Page 64 of How to Break My Heart 1
Eva
Rain is pouring outside on this cold winter morning, forcing patrons to stay inside the café longer than usual.
I’m so ready for spring.
The dark clouds and sound of raindrops tapping against the glass windows do nothing to improve my already somber mood. It feels like this season has dragged on longer than usual, and I ache for the days when the sun kisses my pale skin.
Billie is busy waiting tables as I work the espresso machine behind the counter. We often swap, depending on how busy we are. Billie has the patience for customers, and I have the patience for what can often be a temperamental machine.
Our regulars sit at their usual tables, savoring their morning coffee and donuts. Then, there are the remote workers—laptops open, brows furrowed in concentration as they stretch a single coffee over three hours, monopolizing a full table. I can’t stand them.
Some are college students. They spend more on treats than the remote workers, even though most are cash poor. We often catch them taking pictures of their food and posting them to their socials while busying themselves on their phones over what I assume is meant to be a study period.
“That guy over there didn’t even want coffee,” Billie huffs,placing the tablet down on the counter beside me. “He wants fricking tap water.”
I shake my head, lips pressed together. “How do we bring in customers who actually want to eat? Maybe Maddy is right. I should look into hiring a marketing team or something.” I know signs about table occupancy are necessary, but the last thing I want is to drive people away. It feels like a no-win situation.
It’s not like the café isn’t doing well—we’re in the black. But we need something to boost profits. The locals love us, sure, but that only goes so far when the tourist season slows down. If I did want to open another café one day, we would need to bring in more business, not to mention more staff.
Billie shrugs. “Maybe some marketing might work… it’s just the winter lull. When spring is here, people start traveling through town again.”
My shoulders slump as I clean out the filter in the machine. Billie is an optimist, the exact opposite of me. I’m not sure when I became so cynical, or perhaps the appropriate word would bemoody.
“You have a point.” I slip my hand into my pocket, fingers brushing against Aston’s keys. I pull them out, and immediately, Billie’s eyes catch the emblem on the key.
He hasn’t picked them up, called, or texted to ask for them back. I considered reaching out, but after last night, I don’t know what to think.
Things took a turn.
I wasn’t expecting to be pulled into their family drama; not only that, I wasn’t expecting to see this other side of Aston. Something got into him, and it wasn’t pleasant. He was angry and hurting over what can only be described as an argument with his father. I wish he would have opened up to me, maybe he would have calmed down. But the moment I offered to stay with him, he shut me out and that was that.
“Whoa, you have some explaining to do.” Billie’s eyes widen.“Did the hot older brother stay over? It’s his keys, right? Wait, what about the doctor? Are you playing the field?”
I try to hush her, since her voice travels and all the questions give me a headache. So does the lack of sex. “No. Nothing of the sort. It was a long night, and something happened, but it’s not what you think.”
“Okay, sure. So, I should ignore what I think?”
“Yes! We didnothave sex.”
“With who, though?”
“With Aston!” I yell out unexpectedly.
A few people turn, forcing me to smile and pretend I didn’t yell out my best friend’s older brother’s name. “Look, there’s a lot at stake. So it wouldn’t be a good idea even if I wanted to, which I don’t. You don’t mix best friends and their older brothers with pleasure.”
Billie removes a plate from the stack of clean ones to serve three jelly-filled sugarcoated donuts to table five. “He certainly seems to rile a reaction from you.”
“He does,” I admit, remembering our encounter in the bathroom. “But, we’re all adults. Once this wedding ends, he’ll be long gone back to the city, and I’ll be here.”
“With the hot doctor…” Billie trails off with a knowing grin.
Right on cue, Maddy walks in, looking a bit frazzled. “Aston sent me to pick up his keys for him,” she says, barely meeting my gaze.
I hand her the keys, noticing her tension. “You all right?”
She lets out a sigh, fiddling with the key ring. “I’m fine. Just… meeting Georgina for tea.Again.”
I raise an eyebrow, unable to hide a smirk. “A tea party? Who are you, Alice in Wonderland?Isn’t that her second one this week?”
