“I ... well ...,” Eden stammered, clenching her arms tighter across her chest. “You know what? I don’t care. I was going to ask you to attend the party tonight as my date, because I was ready to make things public, and then you invited Camille and ruined everything.”
“You wanted to tell people about us?” That stopped Anna in her tracks.
Eden sucked in a ragged breath. “Yes. I love you, and I want the world to know. I wanted to walk into that party tonight with you on my arm. I wanted to kiss you onstage tomorrow night and let the Edanna fans go crazy for us.”
“And I just wanted someone to listen tomefor a change!” Anna was still yelling. Tears burned her eyes, and she couldn’t catch her breath. She wasn’t even sure why she was so upset, because she loved Eden just as much, but suddenly Eden was making decisions for her the way Camille had, and Anna couldn’t go through that again.
Shewouldn’t.
“I listened!” Eden cried. “I didn’t say anything to anyone about us tonight without your permission. I just ... I couldn’t stand seeing you with her.”
“But you aren’t listening. You told Paris I wouldn’t need my own hotel room anymore without even talking to me about it, and then—despite me asking you to let me handle Camille tonight—you just blasted in there and made a scene that will probably make headlines tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry about making a scene with Camille.” Eden pressed her hands over her face, and when she took them away, her cheeks were streaked with tears. “But I didn’t tell Paris you don’t need a hotel room. I just mentioned to her that you might not, that I wanted to ask you about it since you were spending almost every night in mine. It seemed pointless to have two.”
“Then why didn’t you ask me?”
“Yet, Anna.” Eden sounded frustratingly calm despite the tears on her cheeks. “I hadn’t asked youyet. There were a lot of things I wanted to talk about during our flight today, and then you brought up Camille and derailed the conversation.”
But Anna’s mind had spun ahead to Europe, to the fact that Edencouldcancel Anna’s hotel reservation if she wanted to. She had that power. She got to make all the decisions about the tour because she was the star. What if they broke up? Would Eden use the tour to punish her, to sabotage Anna’s newfound success?
That’s what Camille would do.
Anna pressed her hands over her eyes. “I feel so powerless right now.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you’reyou.” Anna forced herself to look at Eden. “This is your tour. I’m just the opening act. I’m ... replaceable.”
Eden made a sound like she’d been kicked in the stomach. “You arenot.”
“But I am. You could get someone else to open for you in Europe if we ... if we broke up or whatever.” Anna swallowed painfully.
“Stop it.” Eden stepped forward and took Anna’s hands in hers. “We aren’t breaking up, and even if we did, I would never replace you as my opening act. Anna, I’m so sorry for how I acted downstairs, but you’re just being ridiculous now.”
Don’t be ridiculous, Anna. You’re overreacting.
Camille’s words echoed in her head, and when Anna exhaled, she half expected to see smoke escaping from her nostrils. She certainly felt like she was on fire. “Don’tevercall me ridiculous. I never thought you’d act like Camille. I don’t even know who you are right now.”
“That makes two of us, then.” Eden’s voice trembled, and more tears splashed over her cheeks. “Because I can’t believe you’d accuse me of being anything like her.”
Anna pulled her hands free from Eden’s. “I just ... I need some space.”
“Oh.” Eden blinked. “You mean ...”
“I want you to leave. I need to be alone tonight.”
“Okay,” Eden whispered. “But ... we’re okay, right?”
“I don’t know. I just ... I need time to think.” And she needed a woman who respected her request for space. Camille had never been that person. She’d push and smother Anna when she asked for room to think.
But Eden nodded. “Okay, I’ll be ... I’ll be in my room. Please call if you want to talk more, okay? Or just come up?”
“Not tonight,” Anna told her. “I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
“Okay,” Eden murmured, eyes downcast. Her cheeks were wet with tears. “I just, um, need to text Taylor.”
“Yep.” Anna turned toward the window. Even upset, she didn’t want Eden to go out there without her bodyguard for backup. She heard Eden typing on her phone and several heartbreaking sniffles. And then ...
