"Sure." Turning to leave, Evie stopped before exiting the room. "Do you have your phone?"
Brows raising, Shylah nodded and pulled it out of her pocket.
"I'll give you my number in case you can't find us," Evie said.
Reciting her cell number, Shylah typed it in and saved it.
"I'm glad you're coming. We'll see you tonight."
Then with a last smile, she was gone.
Leaving the room, Shylah felt lighter as she worked the last couple hours of her shift.
Instead of being at home on a Friday night, thinking about the man who loved her one minute and hated her the next, she would be out of the house and hopefully having fun.
Evie hadn't specifically said that Eden would be there, but Shylah assumed he would. She hadn't seen him since last weekend at the restaurant, and to say she missed him was an understatement. She tried to push down the hurt that he hadn't contacted her.
Signing off for the day, Shylah was about to head into the locker room when she heard her name.
"Shylah." Turning, Trent walked up to her with a smile on his face. "I haven't seen you around much this week."
That was because she'd been doing everything possible to avoid him since their awkward date.
Probably best not to tell him that, Shylah thought with a cringe.
"Yeah, it's been crazy here, hasn't it?" Averting her eyes, Shylah glanced at the door.
"You coming tonight?"
Eyes shooting to Trent's face, her brows shot up. Trent was going? "To the town party? Um, yeah, probably. You?"
"Most definitely." Shylah tried to hide her disappointment. "You should come. It should be a fun night."
Waiting expectantly for her response, Shylah wasn't sure what she could do other than agree. "Okay."
"Perfect, we can have a drink together," Trent said before turning and heading down the hall.
Confused, Shylah pushed into the locker room. Was it just her, or was he pretending that their date from hell didn't happen?
Changing her clothes quickly, Shylah headed out the back.
So, the guy she wanted attention from would probably avoid her while she hid from the bipolar doctor. How fun would this be?
* * *
Shylah sat in the car for a moment, working up the courage to get out.
Cars were parked everywhere, and loud music sounded from within the trees. Shylah had a feeling the entire town would be here, although there was only one man she wanted to see.
Smoothing her hands along her black jeans, she'd paired them with a cream knitted sweater. Not the sexiest outfit, but the best she could do for an outdoor party on short notice.
Taking a calming breath, Shylah stepped out of her car and headed toward the noise. The first thing she noticed as she stepped through the trees was the copious amount of people.
Yep, it looked like the whole town was here tonight.
To the side, there were a couple of food and drink trucks with long lines of people, and in the middle sat a big fire pit.
Scanning the area for anyone she knew, Shylah tried not to look out of place. She wasn't the most outgoing of people and stepping into a social setting like this alone was pushing her out of her comfort zone.
Not seeing any familiar faces, Shylah moved to the drink truck. If she didn't find Evie and Lexie after getting a drink, she might send Evie a text.
Standing in line, she'd only stood there a moment when a hand on her shoulder startled her.
"Shylah, you came." Casting her eyes beside her, she didn't know whether to be annoyed that Trent found her so quickly or happy that he saved her from being the sad loner.
"Hey, I just got here. Just getting a drink." Shylah indicated to the line in front of her even though it was obvious what she was doing.
"Great, I'll join you. I could use a beer."
"Sure," Shylah said as Trent stood next to her. He was so close that his shoulder brushed against hers. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Shylah could think of something to say. "So, how long have you been here in Marble Falls?"
"Not long, only about eight months, so this is my first Marble Falls Lake Party too. We can be newbies together."
Feeling his hand brush up next to hers, Shylah resisted the urge to jerk away from him.
"Where were you working before this?" Shylah asked, trying to make conversation.
"I worked in medical research a bit. Did some traveling. Loved it. Had some family stuff happen, so I had to move back to the States."
Before Shylah could ask him about it, they were at the front of the line. After deciding to go with a hard apple cider, the bottle chilled her hand.
It was colder than she'd thought it would be tonight, and she regretted not bringing a jacket.
Edging closer to the fire, Trent followed her with a beer in hand.
"Cold?" Trent asked, moving next to her.
Shrugging, Shylah took a sip of her cider, feeling the alcohol warm her from the inside. "A little, but I'm okay."
"Here, let me help." Before Shylah realized what he was doing, Trent had his arm over her shoulder, and her side pressed into him.
Uncomfortable despite the extra warmth he provided, Shylah wasn't sure whether to push him away or deal with the unwanted contact. In the next moment, a figure stood in front of them. Familiar gray eyes stared back, but not at her eyes, rather on the arm hanging over her shoulder.
"Eden, it's good to see you. How's the hand?" Trent's voice was friendly. Clearly, the guy had no survival skills.
"Hand's doing well, Trent, as long as I don't punch anything that is." There was ice in Eden's voice as he spoke.
Releasing a laugh like he'd just heard a hilarious joke, Trent nudged Eden's shoulder with his own. Eden's eyes narrowed to the spot on his shoulder that Trent had just touched.
Deciding she didn't want to see the town doctor become the next emergency patient, Shylah wriggled out from under his arm.
"Excuse me. I'm going to go find a bathroom." She aimed her words at both men, but she avoided all eye contact.
Walking away from the men, Shylah weaved through the crowd. She didn't need the bathroom. She needed to get away from the testosterone.
Plus, Eden was giving her a complex. He didn't want her, but he didn't want anyone else to have her. Wasn't that the storyline for every good romance?
"Shylah!"
Turning her head, Shylah spotted Evie and Lexie by a tree. Breathing a sigh of relief, Shylah moved over to them.
"Hey," Shylah said once she'd finally reached the women.
"Hey, Shylah, you remember Lexie from Marble Protection?" Evie indicated to the gorgeous redhead next to her. Like she could forget.
"I do, hey, Lexie."
"Call me Lex," she said with a smile.
Both women were so genuine that Evie felt relieved not just that she found them here tonight, but that she'd met them at all. Evie and Lexie seemed to want to be friends with her, and friendship was something Shylah would grab with two hands.
"So, give us the scoop, Shylah," Lexie said with a grin. "What's going on with you and Eden?"
Evie swatted her friend's shoulder with a gasp. "Lexie, you can't ask her that!"
"Why not?" Lexie frowned, clearly trying to appear innocent.
"She's only just met us."
"No, it's okay." Taking another sip of her cider, Shylah turned back to Lexie. "We used to date, but then we didn't see each other for a while. Now we're trying to be friends."
That was a nice condensed version of their dysfunctional relationship, wasn't it?
Giving a snort, Lexie made a face to say she knew there were all sorts of holes in that story. "Once you've had sex with someone, there's no going back to friendship."
"There can be . . . sometimes." Evie huffed.
Shrugging, Shylah appreciated Lexie's honesty. "You're probably right. I honestly don't think I'll be able to be friends with him anyway."
Evie's eyes turned sym
pathetic. Lowering her voice, Evie leaned in closer to Shylah. "For what it's worth, Eden's been different since you got back."
Raising her brows, Shylah leaned closer to Evie in return. "Different how?"
"Less angry," Evie said softly.
"Less of a bully," Lexie muttered before sipping her beer and continuing, "Let's be honest, that man has been an angry beast since I met him. He lives up in the middle of nowhere, so he doesn't have to talk to people and growls at anyone who attempts a conversation with him. Shylah, if you can bring a long-lost smile to that man's face, please, for the love of all that is holy, do so."
Shylah hadn't known it had been so bad. "I don't know if there's much I can do."
"Hang in there. I think he really cares about you," Evie said with a pat on her shoulder. "I can tell by the way his eyes track you. He probably just needs time."
Nodding, Shylah hoped Evie's words were true. She could give Eden time if he needed it. She just prayed that some time didn't turn into forever.
About to respond, her left hand suddenly spasmed, spilling some of her drink before she could switch the bottle to her right hand.
"Are you okay?" Evie asked with a worried look on her face.
"Yeah, I just, ah, think my hand froze up from the cold is all." Dropping her hand to her side, she squeezed her fist a few times to get some blood flow into it. "It happens sometimes."
The worry was still present in Evie and Lexie's eyes as Shylah's phone vibrated. Quickly pulling it out, she noticed it was a number she didn't recognize.
"Excuse me for a second."
Turning around, Shylah spoke into the phone.
The sound of the music and people prevented Shylah from hearing anything on the other end. Needing a quiet area to hear the other person on the line, Shylah moved through the trees. The surrounding noise faded slightly, but not enough.
Noticing a break in the trees ahead, she moved through it and stood next to the edge of the Marble Falls lake.
"Hello, can you hear me?" When she was greeted with silence, Shylah pulled the phone from her ear to check the screen. Still connected.
Shylah put the phone back to her ear. "Hello?"
The line went dead.
A chill crept up Shylah's back. That was strange.
Popping the phone back into her pocket, Shylah was about to return to the party when she noticed a man a few feet from where she stood.
Jolting from the surprise, Shylah took a hurried step back.
Realizing too late that there was no more ground beneath her feet, Shylah fell into the icy water. Her entire body was pulled under the water. Moving her arms to swim to the surface, her left hand refused to function.
Pushing her body as hard as she could with one arm and two legs, her body was cooling, and it was cooling fast.
Vision beginning to fuzz, darkness descended on Shylah before she could break to the surface.
11
Eden's eyes never left Shylah. As she stood talking to the women, his eyes tracked her. Watched her.
He thought having her back here would get her out of his head a bit. If anything, it made it worse.
She was here, but she wasn't his.
Eden had to decide what he was going to do. There was the possibility that she would never trust him enough to tell him the whole truth about what had happened.
Was he willing to lose her for that?
His gaze dropped to her hand as it spasmed. Almost dropping the drink, she quickly switched it to the other hand.
What the hell?
That was the same hand that often shook.
Looking closer, he saw how she was now clenching it to her side. Almost like she was doing pre-learned exercises.
Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Shylah answered before disappearing into the trees.
Placing his beer down, Eden followed.
Moving away from the crowd, the sounds of people and music quieted, making it easier for Eden to tune into Shylah's movement.
Stopping for a moment, another sound caught his attention. There was a third person out here.
Eyes darting around, Eden's muscles tensed. The heaviness of the steps told Eden it was a man. It could be someone who had drifted from the party, but Eden's instincts told him otherwise.
Speeding up his steps, Eden moved forward to see a man standing, watching Shylah through the trees.
What the fuck?
About to grab the jerk, Eden's attention was drawn to the sound of Shylah's body hitting the water.
Shooting forward, Eden caught sight of Shylah's head as it got dragged under the surface. When she didn't pop back up, Eden's gut clenched.
Knowing he couldn't reach her from the bank, he tore off his jacket and dove into the lake. The chilly water hit him hard, but he disregarded all outside distractions and focused on finding her.
Diving down, he felt her arm first. Latching onto her, he swam to the surface.
She was unmoving, and when they broke through the water, Shylah's eyes didn't open.
Jumping on the bank, Eden lay her flat on the ground. Lips already a blueish purple shade, hypothermia was a real possibility. But that wasn't Eden's primary concern—Shylah wasn't breathing.
Pressing his mouth onto hers, Eden blew air into her body.
Breathe, damn it.
When she remained unresponsive, Eden pressed his hands into her chest. Her body moved to the rhythm of his compressions. Still, she remained unconscious.
Pressing his mouth to hers again, Eden blew more air into her body.
About to start compressions again, Eden halted when water began fountaining from her mouth. Coughs racking her chest.
Acting immediately, Eden turned Shylah onto her side and held her steady.
Once the water stopped flowing from her mouth, Shylah's body shook violently, likely from the combination of shock and cold.
Reaching behind him for his jacket, he started pulling off her clothes.
Shylah's weak fingers latched onto his. "N-No."
"Shylah, stop it, your body's too damn cold. We need to get you warm."
Reaching again for her sweater, Shylah rolled herself onto her stomach and tried to push up, only to fall back down when her hand gave out.
"I-I'll d-do it m-myself."
"No." Eden's voice was firm. God, the woman couldn't even hold her own weight on her forearms.
Pulling her into a sitting position with her back to him, Eden pulled her top over her head and replaced it with his dry jacket. Shylah's trembling fingers quickly pulled it closed.
Standing, he lifted Shylah to her feet. Her legs wobbled so badly she had to lean heavily on Eden to stop from falling.
Keeping his eyes trained on hers, he reached down and undid her jeans. Once the only items covering her body were her underwear and his jacket, Eden picked up her soaked clothes before lifting Shylah to his chest.
"W-What about y-you?"
Eyes straight ahead, Eden strode through the trees at a brusque pace, needing to get her body warm as soon as possible.
"My body can regulate its temperature under most conditions."
"O-Oh yeah. S-Super s-soldier."
Walking around the edge of the party to avoid everyone, Eden headed straight to his truck. He reached into the pocket of the jacket Shylah wore and pulled out his keys to unlock it.
"W-What about m-my car?"
"I'll get one of the guys to bring it to your place."
Nodding, Shylah shut her eyes and burrowed into his chest. Holding her a little tighter, Eden didn't like that her lips were still tinged blue.
Opening the driver's side door, he started the engine and cranked the heater as high as it would go. Walking around to the passenger side, Eden gently sat Shylah in the seat before moving behind the wheel.
Speeding to her place, Eden ignored the road rules, wanting to get Shylah in a warm shower as fast as possible. Her body was still violently shivering, causing Eden to reach over and rub her bare leg wi
th his hand.
Her skin was ice cold.
Once parked outside her apartment building, Eden wasted no time getting up to her place. Heading straight to the bathroom, Eden turned the shower on hot before releasing Shylah to her feet.
Once she was steady, he reached for the jacket, only to have her spin away. The quick jerk caused her to wobble on her feet. Eden caught her body before she hit the tiles.
"Shylah," Eden growled.
"I'll do it."
"You can barely hold yourself up, Shy." Reaching again for the jacket, Shylah held it so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
What the hell was going on? It's not like he hadn't seen her body before.
"Please, Eden." Glancing down at her eyes, they glistened with the threat of tears.
Reluctantly, Eden stood a step back. "Fine, but if I hear the slightest slip, I'm coming back in here. And the door stays unlocked, it will take me longer to get to you if I have to break it down."
At Shylah's nod, Eden left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
He stood and listened for a moment. It wasn't until he heard her body moving under the stream of water that he headed to the kitchen.
* * *
The warm water felt like tiny needles pricking Shylah's skin. But after a few minutes, her body warmed, her limbs regained feeling, and she welcomed the heat. Her left hand took a bit longer.
Placing her wrist so that her palm faced upward, she began some gentle wrist turns. After five minutes of wrist rotations, Shylah touched her thumb to her index finger, applying pressure before moving on to the middle, ring, and pinkie fingers.
Damn hand, Shylah thought to herself.
If Eden hadn't been there tonight, she would have drowned. All because the stupid thing refused to function normally.
Once she felt her body was close to a normal temperature and her wrist was semi-functional again, Shylah stepped out of the shower. Looking at herself in the mirror, her gaze went straight to the scarring.
She didn't care about the outward scarring. What was on the outside was a sign of what happened on the inside.
Eden: A steamy contemporary military romance (Project Arma Book 2) Page 8