Page 21 of Out of the Dark

As the movie ends, the room falls into silence. The snow outside has slowed, the flakes drifting lazily past the window. I lean back against the couch, not sure if the warmth inside me is from the wine, the fire, or Mark’s presence.

"Thank you," I say, breaking the silence.

"For what?"

"For this. All of it. For letting me stay. For showing me a different kind of Christmas." I look over at him. "It means a lot."

Mark’s gaze meets mine, and the rest of the world fades away. "You’re welcome." He gives me a soft smile.

In that moment, something shifts between us. The tension that’s been hanging over us for days doesn’t disappear entirely, but it feels less sharp and more… gentle. Affectionate, even.

I want to kiss him.

I wanthimto kissme.

The thought hits me out of nowhere, a sudden desire that takes hold and refuses to let go.

But he doesn’t make a move, and neither do I. I can’tbring myself to take that step. At least, not yet.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MARK

I stare at Shane’s name on my phone screen for much too long before I click on his name. The only communication between us since our phone conversation—the one Claire had overheard—was an exchange of "Merry Christmas" texts a couple days ago along with a selfie of him and Dani on the beach.

It’s not rare for us to go a few days without chatting, but the times between our phone calls and his text responses seem to grow longer and longer lately. He’s busy, and I know that, but there’s a part of me that hopes things go back to normal after the wedding.

Shane answers on the third ring.

"Hey, man. What’s up?"

"Hey, I’m sorry to bother you, but I think you said you’d be back from your trip by now. I was wondering if you could give me the contact info for that therapist you mentioned awhile back," I say. No point in dancing around the point.

"Sure. I’ll text it to you so you don’t lose it. Finally ready to get some professional help with that emotional constipation of yours?"

I feign a laugh, but it falls flat. Our entire friendship revolves around giving each other shit, so I know he’s notactuallybeing an asshole, but his jab hits a little too close to home today. "It’s actually not for me."

"Oh?" When I don’t provide more information, he asks, "Is it for that girl staying with you?"

"Yeah. She’s pretty hesitant about opening up, but I can tell she’s been through some shit. I think it would be good for her to talk with a professional." She’s constantly writing in that notebook I gave her, and I’d venture a guess that she’s made it into a journal of sorts. And while writing things out is usually a good way to manage feelings, I can’t help but think that maybe she needs more.

Why I’m going out of my way to help her so much, I’m still not sure. In some way, it feels like passing on the good karma from Shane and his parents helping me out so long ago, supporting me when my piece-of-shit father was too drunk to care about taking care of his child.

Yeah, passing on the good karma. That’s exactly what I’m doing, I decide.

"Hmmm, those words sound familiar," Shane teases. "It’s almost like I’ve said the exact same words to you in the past…"

I roll my eyes. "I’m perfectly fine with how my life is going. This is different."

"Whatever you say. This must be serious between you two if you’re doing all this to keep her around."

"How was your trip?" I ask, desperate to change the subject now that he’s agreed to text me the therapist’sinformation. He’s already given me shit about Claire being here, and while I can’t deny that I’m attracted to her, she’s not someone I can fuck for a few weeks then move on from. She’s clearly not the type for that, and I’m still dealing with whatever weird protective feelings I have over her.

"It was amazing. We found the perfect spot to have the wedding and the reception."

Despite my serious mood, I smile at how excited he sounds. "That’s awesome. I can’t wait to see it."

"You’ll love it." I hear Dani talking in the background but can’t make out what she’s saying. "Hey, can I call you back?" Shane asks.

---