Page 97 of How to Break My Heart

The cocktails keep coming, and by my fourth one, I start to loosen up and have more fun. The togas eventually come off, much to my surprise since I wasn’t expecting to see so muchmanhood. At least they are wearing thongs, but the teeny piece of gold fabric isn’t enough to hide everything. One guy’s balls accidentally slip out, but I think he’s more embarrassed than we are.

Ramona is a loose cannon, rubbing her body up against one of the strippers, who keeps eyeing me. It wouldn’t surprise me if she goes home with him at this stage, if that’s even legal. I have no idea what the stripper code of conduct is these days.

We play games, dance to music, and laugh so hard I nearly pee my pants.

Maddy is blind drunk, slurring her words and talking crap about the wedding. As soon as I hear her mention how she wasn’t sure about walking down the aisle, I know she’ll pass out soon.

Thankfully, Myles’s cousins don’t hear, as they are too busy trying to flirt with the servers, who seem to have let loose, too.

Maddy is the type of drunk to get sad and cry about first-world problems. I’m the exact opposite. I want to party harder and dance my life away like I’m eighteen without a care in the world.

“I think I should get some water into you soon,” I tell her, observing her glazed eyes. “You look ready to crash.”

“You ever loved someone so much you can’t think about anything else? And it hurts so much when you’re not with them?” Maddy’s questions come out as a giant slur.

“Maddy, you’re just drunk. I’m sure that’s how you feel about Myles.”

She points her finger into my chest, pushing a little too hard and hurting me. “But what if I don’t?”

“Well, you’re lying because why would you agree to marry someone you’re not in love with?”

She bursts out laughing. “You’re right!”

“See, everything is going to be okay.”

“But what about you?”

I raise my brow. “What about me?”

Maddy motions for me to come closer, then giggles in my ear. “I gave the stripper your number. He thought you were hot.”

“Why would you do that?” I raise my voice, only for two girls across from us to look over. “I’m not interested in dating someone. I already—” I cut myself off, almost carelessly mentioning Aston.

“Relax, why not have a little fun? You sure need to. It’s not like anything is happening with the doctor or anyone else. You wouldn’t lie to me, now would you?”

I shake my head without even thinking.

Maddy hiccups this time, her face looks pale. She reaches for another drink, quick to distract herself.

“Speaking of dating,” Hailey, Myles’s other cousin, pipes up. “What is the story with your brother, Maddy?”

My body stiffens at the change of topic, but I quickly add, “We tried to set him up with Ramona, but apparently, he’s seeing someone.”

The moment it leaves my mouth, I hide my satisfaction. There’s no chance in hell any of these girls will touch what’s mine.

Did I just saywhat’s mine?

“I tried stalking him on Instagram. Turns out he doesn’t haveone.” Hailey pouts. “Everyone has Instagram. He’s probably sneaking around with someone he wants no one else to know about.”

For some odd reason, it never occurred to me to stalk Aston online. Talk about a red flag on my end. How could I have been so distracted with everything going on to not cyberstalk the man I’ve slept with?

“My brother refuses”—another one of Maddy’s loud, obnoxious hiccups breaks her train of thought, but she continues, slurring—“to go online. He likes things to remain private. I don’t even know who he is supposedly dating, but whoever it is, he’s not breathing a word. God, she could be my sister-in-law.”

I clear my throat. “I highly doubt he will get married. That’s not his style.”

“How do you know?” Maddy accuses, her brows furrowing. “What if he meets the one woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life, huh? He’s not a robot, Eva. Just because you hate him doesn’t mean other women do.”

“I never said he was a robot. Plus I don’t hate him.” I drag the words out and then take a drink to ease the tension building inside me. “Aston doesn’t strike me as someone who wants tosettle down. That’s all.”