Chapter 1: The Pull of Fate
The music pulses through my body, deep and rhythmic, like a heartbeat that isn’t my own. Neon lights flicker against the towering trees, casting shifting patterns of color across the sea of bodies moving in slow, hypnotic waves. The air is thick—with heat, with bass, with something else entirely.
And then I see him.
At first, I think I must be hallucinating. The LSD is playing tricks on me, blending past and present into something indistinguishable. But no—it’s him. Andrew.
My stomach clenches, an ache that has nothing to do with the drugs. It’s a pang of regret, sharp and undeniable. I let him go once. Brushed him off, thinking nothing of it. And now, years later, I stumble across him here, at Electric Forest, where nothing feels real and everything feels possible.
He’s laughing, head tilted back, utterly relaxed in the chaos around him. He looks different and yet exactly the same—stronger, more confident, comfortable in a way I never was. And he’s not alone. Michelle and Erika flank him, their hands light on his arms, their voices teasing, their smiles knowing. They’re already claiming him.
Something burns deep in my chest. Is it jealousy? Desire? Regret? Maybe all of it, tangled together in a way I can’t unravel.
I shouldn’t want this so badly. But my body doesn’t care.
I press my thighs together, swallowing hard. My skin is electric, hyper-aware of the way Andrew moves, the way his shirt clings to his torso, the way his mouth curves when he smirks at something Michelle whispers in his ear.
It should be me.
The thought is sudden, consuming. It should be me making him laugh. It should be me pulling him closer, feeling the warmth of his body against mine. But I said no before. I thought I was too smart to fall for someone like him.
Now I just feel like a fool.
I take a shaky breath, stepping back, trying to shake off the feeling curling hot and low in my stomach. But before I can slip away, Sam’s voice is in my ear, low and amused.
“You look like someone just stole your favorite toy.”
I stiffen, but I don’t deny it. Because maybe she’s right.
Annie leans in next, eyes dancing. “Guess you should’ve acted faster.”
I don’t respond. Because what’s the point? I already lost him.
Or maybe—maybe I haven’t.
Sam tilts her head, watching me carefully. “You want him?” Her lips curve. “Take him.”
Annie’s smirk deepens. “Or at least, watch.”
The bass thunders around me, my pulse matching its pace. I stare at the distant glow of the tent where Andrew disappears with Michelle and Erika, my heart hammering a steady, desperate beat.
I hesitate.
Then, slowly, I take a step forward toward the tent then slipped into.