The ceiling of my childhood bedroom still has the glow-in-the-dark constellations I stuck on it when I was a teenager. I used to practice spins in the middle of the night, their glow a blur with each movement as I pretended to dance across the stages of packed theaters. The moon became my spotlight, shining through my window, casting a silver sheen across my limbs. Sometimes, I'd even dance naked to feel free.

I was so innocent back then.

Now, however, I'm tainted by the cruel realities of life. It's been four weeks since Josh shattered my heart, and I moved into my parents' house and back to my old bedroom. An entire month since life decided I didn't deserve my dream job or dream boyfriend.

What's even crueler is how I'm still unemployed, but I'm also too depressed to care.

It's Saturday night, and I'm lounging in the same sweats and T-shirt I've worn for the last three days. I shove another cookie into my mouth, and crumbs fall onto my chest, where a graveyard of other crumbs rests. My hair is in a knotted bun that I haven't washed all week, and when I raise my arms to pull out the hair tie, I can smell my B.O.

"Hah!" I laugh.

Josh said I'm seductive. Well, if he could see me now...

I've never been sexier.

In fact, I stopped shaving my legs. Waxing? Forget about it! My bikini area is a hot mess, but who cares? No one will see what's going on down there anyway. Groaning, I curl into a fetal position on my bed. I miss making love to Josh, and I wish he were here to hug me.

"Knock, knock."

My bedroom door swings open and in walks Anika, but I wasn't expecting her, and her smile fades upon seeing me. She sniffs the air.

"OMG. Mara, what is that smell?"

"I don't know."

"When was the last time you showered?" She walks over to my dresser and lights a candle on top.

"I don't know... Wednesday?"

"Wednesday? Mara!"

"What? I'm in mourning."

"Oh, honey. No." She eases onto the edge of the bed. "You're a science project."

"Well, not everyone has someone to look beautiful for, like you." I sit up. "Wait. Why are you dressed all cute?"

"Because we're going out."

"Out? No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Mara..." Anika cocks her brow and places her hands on her hips. "Lydia called me, and when your sister reaches out, I know it's gotta be serious, and she was right. Look at you."

"I think I look great." I shrug.

Anika narrows her eyes. "No. I miss my best friend. You've locked yourself in this room and have forgotten what a queen you are. So I'm here to haul your bubble butt out of bed, get you showered, perfumed, and into a sexy outfit because we are meeting the girls at Penthouse to dance the night away."

"Penthouse?" I groan. "But Lucas is there tonight."

"Yeah, which means your brother can get us free drinks." She grins, spreading her red-stained lips.

"Listen, I appreciate you stopping by, but I don't—"

"Mara!" Lydia barges into the room. Was she seriously listening in on our conversation? "Get your ass out of bed, and go out with your friends. Josh is an asshole, and you shouldn't waste another second being depressed over a guy who disvalued your time. You are young and beautiful and should be enjoying these precious years. Trust me, your twenties go by in a flash. Do you really want to spend it crying over some loser who couldn't see the gem right in front of him?"

Anika folds her arms with a nod. "Preach, girl."

These are two of the greatest women in my life, aside from my mom, and this is evidently an intervention. So, it must mean I am truly a wreck. With a huff, I climb off the bed and straighten my slouched posture, the cookie crumbs falling to the carpet.

"Fine. I'll go."

∆∆∆

The dancefloor beneath my feet is a discovery of heaven, and I'm an ethereal being floating across a rainbow of musical notes pumping into the ether while laser lights flicker to the beat.

I'm also drunk.

And sweaty.

But the guy I'm dancing with is sexy and has a nice smile. He even tasted good when we kissed for two seconds.

Anika taps my shoulder. "Kiera and Del want another round."

I shake my head. "You can't keep paying for us."

"Relax. Damon gave me his card for tonight."

"He what?" Abandoning the guy, I grab her shoulders and scream in excitement. "That's huge! I think he's in love with you."

Anika rolls her eyes, grinning. "We've only been dating for two months. It's too new."

"Yeah, and he trusts you with his credit card. A guy wouldn't do that if he only liked you."

"Whatever. I don't want to talk about it," she laughs. "Now, let's get a drink."

"Give me a second." I turn to Mr. Sexy and blush. "It was nice dancing with you."

"With you, too." He bows his head. "By the way, I'm Kyle Cameron."

"Mara Santiago."

"Save me another dance?"

"Sure." I kiss his cheek and hurry after Anika.

When we reach the bar, Kiera and Delilah are wedged in an open spot, flirting with my brother as he slings drinks for other guests. He's such a ham with his big, stupid smile, laughing at their banter.

"Mara, I would give anything for one night with your brother," Kiera groans. "He is so hot. Just look at him."

"I am looking at him, and he looks like a booger."

"A sexy booger," Delilah snorts. "I hear he's great in bed."

"Ew, Del! I don't want to know that."

"What? That's what Shelly said." Delilah points at the woman behind the bar with Lucas, who happens to be her bestie of the week.

"You're obsessed with blondes," Kiera laughs.

"Perhaps I have a tiny girl crush on her." She pinches her fingers together.

"Speaking of blondes..." Anika gazes at the VIP balconies overlooking the dance floor. "Is that Jocelyn Abramovitz?"

"It is!" Kiera smacks her arm. "She is gorgeous."

"And glamorous," Delilah sighs. "Mob life looks so regal from way over here. How expensive is that fur coat?"

My brother approaches and follows our line of sight, then raps his knuckles on the bar top. "You don't want to go up there. Nothing but trouble."

"Uh, yes, we do," Anika laughs. "That's where all the celebrities hang out."

"And some nefarious ones. Now, what can I get for you?"

Anika slides Lucas her card. "Whatever they want, it's on me again."

"Nah." He pushes it back to her. "This round is on me. You got Mara out of the house, and I want to thank you. Now, what'll it be ladies?"

An hour later, I'm officially drunk and doubled over the bathroom sink hysterically laughing because Anika exited the stall with her dress half tucked into her thong. Kiera plucks it out and nearly collapses to the floor in a fit of giggles.

"Nice buns," Delilah laughs, but then a gasp catches in her throat like she swallowed a frog, and she's gazing wide-eyed at her phone with a hand to her chest.

"What's wrong?" I ask her reflection in the mirror.

"Nothing..." She shoves the cell back into her clutch purse.

"Del." Anika narrows her eyes, but Kiera also gasps at whatever is on her phone. So Anika snatches it and looks at the screen.

Her jaw drops.

"What? What is it?" I go to her.

"He's an asshole. I'm so sorry."

She turns the phone to me, and there's an Instagram post from Josh. He's at a bar, grinning with his arm around a fake blonde, and she's proudly burrowed into his side, kissing his cheek. The hashtag says #hardlaunch lol.

"Fuck him!" Kiera says. "She's got nothing on you, Mara."

Anika wipes the tears rolling down my cheeks. "Forget him. He never deserved you."

"How did he move on so fast?" I whisper.

"He's at the Casanova Lounge," Delilah says. "We should go there and ruin his good time."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Anika shakes her head.

"No, I want to confront him." I wipe my eyes. "He said there wasn't anyone else, but he obviously lied."

"Hell, yes!" Kiera's eyes brighten.

It's a short Uber ride to the bar, but once we get inside, searching for Josh becomes an impossible mission. The place is packed with a live band, and I keep catching elbows while weaving through the crowd.

This is pointless.

"There." Anika points to a table in the corner.

It's surrounded by Josh's friends, and he's sitting at the booth making out with his fake blonde. My lungs deflate, but I don't just feel betrayed by him. It's all of them. How can his friends watch him cozy up with someone new when weeks ago, they told Josh how lucky he was to be with me? I remember gazing at him, completely enamored, and thinking I was the lucky one.

But I was a fool.

Ire boils in my veins, so I march over, grab a glass of water from the table, and dowse Josh and his date with it. They tear away from each other, mortified, wiping the water off their faces, and people stare like I'm walnuts, but when Josh's eyes land on me, the color drains from his face.

"You're a damn liar!" I shout.

"Mara, I can explain..." He slides out of the booth.

"You said there was no one else!"

"This is your ex?" the fake blonde dabs herself with a napkin. "No wonder you dumped her."

"Excuse me?"

"He doesn't want to be with you anymore. Get over it."

"Hannah!" Josh warns.

Livid, I grab the pitcher of beer on the table, but Josh intercepts before I can drench her. It spills onto the floor, the glass shattering as he wraps his arms around me and drags me away. However, I don't go easily. No, I put up a good fight with kicks and screams that draw attention from everyone we pass. In the morning, I'll look back and be thoroughly embarrassed, but right now, I'm mad as hell.

We stumble from the entrance onto the sidewalk with my girls behind us, ready to pounce. I unravel myself from Josh's embrace and shove his chest.

"You lied to me!"

"Damn it, Mara. Will you calm down?" he massages his brow.

"You lied."

"I didn't lie."

"Who is she? When did you meet?

"We met at work."

"How? You work remotely."

"We met when I had to go to Houston for that roadshow."

The timeline doesn't make sense. I furrow my brows. "But that was six months ago."

"We became friends." He shrugs.

"And fell in love?"

Josh drops his gaze to the ground. "I didn't mean for it to happen."

"So you were cheating on me for six months and lied about it. She's the real reason you ended things."

"We've grown apart, Mar. You've been so wrapped up in your dad's dementia..."

"Are you seriously holding my father's illness against me? You know how hard it's been since his diagnosis."

He sighs and takes my hand. "Look, I didn't go out of my way to hurt you. Hannah just gets me in ways you can't. We connect. On a deeper level."

I jerk away. "Yeah, well, it's difficult to connect with your boyfriend when he's busy investing in someone else."

"I fell in love, Mar. I'm sorry." He shrugs again as if I'm the one being unreasonable.

"Love? Sounds more like limerence."

"Lim-what?"

"Google it! While you're at it, Google how to be a better person, you selfish asshole."

Anika takes my elbow. "Come on, Mar. He isn't worth any more of your time or tears."

"You're a dick!" Kiera says to Josh.

And Delilah huffs, "I hope it shrivels up and falls off."

We hail another Uber, but I don't want to go home and be depressed. A broken heart beats with all its pieces. And it still wants the same person. So, I will return to Penthouse, find that cute guy, Kyle Cameron, and give him the dance I promised.

I want to forget about Josh.

I need to wipe him from my heart.