Page 5 of When Forever Falls Apart

I bring the screen closer to me. Fuck, okay, so one million views and over ten thousand comments. This is what I get for having asupposedlyhot brother who gets stalked on socials. By extension, I’ve gotten attention.

My lips quiver uncontrollably as I fight to hold back my tears. I’m simply the punchline in a cruel joke—the billionaire’s daughter who betrayed the perfect man—and now the whole world has weighed in on my actions.

Either I take my life back into my own hands or I let them win.

It’s time to set the record straight.

And the only way to do that is to go back to where it all began…

Cinnamon Springs.

CHAPTER 2Elliot

“What do you and your girlfriend do for fun in this small town?”

A courteous smile spreads across my face as the three girls stand at the opposite side of the counter, waiting in anticipation for me to respond.

Such a rookie move.

If I’m not mistaken, I’d peg them for grad students. Earlier, I heard them whispering and trying to figure out if I’m single. They gushed over my baby blue eyes—their words, not mine—and wondered what it would be like to run their hands through my ash-blond curls.

They’d been sitting inside the café at the table by the window for a solid hour, the remains of two salted caramel donuts and half-empty iced matcha lattes scattered between them.

The classic preempting of a girlfriend is an old trick. I could teach these girls a thing or two, but can I even be bothered? Yeah, it was all fun and games when I came back to Cinnamon Springs to help my sister. A new place—but not so new, since I spent a solid chunk of my adolescence here.

A clean slate and no past to run into. It seemed like the perfect idea. I could clear my head, get some clarity, and decide what the future holds.

God, who am I kidding?Cinnamon Springs is not Paris. The girls here are just that—girls.At least, the ones hovering in the store and flirting with me act like girls. I left my job as a head chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant for a small-town café—Donuts Ever After. All because my little sister needed help.

And when it comes to my sister, she knows just how to persuade me, pulling out all the pity cards and leaving me not much choice but to help her out.

My money is on grad students, probably visiting from NYU or Columbia. It’s not like I wouldn’t hook up with a college girl—I’m only twenty-nine—but my taste has evolved since I left the frat house seven years ago.

“Well, ladies, ‘fun’ is up for interpretation,” I tease, just to get a reaction.

The girl with the long black hair leans forward with a naughty grin. “I wish there were more guys like you at NYU.”

Bingo.

I sweep my hair away from my eyes, then politely add, “Excuse me, ladies. I must attend to another customer.”

Thankfully, table six called for my attention, providing the perfect opportunity to extricate myself from the current conversation. Mrs. Russo is a regular customer, dining at the café three times a week for her usual English breakfast tea and mango cream donut.

“Sweetheart, I see you’re busy, but before I leave, I’ve been meaning to discuss something with you,” Mrs. Russo mentions with a brief smile. “It’s about my Ruthie.”

“Is she the Pomeranian you occasionally bring in?” I ask cordially.

“Oh, no, dear… she’s my daughter.”

I purse my lips together, blindsided by another potential setup. This isn’t the first time this has happened at work, and it sure as hell won’t be the last. It’s almost like all the mothersin this town have nothing better to do than set up their single daughters.

“I see…”

“Now, I know a handsome man like yourself has a lot of women to choose from. Lord knows, my Giuseppe did, too. If his mother had her way, he would have married Maria Romano because she was from a wealthier family!”

I nod, unsure what to say or do. Leaving the NYU girls now seems like a big mistake.

“But my Ruthie. She’s a good girl.” Mrs. Russo leans in, forcing me to do the same. “She’s untouched. Saving herself for her husband.”