“I do it a lot. Our current show might inspire some weird songs,” Anna said with a laugh. She and Eden had started watchingHow to Get Away with Murdertogether last week. “But maybe we should watch a romantic movie together tomorrow before the show and try to get some good songwriting in afterward?”
Eden smiled. “I’d love that.”
Eden sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed. Tonight, she’d give her second performance in Denver before continuing to Minneapolis. She tapped lyrics into the document on her phone, her mind spinning withmusic. She’d unlocked something as she sat on that rock by the river yesterday.
“Turbulent” was the title that had come to mind as she watched the water surging through Clear Creek. It described so much of her life recently. She couldn’t write a decent love song, but she was pouring her heart into this song about her personal crisis.
She opened the app she used to record herself and sang a rough verse before she lost the melody in her head. In this way, songwriting was so much easier now than it used to be. Her phone allowed her to compose and record her ideas on the go. It was much more efficient than the notebook she’d relied on at the beginning of her career.
As she finished recording, her phone dinged with an incoming text message.
Anna:
Want to watch a romcom with me? And write love songs after?
Eden:
Yes!
Anna:
Should I come to your room? I’ve got snacks!
Eden:
I’ll come to you this time. See you in a few.
Eden set down her phone and pressed a hand over her racing heart. Somehow it didn’t seem like a good idea to have Anna in her bed this afternoon—no matter how innocent the context—not that being in Anna’s bed was much better. Eden’s head was an absolute mess when it came to Anna lately. She was doing her best to embrace the joy of being around her and ignore the rest. It was the only way to keep herself even semirational these days.
She texted Taylor and asked her to escort her to Anna’s room. Eden had gotten so used to having Taylor accompany her everywhere that she hadn’t realized how dependent on her she’d become until she saw Anna going about her life, unconcerned with the consequences of being recognized.
Eden envied her that freedom, but she’d been cornered by paparazzi or overzealous fans too many times to risk it. It was a helpless feeling to be mobbed by people who had no respect for her personal space or her safety, who ignored her attempts to flee, who wouldn’t hesitate to photograph her in an embarrassing or vulnerable moment.
She loved to interact with her fans, but she needed the sense of security that came with having Taylor nearby, the knowledge that if anyone got too pushy, Taylor would intervene. Eden had so little control over her life sometimes, but she had this.
A knock at the door signaled Taylor’s arrival. Eden picked up her phone and walked to the door, checking the peephole before she opened it.
“You two watching another movie together this afternoon?” Taylor asked with a smile as Eden stepped into the hall.
“Yeah.”
“Glad you’ve found a friend on tour.” Taylor scanned the hallway as she led the way to the elevator.
“Me too.” Eden heard what Taylor wasn’t saying. She’d accompanied Eden on her last three tours, so she knew better than anyone that Eden was usually a hermit. Sightseeing afternoons or even watchingmovies with a friend wasn’t something Eden usually did, and unsurprisingly, she was having more fun on this tour than she could ever remember having.
The elevator was thankfully empty when it arrived. Taylor pushed the button for the thirty-ninth floor, five floors down from Eden’s suite. Two floors into their journey, the elevator slid to a stop and four women got on, chatting excitedly among themselves.
Eden watched as Taylor discreetly pressed the button for the fortieth floor, giving them a decoy exit if they were spotted. The last thing they wanted was to lead anyone to Anna’s door or to spark any rumors about why Eden was on her way to Anna’s room.
Sure enough, as the elevator dinged its arrival on the fortieth floor, one of the women met Eden’s eyes in the mirrored wall and let out a shriek. “Oh my God!” she squealed. “It’s you. I mean, itisyou, right? We’re going to your show tonight, and oh myGod!”
“It’s me,” Eden confirmed as the doors to the elevator opened, and just like that, all eyes were on her, four women gaping as they realized they were in the elevator with a celebrity.
Taylor placed a hand against her back, ushering her into the hallway.
One of the women stuck her hand out, holding the door open. “This is so surreal. We’re such big fans, and maybe we hoped you were staying at the Four Seasons, too, but we never imagined we’d actuallyseeyou.”
Eden smiled. “Surprise! Thanks so much for coming to the show. I appreciate it.”