Page 28 of How to Break My Heart

He throws some bills on the counter, then winks.

After Marco leaves, I quickly drink the vodka, my insides vibrating from excitement. It disappears the moment I stupidly open my email. The florist has emailed regarding a meeting about the flower arrangements. She’s out of town for the next week, so the meeting has been postponed, which may risk being able to get the right flowers in on time. Given it’s winter, there’s limited choice, and when I saw the wordartificialget thrown around, I nearly died for Maddy. She despises artificial flowers.

From there, I begin to spiral, especially when I notice an email from the violinist Maddy desperately wanted. It turns out he and his partner will be away in Italy on the day of the wedding.

Just fucking great.

I release a long sigh, forcing myself to walk back to the main room while trying to come up with an alternative plan. Considering Maddy was banking only on this duo, returning to the drawing board will mean I have to deal with auditions for a new violinist who can play a Beyoncé song for Maddy to walk down the aisle to.

How hard can it be?

I walk into the room, eyes glued to my screen, only to be stopped by an unexpected grip on my arms. The jolt startles me, leaving me breathless and painfully aware of the man holding me. My mind races, stirring up memories I’ve buried deep—a powerful gaze, and a shadow of the past.

His intensity is suffocating, pulling me back to a version of myself I’ve outgrown.

Suddenly, I’m sixteen again and facing the boy who broke my heart. The boy who kissed me first then pulled away like I wasnothing.

No matter how much time has passed, how many boys or men have broken my heart since then, the first one will always sting the most.

And now—he’s standing right in front of me.

CHAPTER 7Aston

As soon as I step inside the room again, Madelina corners me.

“I think it’s going well, right?” she asks, nervously glancing around.

A server is a few feet away. I motion for him to come over, and when he does, I take the champagne again and down the glass. It’s my only option, since I was a pussy and walked out of the bar instead of ordering a whiskey.

“Sure.”

“Okay, what’s wrong?” Madelina questions with impatience. “What did Dad say?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“But you look annoyed,” she carries on, fidgeting with her hair, which annoys me.

“Well, dear sister, this isn’t exactly my idea of fun. I have work to do.”

Madelina shifts her attention to Myles’s mother, who is calling her over. “Look, I have to deal with Georgina, and that’s a whole other level of stress. In case I haven’t told you, thank you for being here. Oh, and stop being a sourpuss. Looks like you need to get laid. Ramona is your best bet.”

She’s quick to abandon me, which causes me even more irritation.

My phone begins to buzz inside my pocket. As I walk through the double glass doors to go answer it, Everleigh is walking toward me, eyes focused on her phone, oblivious to our imminent collision.

Quickly, I reach out, grabbing both her arms to stop us from crashing into one another. She jolts at my touch, eyes wide with fear until her gaze meets mine.

“Fu… I mean, you scared me,” she heaves, placing her hand on her chest. “It’s nice to see you again, Aston.”

She’s avoided me all afternoon, and if memory prevails, our past has something to do with it. Women are the worst grudge-holders.

“It’s been a while,” I state simply, holding her gaze.

My stare appears to bother her, as she’s quick to pretend to look over my shoulder. The sadistic side of me finds this entertaining. A beautiful woman who once kissed me and almost allowed me to take her virginity can’t stand to be in the same space as me.

Cocking my head to the side, I question, “When was the last time we saw each other?”

She scratches the back of her neck, then folds her arms across her chest. “I’m sure you remember. No need for a trip down memory lane,” she states matter-of-factly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have people to mingle with.”