Page 26 of Out of the Dark

"Claire—" he starts, just as Shane returns to the room.

"Dani requests your presence in the bedroom," Shane says.

It takes me a moment to realize he’s speaking to me. "Me? Why?"

Shane shrugs. "Probably wants to have girl talk without us around. Mark, help me with the drinks, will you?"

Mark makes his way to the kitchen, and Shane tells me which door to go into and assures me that Dani will love me.

I sure hope so. I could use some friends.

As soon as I open the door, Dani sets down her lipstick and practically jumps off the chair to greet me. "Claire! Oh my god, I’m so excited to finally meet you," she squeals beforewrapping her arms around me like we’ve been best friends forever.

"Oh, uh, me too," I answer, because what else can I say?

She steps back, smiling. "Sorry, I may have gotten a little too excited. Mark never brings women around, so you must be pretty special."

"Oh, no, it’s not like that. We’re not—"

Dani waves me off. "Maybe not, but you’re clearly special to him."

I snort out a laugh before I can stop myself, but Dani just gives me a knowing look. Too bad she has no idea what she’s talking about.

"Your makeup looks so pretty," I tell her, partly because it does and partly because I’m desperate to change the subject.

She beams. "Aw, thank you! It’s a new eyeshadow palette, and I’ve been so excited to try it out. Have you ever used this brand before? Because it’s so much better than I expected it to be."

Unease fills me as I’m reminded yet again how inexperienced I am, even with things as simple as makeup. "I, um, actually haven’t ever used any makeup."

Her eyes widen. "Like, never?"

"No. My home was . . . very strict, even into adulthood, and I only left it a little over a month ago. So I really haven’t had the opportunity to try makeup yet. I wouldn’t even know where to start."

"Well, no pressure, but I can put a little on you if you want to try it. You definitely don’t need it," she adds, "but makeovers are so much fun."

I give her a hesitant smile. Her energy is infectious, and she clearly knows what she’s doing when it comes to beauty—her brown hair is curled to perfection and her makeupaccentuates her features perfectly.

"Go for it."

The grin she gives me is enough to spur my excitement, and I follow her instructions to sit in the chair and pull my hair back into a quick ponytail.

"Can I do your hair too?"

"Sure, you’re the expert." I take in the array of products strewn across the surface before me, and I’m able to figure out what some of them are for—lipstick, blush, eyeshadow—but others are a mystery. Regardless, my nerves are dissipating by the second.

Dani studies my face for a few seconds before nodding to herself and shuffling through the products. "You have such pretty skin, so I’m not even going to touch that. But a little bit of eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick will take this to a whole new level."

"Alright, let’s do it." Warmth fills my chest as I sit here and close my eyes while Dani paints liquid eyeliner on my top lids. As she works, she speaks softly about how excited she is to introduce me to her friends tonight. Is this what real friendship feels like? It’s similar to what I’ve felt with Mark, but there isn’t that undercurrent of awkward attraction for me to battle with when it comes to Dani. Just a sort of giddiness that someone actually cares about me for who I am—even if she barely knows me yet.

"Keep your eyes closed for now while it dries," Dani says, interrupting my thoughts.

"Okay."

"So, what’s it like living with Mark?" She asks in a lighthearted tone, but I can hear the curiosity behind it. Of course she would want to know more.

"It’s very nice. He’s been so kind giving me somewhere tostay and helping me get back on my feet. I don’t know what I’d be doing right now if it weren’t for him," I admit. "He’s a really good friend."

I still can’t open my eyes to gauge her reaction, but she pauses long enough for me to know she’s considering how to respond. "He is a great guy. Sometimes he pushes back when life gets too good for him, though. It’s like he thinks he doesn’t deserve too many good things. I’m not sure why. But that may be something to keep in mind for the future."

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