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“Earth to Adelaide,” Beatrix calls out.

Maybe a night out is exactly what I need.

No dreams.

No sessions.

No overthinking.

No imaginary villains.

Just loud music, strong drinks, and dancing with my best friend.

“Okay, you know what? Let’s do it.” As tired as I am, even after my nap, I need to get out of here and not be alone with my thoughts. Tomorrow, I’ll see Doc at Sunday dinner, and I can ask him who he was on the phone with. Try to figure out what the others know and maybe what they aren’t telling me.

“That’s my girl!” She jumps up and runs over to her massive antique wardrobe and starts throwing out clothes, piling them on my bed around me. ‘Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet some charming stranger that’ll sweep you off your feet.”

“Yeah… that’s never going to happen.” I throw a black lacy top at her. How could I fall for someone when I’m still struggling to love the pieces of myself I don’t understand?

“Never say never.” Bea shrugs, holding up options, all of which I shake my head no to due to lack of material. “Your dream guy could be out there searching for you.”

I shiver at the possibility.

“Well… if dreams came true that easily, you’d be locked away in a library right now, acting out every wild fantasy you’ve ever read with your own charming stranger.”

My dream guy is just that—a dream. And I’m never giving away what’s left of my heart.

“Touché.” She smiles. “And for the record, he would be brooding, not charming.”

You would think with me being a music major and her being the studious lit major that she would be the introvert and I the extrovert. But the stereotypes are all wrong; they’ve got it backward… we’re complete opposites.

“Where are we going anyway?” I sit up, rummaging through the fabric now piled around me, looking for something more suitable than the halter dresses and sheer tops. “Because unless that wardrobe of yours leads to some magical beach, I think we need a little more fabric.”

“How about this? I found it at a secondhand shop.” Beatrix holds up a dark blue crushed-velvet dress with long bell sleeves that hangs longer in the back than the front. “It would look perfect with your dark hair.”

“Are you sure?” I take the luxurious blue fabric, praying she says yes. And as soon as she does, I pull off my oversized sweater and put the dress on.

“Wow, Adelaide, it looks stunning.” Beatrix observes me in the mirror with a smile.

It fits like a glove, hugging my body in all the right places. It’s corseted under my chest, then flares down over my hips and at the shortest part, hitting just over my knees. “It would be perfect with my—”

“Tall black boots.” She finishes my sentence and hands them to me.

“I’m thinking tights would be a good idea.”

“Good call.” She rummages around and tosses me those as well.

“What are you wearing?” I ask over my shoulder as I shimmy into the tights before sitting down to lace up my boots.

“I’m thinking winter white feels festive.” She turns in a half circle in a body-hugging cream sweater dress that is the perfect contrast with her long chocolate-brown locks. “And seductive,” she adds with a wink.

“If I could whistle, I totally would.” I laugh, trying my best to whistle and failing miserably.

“Now for hair and makeup,” she orders after slipping on her own dark boots and grabbing her heat wand to freshen up her always perfect curls.

“I think I’m keeping it simple.” I sit down and twist my long black hair into a wide, loose braid, not wanting to fuss with it. Then I sweep my lashes with black mascara and dust some pink blush over my pale cheeks just to liven me up. “Well, maybe except for my lips.”

Beatrix stands over my shoulder while I put red lipstick on my already ruby lips.