“Bye, Anna.”
“Bye.” Anna flinched as the door closed behind Eden. Unlike Anna, she’d closed it gently, leaving with a whimper instead of a bang.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“And then ... then she said I was being ridiculous,” Anna sobbed into the phone.
“Well, that’s total bullshit.” Zoe sounded outraged.
“I just feel ... I don’t know. Overwhelmed.” Anna wiped her face with the already wet sleeve of her dress. She hadn’t been able to stop crying since Eden left. They’d said some awful, hurtful things, and Anna felt sick. Her mind was a whirlwind, blurring her fight with Eden into every fight she’d ever had with Camille until she was dizzy with the parallels. Why did she keep falling for women more powerful than she was? Shehatedthis feeling.
“Well, you’re basically living and working with her right now, and that’s a lot for any new relationship. Is there any way you can take a break from the tour, come home for a few days to catch your breath?”
“No,” Anna said miserably. “We’re about to fly to London, and then we’ll be nonstop across Europe, and I ... maybe Idoneed a break.”
“Then come home,” Zoe said. “Fuck the tour. Eden’s behavior tonight makes me so uncomfortable after everything you went through with Camille. If she truly loves you, she’ll understand you need a break.”
Anna wiped more tears from her cheeks, remembering what Kyrie had told her about her new relationship with Tate.I think being long distance might be good for us while we get our bearings. I’m going to need to take things slow, so this works for me.
“I’d have to break my contract,” Anna told Zoe.
“And I repeat: if she loves you, she’ll understand.” Zoe’s voice was firm.
If Anna left the tour, Eden could sue her. And maybe that was exactly why Anna had to do this. If Eden wanted to pull her strings, Anna would cut them. She wouldn’t be controlled, not ever again.
“I’m going to call David,” she whispered.
“Good luck,” Zoe said. “Call me back after.”
“Okay.” Anna felt hysteria bubbling up as she disconnected the call and dialed David’s number. She was still crying as she told him everything that had happened that night. “I need a break, David. I want out of the European leg of the tour.”
“Whoa, now. Let’s not be hasty,” David said in her ear. “If you back out, you’ll be in breach of contract. Eden’s team can force your hand, threaten to sue if you don’t fulfill your contracted performances. Or they can take your pay.” He paused. “For the whole tour. You’ll earn nothing. In fact, you’ll lose money, because you still have to pay your staff and dancers.”
“And that’s why I have to do it.” Anna’s voice shook. “I can’t be with her while she has this much control over my life. I need to do this for the sake of our relationship.”
“Okay,” David said quietly. “But sleep on it first. Decisions like this should never be made when you’re this upset.”
“No, I have to do it nowbecauseI’m upset, before I forget how she made me feel tonight. Please, David. Promise me you’ll do it tonight.”
“Anna, no.”
“Yes.” She put every ounce of her strength into that word.
He sighed heavily into the phone. “Fine. If you’re absolutely sure.”
“I am. Thank you.”
“I’ll call with an update when I have one.” He disconnected the call.
Anna set down her phone, tears streaming over her face. She was overreacting. She knew she was. But she also knew she had to do this to protect herself. Once she was no longer contractually obligated to Eden, hopefully they’d be able to continue their relationship on even ground. But that depended on how Eden reacted to what Anna had just done. She wiped more tears from her cheeks, then stripped out of her party dress and headed for the shower.
If Eden sued her for breach of contract, that would be the end of their relationship. And even if she didn’t, she might be so angry that she never wanted to see Anna again. But as Anna sobbed against the shower tiles, she knew it was a chance she had to take. Seeing Camille tonight had been a timely reminder of what Anna had left behind. She was stronger now. She’d worked so hard to get this strong.
By the time she got out of the shower, her phone was ringing. David’s name gleamed on the screen. Suddenly, her decision felt a lot more real. She’d breached her contract, and now she had to deal with the fallout. She started to shake.
“Well, it’s done,” he said as she connected the call.
“Oh.” Her knees went out from under her, and she sat heavily on the bed, wrapped in a towel, her hair dripping down her back. The events of the last hour felt like some sort of drunken nightmare, even though she’d barely had anything to drink. Tonight’s bender had been the emotional kind, and now she’d sobered up and realized what she’d done. Anna felt sick.