Page 28 of How to Break My Heart 1
“You’re my doctor,” I state, looking him directly in the eye.
He leans in and whispers, the scent of his cologne lingering. I have no idea what scent he wears but it smells delicious. “I have a lot of doctor friends in case you need a referral.”
As he slowly pulls away, I bow my head, trying to hide my grin this time. Slowly, I lift my eyes to meet his, admiring his handsome face.
“I did find your consult rather mediocre,” I tease, just as the bartender diverts his attention to me. “Vodka with a twist, please.”
Marco rubs his chin, making him all the more irresistible, but then a man calls his name. We both glance over to a group of men waiting for him.
“Listen, I have to go, but expect those referrals soon. I wouldn’t want your medical treatment to be compromised,” he says with a slight chuckle. “Can I call you?”
“I’d very much like that.”
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 7
Aston
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.
