Eden had surprised herself more times than she could count since she’d met Anna. She was confused as hell about her feelings, but it boiled down to this: she feltgoodwhen she was with Anna. And while she’d worried that she would be tired after her sightseeing afternoon, when she stepped onto the stage that night, she’d never felt lighter on her feet.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“This is amazing.” Anna settled beside Eden on a large rock overlooking Clear Creek, just outside Denver. This was their fourth sightseeing excursion since they’d explored the San Antonio River Walk together three weeks ago. Today, they’d decided to go on a short hike to take advantage of Colorado’s stunning scenery. Taylor was somewhere behind them on the trail, but in their hats and sunglasses, no one had paid them any attention.
“It’s so peaceful.” Eden stretched her legs out in front of herself on the rock. Their resting spot overlooked Clear Creek Canyon, although the creek looked more like a river to Anna. It rushed over the rocks below, water churning. “I’ve always loved hiking.”
“So this is something you’ve done more recently than that ice-cream cone when you were ten?” Anna teased.
Eden scoffed. “Ihavehad fun as an adult, you know.”
Anna raised her eyebrows. “Do tell.”
“I own a house in Vermont. It’s on about seventy acres, so I can hike right on my own property.”
“Okay, that’s amazing, and also, how many houses do you own, lady?”
“One,” Eden said with a laugh. “I own condos in LA and New York and the house in Vermont. It’s my sanctuary. I stayed there for two months after my divorce, just hiding from the world. I love it there.”
“It sounds wonderful.” Anna was glad Eden had a place like that, somewhere she could be off the radar and go outside without fearing she’d be photographed.
“One of my favorite places in the world.” Eden wrapped her arms around her knees, and for a few minutes, they both watched the water rushing through the canyon below. There was something so peaceful about sitting here, surrounded by trees, just taking it all in.
Even the air felt fresher here in the woods. It was mid-June now, but the air was crisp and cool in Colorado, nothing like San Antonio’s sticky heat. Being on tour was exposing Anna to so many parts of the country she’d never seen before, and she was loving every minute.
Her feelings for Eden were growing, though. It was getting harder for Anna to hide how much she wanted and cared about her. In her more optimistic moments, she still hoped she’d wake up one day and miraculously have moved on. And then there were the moments when she feared Eden was acting weird or reserved around her, like she’d noticed Anna’s crush.
But surely that was just Anna’s overactive imagination ...
Eden pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her shorts and began typing rapidly on the screen. “Just had a thought for one of the new songs I’m working on,” she explained after she’d finished.
“Ah,” Anna said. “Have you been doing a lot of songwriting?”
Eden nodded. “I’d love to go into the studio after the tour’s finished.”
“I’ve been working on a few new songs too,” Anna told her.
“Yeah? How’s it coming?”
Anna shrugged. “Slower than I’d like.”
Eden sighed. “Same. I think I’m a little gun shy after my last album did so poorly.”
“Sales might have been disappointing by your usual standard, but it didn’t do that badly, Eden. I think you’re being too hard on yourself.”
Eden looked down at her hands. “Not according to my label. They were extremely disappointed and made sure I knew it.”
“I’m sorry. That sounds like a lot of pressure.”
Eden laughed bitterly. “This industry is nothingbutpressure once you’ve reached a certain level. Honestly, it’s exhausting, and it sucks some of the joy out of doing the job you love, constantly being told you didn’t smile enough, didn’t sell enough, didn’t promote hard enough.”
“Have you considered taking a break?” Anna asked.
Eden shook her head. “I don’t want a break. What else would I do? Music is pretty much my whole life, but songwriting’s been slow for me lately. I’m not exactly inspired to write love songs at the moment, but I’m not heartbroken either. I’m just ... meh.”
“Have you ever tried using books or movies as inspiration?” Anna asked. “Not to plagiarize or anything, obviously, but just to get in the right emotional mood, like watching a romantic movie to inspire a love song.”
“I haven’t, but that’s not a bad idea.”
