"Six months," I say, gesturing with my taco sending pieces flying through the air. Bits of lettuce and meat cascade across the countertop, landing in a sad little pattern, like confetti at a party where nobody showed up. "We broke upsix months ago because he 'wasn't ready for marriage yet.' He said he 'needed to focus on his career' and 'wasn't in the right headspace for commitment.'"
Emily's jaw sets in that way it does when she's furious. "What a load of bullshit."
The full weight of it hits me all at once. My eyes fill with tears as I set down my dinner. What hurts most is that Ethan, Emily and I grew up together since we were in diapers. Spent every Christmas holiday together and we started officially dating four years ago after we both graduated from our respective colleges. "Four years we were together, and he..."
My voice breaks and the tears spill over. Emily immediately pulls me into a hug, her arms wrapping tightly around me.
"Don't you dare," she says fiercely. "Don’t you dare waste one more second crying over that off-brand Ken doll who was CLEARLY assembled during a power outage.”
"But—"
"No." She pulls back, holding me by the shoulders and looking directly into my eyes. "He's not worth your tears. He never was."
"Emily's right," Lily joins in, her voice gentler but no less determined. "He's shown his true colors, love. And they're the colors of a man who cheated on you—yes, I'm saying it—and couldn't even give you the courtesy of a solid break before parading his new relationship."
I wipe my eyes with the back of my hand. "I look like such an idiot."
"No," Emily shakes her head. "He’s the one that looks like an idiot. A transparent, classless idiot who just announced to the world that he's a cheating scumbag."
I hiccup a laugh through my tears. "When you put it that way..."
"I have an idea," Lily says suddenly, her eyes lighting up. "We're going out tomorrow night."
Em catches on immediately. "Oh my god, yes! You need to get out of your head and into a killer outfit."
"I don't know," I hesitate. "I'm not really in the mood for—"
"Charlie," Lily cuts me off. "When was the last time you went out? I mean properly out, dancing and drinking and the whole bit?"
I open my mouth, then close it again. "Um..."
"Exactly," Emily says triumphantly. "Ethan hated clubs. He hated dancing. He hated anywhere that wasn't a craft brewery with pretentious beers named ‘Whispering Oak Ale’ or ‘Lanternlight Lager.’"
She's not wrong. Ethan preferred quiet nights in, or carefully curated outings to places where he could show off his knowledge of... well, anything. Our social life had gradually shrunk to match his preferences.
"You've spent the last four years living only half a life," Lily goes on. "It's about time you remember what you've been missing."
The determined glint in both their eyes tells me I'm not winning this argument. And maybe I don't want to. Maybe they're right.
"Fine," I concede. "But I'm not wearing anything uncomfortable."
Emily claps her hands together. "That green dress."
I blink at her. "What green dress?"
"The emerald one with the low back that you bought forever ago. The one that's been hanging in the back of your closet with the tags still on."
I vaguely remember the dress. I'd fallen in love with it in the store. The color reminded me of the way the trees look after a good rainstorm, deep and vibrant. But Ethan had wrinkled his nose when I showed it to him, suggesting something more "understated" instead.
"I don't even know if it still fits," I protest.
"It'll fit," Lily says with certainty. "And you'll look bloody gorgeous in it."
"Operation Revenge Glow-Up starts now," Emily declares, grabbing her phone. "I'm texting my friend. We're getting a table at The Velvet Room."
My eyes widen. "The Velvet Room? Doesn’t that place have a waiting list a mile long?"
Em winks at me. "My friend knows the owner. Leave it to me."
