Page 62 of Fractured Dreams

But she knew it wasn’t when Noah’s expression became pained. “Eden, I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought any relationship between you and Tex was only going to end up hurting you, and that you hadn’t been seeing each other long enough to develop really strong feelings.” He looked at her, eyes searching. “But, yeah, I think I was wrong about that.”

Eden dropped her head in her hands, taking deep breaths to try to calm herself down. “Yes, you were very wrong, Noah.” She looked up at him, her heart cracking in a whole new and painful way. “At least on my part.”

Noah scrubbed his face. “When I called you, you kept telling me you were fine, having fun. So, I kept telling myself I’d done the right thing. But Tex…” He stopped.

“What about Tex?”

“I just assumed Tex would get over it, just pick up where he left off. But, yeah, he’s taken it pretty badly.”

Eden began to shake, anger and hurt flooding her system. Noah stepped forward and put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off, spinning and taking two steps away from him before turning back toward him. “You had no right, Noah!”

“I was trying to look out for you. You’re so young, you deserve a chance to live your life. I didn’t want Tex taking that away from you.” He took a deep breath of his own, then lowered his voice. “I thought I was doing the right thing,” he repeated.

“By not letting me make my own decisions? By taking my choices away? That will never be the right thing, Noah.” She struggled to think of a way to explain the wrongness of it to him. “Can you imagine if at eighteen when the record company came knocking, if someone had said they didn’t think it was right for you, and then decided on your behalf? And didn’t even tell you. Made it seem like it was your fault it didn’t work out. What, just because I’m a young woman I somehow don’t have agency in my own life? I need a man to make the hard decisions for me?” Eden didn’t think she’d ever been so angry in her entire life.

Noah gripped the back of his neck with both hands. “I’m sorry, Eden, I really am. If I could go back and change things I would. I never wanted you to have a broken heart; that’s what I was trying to prevent.”

“He didn’t just break my heart Noah; he tore it out and ripped it to shreds. Because you told him to.”

He shook his head. “I didn’t tell him to do that. I just told him you didn’t know what you were getting into, that it would end up being too hard, that he would end up hurting you, even if he didn’t mean to. I didn’t want that for you.”

“So, what did you think was going to happen? That we’d just shrug our shoulders and go our separate ways. Ilovedhim; it was never going to not break my heart.”

Tex’s voice, rough with pain, came from behind her. “Eden.”

Noah winced and gave her an apologetic look.

Eden screwed her eyes shut for a second before taking a deep bracing breath and turning to face the man who still haunted her dreams. Might as well get everything out now, since she didn’t know when she was going to see either of them again after tonight. Not with how angry and betrayed she felt right at that moment.

“Ilovedyou, Tex. Before you decided to be like my whole family and try to make my decisions for me.”

“Sweetheart—”

Tears sprang to her eyes at hearing him call her that, and she cut him off before she threw herself back into his arms.

“Please, don’t. Both of you treated me like a child that doesn’t know what’s good for her.” She looked at Tex, her eyes hot with unshed tears. “Is that how you see me, as a child? Someone who doesn’t know what she wants, what she needs?”

Tex shook his head, jaw tense, but he didn’t say anything.

“I deserved better than that. From both of you. How can I trust you, not knowing when I might have the rug pulled from under me again when one or both of you decide I need ‘guidance’ on how to live my life?”

Tex spoke. “I never wanted to hurt you Eden. Please, can we just talk somewhere in private?”

Eden’s heart was breaking again. Was she always going to feel like a kid, tagging along behind the adults, just wanting them to see her—to hear her?

Noah spoke up again then. “I saw your face that night, after the concert, when that woman gave Tex her number. I didn’t want that life for you, Eden, the missing him, the worry, how hardit can be. And what about your job? I know how much you love it. Did you think about what being with someone like Tex would mean for your job?”

Eden’s head felt like it was going to explode. She looked between the two of them before her eyes landed back on Noah. “If you’d asked me, I would have told you, that yes, it was a shock that night. I wasn’t expecting it, and it was hard to see. But I got over it. What is it about me that makes you think I need to be sheltered from the realities of life, that makes you think I can’t cope? I would have dealt with it.”

She switched her gaze to Tex. “And what part of me telling you I loved you made you think I didn’t know my own mind, my heart? Even after New York, I was still prepared to risk it all with you. I was prepared to do that because I trusted you. Right at the start you told me you weren’t like Mason, and you’re not. I could have—would have—handled it because to me, being with you was worth it. And because I trusted that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.” A sharp laugh escaped her at that. “At least I did then anyway.”

She turned back to Noah. “And had I thought about what it might mean for my work? Yes, because I’m an adult capable of rational thought. I knew it would be a risk. That if things had worked out with us there was a chance I might not be employable in the career I’ve worked toward. That I might have to leave a job I love. And you know what, I would have been prepared to do that. Because when it comes down to it, it’s just a job. And what I really want in life, is to help people—to use music to help people—and being a music therapist isn’t the only job where I can do that. There are other options. Maybe I could work in a different area where publicity could do some actual good. Or who knows, maybe I could have started my own charity, trying to raise awareness in different ways.”

She turned her gaze back to Tex, who met it unflinchingly, although pain shone in his eyes. “I would have done that because there are two things that make life worthwhile, doing something you’re passionate about, and being with people you love and trust. And I wanted both. I could havehadboth. But you didn’t give me the choice, so certain you knew my heart and mind better than me. Just like everyone else, you thought I needed protecting from life, from myself. That I couldn’t be trusted to know what’s good for me, what I can and can’t handle. I’d expect that from Noah, he can’t help himself, but not…” she sucked in a short, sharp breath. “But not from you, Tex.” Her voice wobbled at the end.

“Eden…” His voice was hoarse as he reached for her.

“No, don’t touch me.” She twisted away from him, scared that if she let him get his hands on her, let him pull her to his broad chest, stroke her skin, she would cave. And she didn’t want that. She had thought he was different, that he saw her differently, but it turned out he was just like everyone else.

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