“Oh,” she managed. That was pretty damn accurate, but she felt oddly vulnerable for Anna to have read her so easily.
“Hey.” Anna nudged her shoulder. “Look at me.”
Eden opened her eyes, meeting Anna’s steady gaze.
“I told you after that first kiss that I’m here for you, and I meant it. I’d love to help you work through this, but if you don’t want to talk anymore right now, that’s okay too.”
“Thank you,” Eden said. “And I’m truly sorry ... for kissing you and making you feel awkward. I never meant to do that.”
“Hey, it’s okay. Neither of those kisses was one sided. I was very much involved. I just needed to have this conversation with you before anything else happened.” Anna paused. “I have my own hesitations about getting involved with you, because ... well, Camille really messed with my head, but maybe that’s a conversation for another day.”
Eden nodded. She felt overwhelmed and justexhausted. This conversation had come at the tail end of a grueling few months. “Do you think we could just watch TV together for a little longer, but not hiding on opposite sides of the bed this time?”
“Yeah,” Anna said with a gentle smile. “I’d like that.”
They restarted the episode they’d been watching earlier since they’d both gotten distracted and missed a good part of it. This time, they snuggled together in the middle of the bed, and Eden felt her world right itself. In Anna’s arms, her equilibrium returned. Her pulse was still a little faster than it should be, but she didn’t think it had anything to do with fear or stress. That was her reaction to Anna, the reaction she finally felt comfortable acknowledging.
She rested her head on Anna’s chest. It felt so good, socomfortable. Even though Eden felt like she’d fumbled the entire conversation and hadn’t really said anything she needed to say, she felt closer to Anna than ever.
When the credits rolled at the end of the episode, Anna reached over and stopped it before the next episode began to play. They didn’t have time to watch another one before they had to leave for the arena. Eden was so relaxed right now, so tired, she had no idea where she’d find the energy to perform.
Anna rolled to face her, trailing a hand through Eden’s hair. “Okay?”
Eden nodded as a shiver of excitement raced through her. She moved closer, resting a hand on Anna’s hip. It felt unfamiliar, touching a woman this way, but at the same time, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. They smiled at each other, and Eden felt the last of her tension drain away.
“Can I kiss you?” she whispered. “On purpose this time?”
“Yes,” Anna murmured, her gaze dropping to Eden’s lips.
Eden closed the gap between them, brushing her lips against Anna’s. Everything about this kiss was different from its predecessors. Those had been clumsy, unplanned, and frantic. This one was ... soft. It was warm and sensual and made Eden’s toes curl against the duvet. She’d thought that was another myth, another thing people said but didn’t really mean.
Anna’s hand brushed against the bare skin on Eden’s lower back. The hoodie must have ridden up, and Anna’s fingers on her skin felt like heaven. They also lit her on fire. Eden whimpered, pressing closer. Her heart was racing, and she felt the most exquisite ache in her core. It was so intense that she trembled in Anna’s arms.
“Mm,” Anna murmured as her fingers traced patterns on Eden’s lower back. “Now this is more like it.”
“Anna ...” Eden heard the catch in her voice. She sounded breathless and needy, completely unlike herself.
“Yeah?” Anna’s fingers traced the waistband of her leggings, and Eden almost lost her mind. She ached to feel those fingers in other places, even though she knew she wasn’t ready. But God, her body wasbeggingto be touched.
“I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I didn’t know it could be like this.”
Anna pulled back to give her a wicked smile. “Now you know.”
Anna had been on cloud nine when she left Eden’s suite, but by the time she climbed into bed that night, doubt had begun to creep in. Eden had been all business at the arena tonight, her mask as impenetrable as ever. Was she having second thoughts about the things she’d shared, or was she just being her usual guarded self while they had an audience?
Anna was about to shut off the light when her phone chimed with an incoming text.
Eden:
Thanks for this afternoon
Anna:
my pleasure xx
Anna clutched her phone to her chest. Those four words—plus the heart emoji—dissipated all her insecurities. She was so happy that Eden had texted her, that she seemed comfortable with this latest development in their relationship. She had come out to Anna today, and that was such a big deal. It was ahugestep for Eden.
This famously private person had trusted Anna with one of her most vulnerable moments, and Anna didn’t really have words for how much it meant to her. Eden hadn’t explicitly said so, but Anna suspected she was the first person Eden had told, and that was such an honor.
