The Drop (Electric Desert Nights Book 3) Read online

  Tyler sighed when Mya said his name, and turned his head to greet the new arrival. He was already steeled with acceptance of the fact that his night would be shitty. But when he laid his eyes on the petite blond that joined them, his mouth went dry and he was barely able to choke out a simple, “Hi.”

  She was a tiny thing and had that girl-next-door look down pat. Shoulder-length wavy blond hair streamed back from her shoulders and she had warm brown eyes that somehow made him think of chocolate chip cookies. She was blinking at him and he felt like an idiot for not answering her, but he hadn’t heard what she’d said. “Sorry, what’s your name? It’s hard to hear over the music.”

  “Scarlett.”

  “I’m Tyler,” he said and held out his hand. The second she grasped his fingers he felt a jolt fly though his body. It felt as though he were a giant bell someone had rung and the resulting clang was now resonating through him. In that fraction of a second, all of his senses awakened to her. The shape of her eyes, the curve of her lips, the feel of her soft, delicate fingers. An odd sensation of familiarity ran through him.

  “Have we met before?” he asked. Both Wade and Somer laughed at the question, making him feel like the dorky sidekick tagging along with super models.

  “No. I’m sure we haven’t,” she said, shooting a glare at her friends. “Unless you were here last year.”

  Had the laughter been directed at her instead of him? “No, I wasn’t.” Her eyes searched his face though, and she twisted her fingers together as if she’d also felt the zing of their contact.

  He gave his head a slight shake, trying to clear the vibrations still echoing in his skull. What the hell was that? Maybe I’m just dehydrated. I had a lot of vodka at the pool today and it’s been really hot.

  Somer slung his arm around Mya’s shoulder. “Where do you guys want to go now? I hope we don’t get separated. It’s pretty crowded tonight. Too bad we don’t have a totem.” He winked at Mya, and she beamed at him.

  It was obvious to Tyler that they wanted to get separated from the group. Even Wade was whispering something in Yesenia’s ear. She smiled up at him and scolded him in Spanish.

  Scarlett rose up on her toes and said in Tyler’s ear, “I think we might get ditched.”

  The scent of white tea, gardenia, and something else reached his nose. She grinned up at him, her brown eyes shining, that pert nose of hers just begging to be tweaked.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. Suddenly, the thought of it being just the two of them lifted his spirits when only a minute before it had repulsed him. “I don’t mind if you don’t.” The words came out before he could stop himself. Heat crept over the back of his neck and awkwardness fell upon him like a cloak. But she didn’t seem to mind what he’d said. Did she maybe feel the same way?

  That was strange. When Scarlett joined the group she could have sworn that it was Nick standing there with them. At first she’d frozen, while everything within her had wildly rejoiced at seeing him. Her mind had spun trying to conceive of how he could possibly be standing there looking exactly as she’d last seen him; disheveled dark hair, gleaming brown eyes, and the lean body of a cyclist.

  Then she’d blinked, and seen that it wasn’t Nick after all but a lanky boy she didn’t recognize. He had dark hair, but it was curlier than Nick’s, and his eyes were more on the soulful side than the playful side. She had been happy to find that there was another addition to their party aside from the girls. If she’d had to watch Wade and Somer with their new loves all night, it would have depressed her. Sure, she was happy for them, and knew they deserved to be happy. But it would have been hard not to think about what was missing in her own life—such as it was. She’d once experienced what they were feeling now, knew how wonderfully it could unfold into something more. But it had all been ripped away from her during a foolish bout of overindulgence.

  She was determined not to be depressed by the radiance of their joy. But as she watched Somer skim his fingers down Mya’s cheek and Wade kiss Yesenia on the lips, she couldn’t help the craving that surged inside of her. It had been so long since she’d been kissed, so long since anyone had looked at her with such adoration. She knew how good it felt when the sparks of romance flew. And now, watching her friends, she yearned for so much more. She’s been given the precious gift of a few days each year to live it up, and she decided on the spot to make the most of this last night in every way possible. That would make her feel better.

  Now she just had to see if this guy, Tyler, wanted the same.

  Chapter Three

  The group agreed to head over to Circuit Grounds for the next performance. They ended up walking in pairs because of how crowded the speedway was and Tyler and Scarlett ended up followed behind the others. This was exactly what Tyler had predicted would happen. But what he hadn’t were the feelings running through him right now. He felt a pull toward Scarlett that he’d never felt before. Even though they’d barely spoken, he’d like her on the spot, which was unusual for him.

  It was just that Scarlett was so extremely likeable. She was friendly and laidback and cute. And he was having trouble taking his eyes off of her. He could swear that he heard his heartbeat rushing in his ears with accelerated joy at being near her. She chatted easily with him as they walked toward Rainbow Road and he again had the odd sensation that he knew her from somewhere.

  “Where are you from?” she asked.

  “San Diego. But I live in Arizona now. I’m going to school there.”

  “So this heat feels normal for you I bet?”

  He chuckled. “It is now. But it took me a while to adjust after I moved there. How about you? Where are you from?”

  She laughed. “Everywhere pretty much. My dad was in the military and we moved often, mostly around the US. I was lucky that my mom put her foot down, and I got to spend my last two years of high school in one place.”

  “And now?”

  “Um, Vegas for the past few years,” she said. “Though I wish I could move again.” The look in her eyes was wistful and he almost reached out and squeezed her hand.

  “Why not just leave? I’m sure you could go wherever you want.”

  Her smile drooped, and she laughed. “I wish.”

  “Why do you say it like that?”

  “Well, let’s just say we all have problems that keep us from those things we really want.” She gazed up at him with those brown eyes, and the rich color reminded of his favorite cozy coffee shop. “Where would you go?”

  His mind went blank. After the accident, he hadn’t had time to think much about anything else but rehab and getting better. Though he’d survived the car crash with all of his limbs and minimal damage to his head, he’d had to have an organ transplant, which he was grateful for, but which had caused permanent changes in his lifestyle. Once he’d finished all the rehab and tests and monitoring, he’d gone back to school. But the ongoing juggling of the daily medications he was on to help his body accept the transplant kept his worry fresh. He was constantly concerned about getting an infection or his body rejecting the organ. It was all he could do to focus what was left of his attention on finishing school. He had no idea what would come after.

  “I have no clue,” he said.

  She gaped at him, her pretty pink lips parted in surprise. “None at all?” She linked her arm with his so they wouldn’t get separated as they squeezed their way through oncoming traffic, and their bodies bumped together.

  A lightning bolt of feeling struck once again, making Tyler stop in his tracks. Raw energy heated his forearm where it was in contact with hers, tingling so strongly it could not be ignored. Their eyes locked, and Tyler was suddenly transported into a vision of another place and time, one where she giggled helplessly as he spun her around in circles.

  “Stop! Oh my god. I’ll puke on you. I swear!” she gasped, but then dissolved into laughter.

  He knew she wouldn’t puke on him. Even if she did, he wouldn’t mind. He was head over heels in love
with her down to the last fair hair that made up her eyebrows. He would to anything for her…

  Her laughing face faded away along with everything else and another vision came clear. They were naked together in his room, whispering to each other because his parents were asleep in their bedroom. Scarlett was curled against him trailing a finger along his chest as they lay together in the cozy aftermath of their first time making love. His feelings for her were so overwhelmingly wonderful that he wanted to announce them out the window to the world.

  Tyler yanked his arm back as though he’d been zapped by electricity. Those were not his memories. As soon as he lost contact with her, the visions went away and he was back where he belonged at EDC.

  “What the hell was that?” he asked, suddenly angry.

  But Scarlett said nothing, looking confused as well.

  Had she seen the same things, felt the same things? Had she done something to make it happen, like slip him a drug? The whole thing made him uneasy.

  Up ahead, Mya was calling to them. The foursome had turned down Rainbow Road which was lined with trees decorated in different colored neon lights. He and Scarlett had fallen behind and were in danger of getting separated from the group.

  “Come on. We’d better catch up,” he said, starting forward. A few minutes earlier he’d been fine with the notion of getting lost with Scarlett. But now, he wasn’t so sure it was a good idea.

  Scarlett trailed after Tyler, stunned. That was the second time Nick had appeared before her, replacing Tyler. But this time, her mind had been filled with memories as well. They’d flashed through her mind in such vivid detail that even she was reminded of things she’d forgotten, like the shirt Nick had been wearing when he’d spun her around that day, and the warm musky scent of his skin as they’d lain together in bed.

  It had lasted only seconds. But in that brief moment, the joy and love of those memories had welled up and infused her entire being, and she’d been reconnected to a time in her life when she’d been radiant with happiness and wholeheartedly in love. She would do anything to go there again, to stay there. Something about Tyler was triggering it, and she was not going to leave his side until she figured out how it was happening and why. This was the sign she’d been waiting for for the last twenty years. It had to be.

  If this stranger held the key to setting her free from limbo, she only had a few precious hours left to figure it out.

  Chapter Four

  They arrived at Circuit Grounds with twenty minutes still to go before the DJ they wanted to see came on. Mya and Yesenia took the opportunity to head to the bathroom and Tyler went with them.

  “So? Scarlett’s totally cute isn’t she?” Yesenia said as soon as they were out of earshot of the others.

  “Really pretty,” Mya said.

  Tyler hesitated, trying to find the right words, and Yesenia smacked him on the arm. “Come on, Tyler. What’s wrong with you? I saw your face when she walked up. You think she’s hot. Admit it.”

  “Yeah, you totally lit up,” Mya said.

  “Sure. Fine. She’s good looking.” Tyler caved in to the pressure. “But something’s off.”

  Yesenia’s dark brows pressed together. “What do you mean? She seems super sweet and nice to me.”

  “I don’t know. Something weird happened when we touched.”

  Mya gave a small skip of excitement. “It’s chemistry! That’s a good sign.”

  “No. I don’t think that’s what it was.” Shit. How in the heck am I supposed to explain it to them without sounding crazy?

  “You’ve barely talked to her. Maybe you’re just feeling awkward because you don’t know her,” Yesenia said. “I mean it’s not like you’re a player with tons of smooth moves.”

  Tyler huffed out a breath. “You’ve really got to work on your subtlety, Yesenia.” Honesty was something he knew he could always get from Yesenia. Most of the time it was a good thing, but right now she struck a little too close to home.

  “Aw. I meant that as a compliment. You know I love you.” She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze. “You just need to step up your game.”

  “No, that’s not it—”

  “She’s right, Tyler,” Mya said. “Just get to know her better. Be friendly and things won’t seem so weird.” She glanced down at her phone where she was scrolling through the lineup on the EDC app. “Not that there will be a ton of time for that. Our schedule is packed tonight.”

  They arrived at the small cluster of bathroom trailers and Tyler realized now he would never be able to make them understand. Besides, they were preoccupied with other things tonight, so he decided to drop it.

  “Maybe you’re right,” Tyler said and went to stand in the line for the men’s room. Whatever weird thing had happened had been a result of direct contact with Scarlett. So all he had to do was keep his distance from her. That seemed like an easy solution. Yes, he would just stay away from her.

  As it grew later, Scarlett grew increasingly frustrated. Her attempts to get to know Tyler weren’t getting very far. It wasn’t that he didn’t respond when she tried to make small talk with him, just that the answers were short and he kept stepping away from her. He made several trips to buy food and beverages for everyone. But when she offered to help him, he declined every time. Sure he acted friendly, but he was guarded, as evidenced by the way he twitched back when she tried to touch him on the arm.

  When he was with the group, he stayed busy taking pictures and videos with his phone. It was really starting to get to her. Right now it was after one in the morning and she was running out of time to unravel the mystery of why Nick had appeared. But Tyler just wasn’t cooperating. She’d hoped to ease him into talking about it. But he didn’t seem to want to, and she was getting desperate. They were heading to Basspod for the next performance and she vowed that she would get somewhere with him this time. She was just going to have to stay alert for the right opportunity.

  Tyler thought his plan was going well and that no one had noticed his tactics until Mya pulled him aside on the way to Basspod.

  “What’s going on, Tyler? Why are you being so rude to Scarlett?” she asked.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You keep dodging her and ignoring her, and I think you’re really hurting her feelings.”

  A streak of guilt ran through him, but he rebelled against it. “So? She’s not my friend. And I didn’t promise to entertain her all night. I told you guys I didn’t want to from the very beginning. Maybe the rest of you should work harder to keep her company.”

  “I tried, but she seems to want to talk to you.” She looked at him with concern. “I’m sorry this weekend hasn’t gone exactly the way you wanted it to. But can’t you just be a good friend for tonight? Yesenia and I really want everyone to get along. We’re having a great time and we want you to have fun, too. Haven’t the two of us had your back before? Can’t you do the same for us? I’ve never known you to be so standoffish before.”

  The guilt grew stronger. He knew he was being an asshole. “Fine,” he sighed. “Sorry. I’ll try harder.” He felt bad now as he remembered his curt answers and sudden disappearances as Scarlett had tried to get to know him at Circuit Grounds. He was used to being open and friendly with people, as Mya had said, not closed down.

  “She’s a really nice girl. It can’t be that much of a burden. Besides, we only have a couple more hours before it ends and we all have to go home.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, already. I said I would try.”

  “Thanks.” Mya patted him on the shoulder and then returned to Somer’s side.

  Tyler shifted his gaze to Scarlett, who was walking up ahead with Wade and Yesenia. Mya was right, it was his turn to be the wing man and he resolved to put in a little more effort. It was actually stupid to have his guard up against her. She was completely harmless objectively speaking. On the outside, she was a cute little thing with a pert nose and pleasant expression. The
kind of girl you took home to mom, or fell in love with as you sat on the porch together chatting on a warm summer’s evening.

  It was just that his sixth sense kept putting the brakes on. There was something about Scarlett that made the hairs on the back of Tyler’s neck stand on end and a chill run through him. But, no matter, he would only have to tolerate it for a little while longer. He lengthened his stride to catch up with her.

  “So how do you know Wade and Somer?” he asked.

  She looked surprised at his interest. “We met a few years ago at EDC.”

  “Oh. Do you live near each other, too?”

  She shook her head. “This is the only time we see each other.”

  “Huh, that’s strange. You seem like the kind of friends who see each other all the time.”

  She grinned. “They’re the kind of friends that you never miss a beat with. You know? The ones you fall instantly back into camaraderie with. That’s what I love about them.” She beamed affectionately in their direction. “It’s nice to see them so happy.”

  Was that a wistful note in her voice? “How about you? Do you have a boyfriend?” The question slipped out without Tyler thinking and he felt his neck heat with embarrassment.

  “I do. I mean, I did.” She laughed. “I mean, no, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

  The name she’d called him when she’d first floated back into Tyler’s mind. “Nick? Was that his name?”

  Scarlett blushed. But rather than looking red-faced, the color infused a glow in her peaches-and-cream complexion. She swept her bangs back from her eyes with her fingers. “Yes, that was his name.”

  There was an awkward silence and then she said. “You look a little like him.”

  Strange, but Tyler felt glad that he looked something like her ex. And his subconscious leapt with glee that he was at least her type. “Um, so what do you think of this next DJ we’re going to see?”