“She let you out of your contract, no penalties. You get to keep your salary for the shows you’ve already performed, which is honestly more than you deserve for pulling a stunt like this.” David tsked. “Sothat’s that. I asked Kyrie to schedule a flight back to LA for you both on Sunday morning.”
“Oh.” Anna’s throat constricted painfully. That was that. She was done. She was out.
Camille would have sued her. Camille would have made threats and done everything in her power to force Anna to go to Europe with her. Eden hadn’t even tried to fight her. She hadn’t tried to control Anna. Eden had respected her decision, no questions asked.
Eden wasn’t Camille, not by a long shot.
Oh God. What have I done?
“I’ll have Kyrie check in with you in the morning, okay?”
“Mm-hmm,” she managed through her tears. “Thank you.”
“Yep. Sorry it didn’t work out. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Thanks. Bye.” She hung up the phone. The screen glistened with a combination of tears and water from the shower. As she wiped the moisture from the glass, she saw Eden’s name gleaming on the screen.
Eden:
Jesus, Anna!
Eden:
How did we get here?
Eden:
I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.
Eden:
Please call me? Or let me see you?
Eden:
Please.
The first text had been sent not long after Anna got off the phone with David the first time. She sobbed harder, having the sudden crushing realization that she’d fucked up. Seeing Camille tonight had sent her spiraling into a bad headspace. Now she’d ruinedeverything.
Eden wasn’t pulling Anna’s strings. No, that was still Camille. After all this time, Anna wasstillletting Camille control the way she reacted to certain situations, and now it might have cost her the woman she loved. Well, no more.
Without pausing to consider what she was doing, Anna typed in the number she still knew by heart, despite having deleted Camille from her address book years ago. It connected almost before it had begun to ring.
“Anna? What a lovely surprise.” Camille’s voice was like velvet, it was so smooth. Anna could hear the thorns underneath, though, and she was tired of repairing the damage they caused.
“I’m just calling to say I’m done, Camille. If you ever ask for another party invite, it will be declined. If we bump into each other at an awards show, I will say a polite hello and keep walking. We. Are. Finished.”
“I guess you’ve managed to latch yourself on to Eden Sands after all, hmm?” Camille purred. “Well, darling, that won’t last. It never does with women like her.”
“You’re not listening to me.” Anna’s voice rose. Her throat was still raw from shouting at Eden. Performing tomorrow would be rough, except ... she wouldn’t be. She was off the tour. Because she’d let Camille get in her head. Again. Fresh tears broke free. “You’re toxic, Camille. Your criticisms don’t help me improve. They cut me down. Honestly, I could spend hours explaining how badly you’ve hurt me over the years, but I don’t have the energy, and you’d never listenanyway. I’ve let you poison my life for way too long, but it ends tonight.”
“How dare you speak to me like that, you ungrateful little—”
“Do us both a favor and don’t finish that sentence. I’m finished. I don’t know how to be any more clear about it. Goodbye, Camille. Don’t contact me or my staff again.”
She wrenched the phone away from her ear and stabbed the red button to end the call. Then she curled up on her bed and sobbed. A heavy feeling settled over her, and she shivered, realizing suddenly she was still wrapped in a towel from the shower. She’d finally said the things she should have told Camille years ago, but had she said them too late?
With shaking fingers, she lifted her phone and clicked on Eden’s name. “I’m so sorry,” she gasped the moment she heard the call connect.
