Maybe it was time for Anna to hire a security person of her own. Then she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. “Come with me.”
She turned to find Eden’s driver standing beside her. She’d never been so grateful to see someone as she allowed him to lead her through the throng of fans. Ahead, she could see Taylor with Eden, and relief flooded her all over again. Anna didn’t say anything as they walked. Eden kept her head up, the picture of nonchalance, when Anna knew she must be anything but.
Taylor hustled them through the park and into the waiting car. Anna flopped against the seat, breathing hard. She was sweaty and frazzled and felt a sudden need for a shower after having so many hands and bodies touching her.
She twisted to face Eden. “You can say it.”
Eden’s hair was somewhat disheveled, and her neck was splotchy, but overall she looked more composed than Anna would have expected. Then again, that was Eden. She was always composed. That was whyit had thrown Anna so much when she broke down in tears after they kissed. She looked at Anna. “Say what?”
“You told me so,” Anna said. “Because you did. Yousodid.”
Eden nodded and turned away, staring out the window as the car pulled away from the curb. And she wasn’t okay. Anna could see that now. Her hands, which were clenched in her lap, shook, and she was breathing funny, like she was trying not to hyperventilate. Of course, Eden would panic quietly when she was in public. She must have been terrified out there, and it was all Anna’s fault.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Eden didn’t respond. She swallowed, and Anna heard the click of her dry throat. She reached for a bottle of water from the center console and handed it to Eden.
“Some fans spotted you while you were taking selfies in front of the bean,” Taylor said from the front seat. “They started following you, live streaming on Instagram, and every fan in the area—which there are a lot of, because of the show tonight—flooded into the park to try to spot you. I apologize. I should have stayed closer.”
“It’s all right.” Eden sounded hoarse. She cleared her throat and then took a drink from the bottle Anna had given her. “I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.”
“I had no idea.” Anna clutched her seat belt. “I’d never experienced ... I mean, there were so many, and they were so pushy ...”
Eden just nodded. She didn’t say anything else for the rest of the drive.
That was the end of their sightseeing excursions. For the next few days, Anna barely saw Eden, except when they were at the arena. But she missed her. She missed hanging out with her, even if it meant staying in one of their hotel rooms. They had watched half of the first seasonofHow to Get Away with Murdertogether before everything got weird, so on Friday morning, she texted Eden.
Anna:
We need to catch up with our favorite murderers!
Eden:
Yes, we do.
Anna:
This afternoon?
Eden:
Sure. Come to my room after lunch.
It was all so polite, but Anna’s pulse was already racing. Sure, she was looking forward to watching a few more episodes ofHow to Get Away with Murderwith Eden, but mostly, she was excited to hang out with her. It was time to put that kiss behind them.
Eden obviously didn’t want to talk about it. Anna could imagine that it would be shocking for a control freak like Eden to realize she was attracted to a woman after having only been attracted to men up until now ... assuming that was what she felt, because honestly Anna had no idea what was going on in her head at this point.
But if Eden was going to keep throwing up walls, Anna would bridge them by doing everything in her power to repair their friendship. It seemed like the safest option, for both of their sakes.
Anna messed around in her room, ordered room service, and enjoyed a delicious pasta dish she’d never heard of—bucatini, who knew? It was like spaghetti that was hollow inside, served in a yummy veggie sauce.
Then she headed to Eden’s room, briefly wondering if she should still be walking the halls by herself after what had happened in Chicago. Maybe she’d gotten too comfortable in her anonymity, because her celebrity had definitely risen since she’d been on tour. David said her overall streaming stats were up—like,wayup.
#Edannamentions online were also way up. The video of Anna and Eden in Millennium Park had gone viral, as had fan speculation about their relationship. Were they friends or more than friends? Their fans couldn’t stop talking about it.
Some of their most dedicated fans were now visiting popular tourist spots on show days, hoping to bump into them. Unfortunately for them, Anna and Eden’s sightseeing days were over.
She made it to Eden’s room without being spotted and knocked, butterflies dancing in her stomach. They hadn’t been alone in a hotel room together since ... well, since the day of the kiss.
