I can't Love You In The Dark

SIENNA'S POV

The club's bass thumped trough me, vibrating my bones as I gripped my vodka soda at the bar. Neon lights flashed over twisting bodies, the air thick with sweat and perfume. My black dress hugged my curves, a reckless choice for a 42-year-old still stinging from Evan's divorce. He'd dumped me for a 30-year-old with fake tits, his betrayal a raw ache that made me feel old, worthless.

My new Miami condo, boxes still unpacked, haunted me-a fresh start I wasn't sure I deserved. With my kids both in college, I was alone, untethered, and Lila had dragged me here, swearing I needed to fuck someone and forget the pain. I wasn't convinced, my heart heavy with hurt.

"Stop looking liked your dog died," Lila commanded, leaning close, her blonde curls bouncing, her perfume cutting through the haze. "You're hot, you're single, and you're gonna bang someone tonight."

I choked on my drink, my cheeks burning. "God, Lila, chill." The idea of a stranger's hands on me made my chest tighten, Evan's rejection still screaming I wasn't enough.

"What? Evan's screwing his mid-life crisis, so why not you?" Her grin was wicked, her eyes scanning the crowd like a predator.

I twisted my straw, ice clinking, wanting to feel alive but scared to let go. "I'm not you. I don't just...hook up." My voice carried years of being the good wife, the mom who put everyone first, now lost in the wreckage of my marriage.

Lila snorted, snatching a shot from a tray. "Bullshit, you're dying to let loose. That dress? It's begging for some dick to notice it."

"Jesus, you're crude," I muttered, but a smile slipped through. Lila had always been my wild side, dragging me into trouble in high school. I'd chosen stability, dreams buried under diapers and dinner parties, and now his betrayal left me questioning everything.

"Crude's my charm, babe." She downed the shot, slamming the glass down. "Pick a guy because you need to get laid, stat."

I scanned the crowd, my pulse quickening. Men in tight shirts, women in barely-there skirts, all moving like they owned the night. I felt out of place, my divorce a weight dragging me down, but my body hummed with a hunger I'd ignored too long.

"I wouldn't know how to start," I admitted, my voice small, the hurt seeping through.

"Him." Lila nodded at the dance floor, where a guy moved with easy swagger, dark hair catching the strobes. "Young, hot, and staring right at you."

I followed her gaze, and his eyes, sharp and blue, locked on mine, stealing my breath. "Fuck, he's gorgeous," she whispered, nudging me. "He wants to eat you alive."

My face heated, my heart pounding. "He's a kid, probably thinks I'm his mom." Evan's voice echoed in my head, telling me I was too old, too used up.

"Kid?" That's a man who'd fuck you senseless." She shoved my shoulder. "Go talk to him. Show him you've still got