails. He has a lot of power, that much I know, but ultimately, his father owns the company, and Aston’s shares are no match.

In the space of five days, Aston’s driven back to the city twice and flown to Boston for the day, so I didn’t get to see him at all. We texted with our usual flirtatious banter, but not once did I want to admit I missed him. He mentioned last night he would be driving back to Cinnamon Springs after dinner with some clients from Manhattan. So, I assume he is here.

I type quickly, hoping he’ll respond.

Me

Is it just me, or has Maddy turned into bridezilla this week?

The three dots appear, and then his text flashes on my screen.

Aston

It’s not just you. This morning, we got into a fight about cereal.

Me

Okay, now I don’t feel as bad. What are you doing today? Are you getting ready for the strippers tomorrow night?

Aston

What answer will make you so jealous that you’ll want me to come over and fuck your pretty little brains out?

Me

Nice try, buddy.

Aston

I’m with Roland at the country club in Cherry Tree Creek. He’s just introduced me to his friend’s daughter, who has joined us. Have I told you I despise golf?

Me