NOTHING BREAKS LIKE A HEART

IVY'S POV

I was officially the happiest woman alive.

Not even my long twelve-hour shift or the endless complaints and orders from difficult customers could ruin my mood today.

I was floating on cloud nine and I hadn’t come down since last week. Which was when my first love, Ethan Carter, got down on one knee on the floor of his small apartment and asked me to marry him.

The proposal wasn't anything like the P*******t-perfect, fancy ones I used to tell my mom I wanted back when I was a teenager. That was before she and my dad died in a horrific car crash five years ago. But Ethan’s proposal was still more than enough because we were totally in love.

I can still remember the day we met last summer. I was waitressing at a high-end wedding anniversary party, weaving through a crowd of wealthy guests while balancing a ridiculously heavy tray of champagne flutes. Ethan had spun around abruptly and his shoulder slammed into mine. A glass then fell to the floor and wine spilled from it right over his dress shoes.

Instead of yelling at me or causing a scene, he just checked to make sure I wasn’t hurt and kept on apologizing until I begged him to stop. When he noticed the wet stain spreading across my own white uniform shirt, he insisted on paying for my dry cleaning. I was so touched by how sweet he was that I didn't even hesitate when he asked for my number.

To make things even better, Ethan got a massive promotion two weeks ago. He was now the manager of his department, which was the exact position he had been working very hard for ever since I got to know him.

This promotion was going to change everything for us. No more cheap dates on his couch as we would finally be able go to nice restaurants. He could now also buy me the dresses I had saved in my online shopping cart. And most importantly, our dream honeymoon to Italy actually felt within reach.

The timing of everything was perfect and I knew it was proof that we were really meant to be.

"I’m about to go see my man!" I winked at my co-worker, Elena, as I grabbed my purse. We were finally done for the day.

She rolled her eyes, not looking up from counting the cash in the register. She was tired of the hopeless romantic I’d morphed into since the ring landed on my finger. Last week, when a customer tried to hand me a five-dollar tip, I literally beamed at him and told him to just save it for my wedding gift instead. Elena had looked at me like I’d completely lost my mind.

"I swear, I need to find myself an Ethan so I can be this happy," she sighed, snapping a rubber band around a stack of twenties.

"You say that and then reject every single guy who looks in your direction," I teased, pushing open the swinging door to the breakroom. Elena let out a scoff, unable to argue because she knew it was the gospel truth. A perfect example was Michael, our line cook, who had been begging her for a date for months, only to get hit with a resounding “no” every single time.

I quickly took off my stained apron and changed into a comfortable tank top and a pair of faded skinny jeans. When I walked back out, Elena’s eyes fell on the expensive bottle of wine cradled in my arms and her expression softened. I used the last bit of my savings to buy it today so I could surprise Ethan. It was his favorite brand.

"The way you support Ethan is amazing, Ivy. He’s incredibly lucky to have you."

"What do you mean? I don’t even do much," I replied, adjusting my purse strap on my shoulder.

"Come on," She leaned against the counter. "You barely make above minimum wage here but you spend basically every extra dime you have buying him gifts and trying to keep him afloat even now that he’s no longer struggling. If you had saved all that cash, I’m sure you could’ve gone back to school and gotten that college degree you’re always talking about."

A faint ache tightened in my throat but I forced it down and plastered a bright smile on my face. After my parents died, my extended family made it painfully clear that an orphaned teenager was a financial burden they had zero interest in carrying. I was cut loose and forced to drop out of college to find a job just to keep a roof over my head. That was how I ended up at the diner.

But when I fell for Ethan, I didn’t mind putting my own goals on pause because I wanted to help him build his career first.

"Well, now that Ethan’s promoted, it’s my turn," I announced while lifting the wine bottle like a trophy. "My guy already promised me that he’s going to put me through school now. We’re going to be a total power couple once I graduate."

"I’m really glad to hear that, Ivy. Now get out of here. See you tomorrow." She waved me off and I waved back before heading out to board a cab to Ethan’s place.

My heart fluttered with pure excitement as I sat in the backseat of the taxi, running my fingers over the smooth glass of the wine bottle resting on my lap. I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw it.

God, I missed him.

I hadn't seen him since he got the promotion and he had not been responding to my texts either. When I managed to catch him on the phone three days ago, he sounded very stressed and told me he was drowning in transition paperwork but he promised to come over the second he had the chance.

But tonight, I just couldn't wait any longer. I wanted to surprise him. We were going to drink this wine, celebrate his promotion in person and make love until the sun came up.

My excitement hit a fever pitch as the taxi pulled up to his slightly weathered apartment building at the end of the street. It was a modest, run-down place with peeling gray paint and a creaky front porch.

The porch light was on, casting a warm glow over the welcome mat. It was a sign that he was home.

I took a deep breath to settle the butterflies in my stomach, gripping the wine bottle tight as I ran up the steps.

"Babe, I’m here!" I announced loudly the moment I pushed the front door open. I didn't bother knocking as we’d agreed to throw out that formality after we got engaged. "And I brought a surprise!" I added.

Ethan was standing right in the middle of the living room when I stepped in. He was still dressed in his favorite blue button-down shirt, the sleeves fastened tightly at his wrists making it obvious that it hadn’t been long since he left his office.

A grin broke across my face at the sight of him. I dropped my purse and the wine on the coffee table and rushed forward to throw my arms around his neck. I expected him to catch me, lift my feet right off the floor, and laugh against my neck the way he always did when we hadn’t seen each other for days.

Instead, Ethan’s arms remained glued to his sides and he didn’t respond to my touch.

My excitement vanished and I stepped back with furrowed brows to search his face.

"Ethan?" I asked, a tremor of anxiety bleeding into my voice. "What's wrong?"

He looked like a total stranger as he stared blankly at me with his jaw clenched tight enough to make the skin around it white. His eyes were cold and completely empty of the warmth I usually saw in them.

Panic flared in my chest and I reached up to cup his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. "Hey, what happened? Talk to me. Did something go wrong at the firm? Did they take back the promotion?"

Before Ethan could even open his mouth, a familiar voice drifted over from the dining area.

"Is that what you want to happen to my son? God forbid!"