"Oh, Aria." Betty Reynolds sighed, her hands over her heart. "You look stunning. Absolutely perfect."

Aria twirled slowly on the platform, standing in front of three mirrors in the dressing room of a high-end gown shop in the heart of Beverly Hills. "Do you really like it?"

"Girl, 'like it' doesn't do this dress justice." Steele came up behind her and fluffed out the back her dress, letting the short train fan out perfectly around her.

Dark, emerald green with sparkling crystals sewn into the bodice, the long gown wrapped around her neck and completely covered the front of her torso, while leaving her entire back bare. It stopped right above her butt, and thanks to double-sided tape, there were no worries of it dipping lower.

"I mean, the color alone is perfect," Steele continued. "With your pale skin and blond hair, it's such an amazing contrast. My brain is already kicking into overdrive right now thinking about what I'm going to do for your makeup."

"Mom, this isn't too much? It's just a premiere..."

"Sweetheart, this is your first premiere for your first movie as the starring lead. There's no dress that could ever be too much for that, plus this dress is perfect red carpet material."

"Best Dressed List without a doubt," Steele agreed. "And think of Ben's face when he sees you. Ooh, talk about revenge!"

"Steele!" Aria admonished, even though her romance with Ben was certainly no secret with these two. "I do not want revenge on Ben. I'm over him."

"What's that have anything to do with it?" Steele teased. "I want all my exes to miss me every moment of every day for the rest of their miserable lives. Serves them right for losing the best they ever had."

"Jesus H. Christ. Aria, don't take advice from this woman." Her mother pointed at Steele and gave her an annoyed look.

Steele just stuck her tongue out at her. "Unless it's about makeup."

Aria laughed. "You two love each other. Stop pretending to fight."

"We're not fighting," Steele replied.

"We're not," Betty agreed. "Except about getting revenge on exes. If you've moved on, great. Don't pay him any mind on the red carpet."

"I might have to take a picture or two with him..." Knots formed in Aria's stomach as she thought about it. She hadn't seen Ben in several months, and she was dreading the moment. Her anger had barely dissipated, despite the fact that it felt like so long ago now.

The last two months had been a whirlwind of press and attention that, thanks to her mother, she'd been able to spin in a pretty positive direction. She'd taken what had happened to her and used it as a platform to speak about gender equality and women's rights.

When the media discovered Russell had been let off the hook with only a $2,500 fine from the state of California for ‘revenge porn,’ there had been an absolute uproar from women's organizations across the country. He'd been blacklisted from every studio in Hollywood and ended up moving to New York City where, last she'd heard, he was trying unsuccessfully to get a job directing an indie film.

The support for her had been overwhelming and what had initially been a slut-shaming witch hunt had turned into a female empowerment campaign.

Aria couldn't be prouder to be able to spearhead the movement. She and her sisters, with the guidance of their mother, had even started their own non-profit to help actresses find equal representation in Hollywood, and ensure their rights were being protected on the job, as well as raising awareness and conducting self-affirmation outreach for young women looking to break into the business.

It was the start of a new chapter in her life, and she was unbelievably excited for all of it. She'd even secured several auditions in the coming weeks for movies with themes that supported her new mission. Her entire future was starting to take shape, and she felt enriched by the experience.

And yet, her heart ached when she went to bed at night in the apartment she'd spent so many nights with Ben. She hated that she had re-read his email to her no less than five thousand times. She'd picked up the phone to call him again and again, but stopped. The facts still remained the same—as sorry as he was, he'd still betrayed her. How did she get past that?

If she knew the answer to that, then maybe she'd call. Until then, she felt mired in her anger toward him. She couldn't forgive him...even if some part of her really wanted to.

Steele held still a tall pair of emerald stilettos and helped her step into them. Aria wiggled her toes into each, and waited as her friend strapped them.

"Are you going to be okay with seeing him tomorrow?" Her mother rubbed her upper arms comfortingly. "You looked so sad when we mentioned him."

Aria looked at her mother in the mirror's reflection. "I am sad, I think. I really, really liked him, and he completely destroyed that...but I'll be okay."

Betty sighed and shook her head. "Love is a tricky thing."

"We weren't in love," Aria lied, not wanting to admit it out loud—even to her mother. Hell, the idea was crazy, anyway. Their relationship had been so intense that she might just have confused it with love. "We weren't together long enough for that."

Her mother shrugged. "I knew I loved your father on our second date."

"I knew Xavier was 'the one' two weeks in," Steele chimed in, standing after she'd finished with Aria's shoes. "I was probably head-over-heels in love with him even sooner than that."

"Really?" Aria twirled in the mirror again, checking her dress from every angle with the height of her shoes.

"When you know, you know. Look at your father and me now—almost thirty years together." Her mother held up her cell phone and took a picture of her in the dress. "Gorgeous. I'm going to show him when we get back. The old man can't figure out texting."

Aria and Steele both laughed at that, but then Steele got back to business. "So, are we a 'go' on the dress? Honestly, we don't have time to find another one and get it fitted."

"We don't need to. I love it." Aria stepped off the platform and both Steele and her mother helped her get it off over her head and onto the rack. "You'll be over around noon to do hair and makeup?"

"Yeah, just text me the room number at the hotel."

Aria nodded, having already booked a hotel close by so they wouldn't travel far in her dress and would have the space to get ready. "I will."

"And go to bed early tonight and sleep in tomorrow. No circles under those eyes," Steele instructed. "You, too, Mama Reynolds. If I'm doing you and all the sisters, I need happy canvases."

Betty laughed. "So demanding."

"The best always is," Steele called over her shoulder as she rolled the rack with the dress out of the fitting room, since she'd be steaming it and bringing it to the hotel tomorrow.

Aria got dressed in the jeans and T-shirt she'd arrived in. "Ready, Mom?"

She was excited to get to the hotel and have a girls’ night-in with her sisters, but even more excited for tomorrow. Strangely enough, after talking to her mother and Steele, the thing that excited her most had nothing to do with her first red carpet as lead actress or the movie screening.

A thrill rushed through her at the very thought of seeing Ben…his chiseled jaw, dark hair, and rugged masculinity. The way he'd felt with his arms wrapped around her, his body pressing down on top of her, pushing inside her...the memories warmed every part of her body.

The anger she felt toward him only seemed to spear her desire further, like she couldn't tell where her rage ended and passion began. She’d spent months trying to keep those thoughts and feelings at bay, but now…

Aria swallowed hard, shoving away the ache in her chest as she suddenly worried she wasn't as over Ben as she'd been telling herself.