Page 68 of Fractured Dreams

Tex spoke then, looking out at the audience, his smooth, southern drawl, sending goose bumps rippling over Eden’s skin. “I wrote this song for a woman. She told me once that music bridges the gap between us, that it lets us communicate in a way we all understand. It lets us say what’s in our hearts. So that’s what I’m doing. I’m laying myself bare, shouting how I feel from the rooftops and whispering the intimate secrets of my heart. I only hope she’ll hear me.”

Eden’s shocked inhalation as he repeated the words she’d told him months ago was drowned out by the screams and catcalls from the crowd, a chorus of women calling out their undying love to Tex as they realized what was happening. But Tex ignored it all, his fingers idly plucking the strings, and she wondered if he was nervous. If this was the first time he’d sung to an audience since he was a little boy.

He hadn’t looked over at her as he spoke, and she wasn’t sure if he didn’t know where she was standing, or just didn’t want to see her expression. But as soon as he finished talking, he dropped his head to look at his guitar, his fingers moving over the strings, a complex, haunting riff echoing out through the room. He hadn’t even started singing and tears had already sprung to Eden’s eyes. He was doing this—exposing himself to everyone—forher.

When she finally heard his voice, husky and melodic, pain crashed down on her as she listened to the words she’d been too angry to let him tell her in person at the wedding.

You weren’t meant for me, but I couldn’t resist

The touch of your hand, the burn of your kiss

Rules are made to be broken, so I took you as mine

I lived for your smiles, while I begged for more time

You were the spark that started the flame

A mistake I would make again and again

You were the spark that set me alight

Now I’m here all alone in the dark of the night

The hurt in your eyes, the pain on your face

Where your fire once burned, now there’s ash in its place

If I could choose again darlin’, there’d be no choice at all

I’d hold on to you tightly, back to the wall

Whiskey’s my medicine now, it helps me to sleep

’Cause heartbeat to heartbeat I struggle to breathe

Still yearnin’ for your flame, I twist and I turn

Your fire may have gone out, but I still long for the burn

You were the spark that started the flame

A mistake I would make again and again

You were the spark that set me alight

Now I’m here all alone in the dark of the night

The screams that had rung out when Tex first started singing had died, now everyone was quiet, enthralled by the aching poignancy in his voice. As he sang, pain and truth in every word, Eden’s heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Lexie stroked the back of her hand as hot tears overflowed from her eyes, trickling down her cheeks.

She’ddone that to him. Even if his decision to push her away had been completely misguided, he’d done it to save her from the hurt he’d thought he’d cause. But when she’d walked away from him it had been to save herself. She’d had every right to be furious about what he and Noah had done, but after she’d found out the truth of why he’d done it, she’d refused to hear him out—to let herself look too closely at his motivations—choosing instead to barricade her heart behind her hurt and anger, her own insecurities. She’d forgotten that as famous as Tex was, as insanely sexy, and gorgeous and talented as he was, he was still a man like any other, with his own hopes and dreams, his own fears and insecurities. He’d made a mistake and he’d hurt her—badly—but it was clear he’d hurt himself just as much in the process.

Eden couldn’t breathe. If she didn’t get out of here right now, she would start sobbing uncontrollably. She wanted to talk to him,neededto talk to him. But she couldn’t do it here not like this. She turned and began pushing her way through the crowd.

A commotion sounded from the stage behind her, the squeal of electronic feedback, a guitar clattering to the ground. Then footsteps coming up fast behind her, excited shrieks from the crowd.

“Eden!” His strong arms caught her around the middle and he pulled her back against his chest. “Eden, I’m sorry. I tried to let you go, but I can’t. I can’t.” She struggled to free herself, her tears coming hard and fast.

“Listen to me, Eden,” he said in her ear as he held her immobile. “I love you. I’m sorry for what I did. Sorry I broke your heart. I broke mine when I broke yours, and I don’t know if I’ll ever recover from it. I told myself I was protecting you, and God help me I swear I thought I was—I would do anything for you, sweetheart. But deep down I was also protecting myself. From the hurt if you ended up walking away. It took me a while—too long—but I finally figured out that you can’t protect yourself from love gone wrong, all you can do is take a leap of faith and hope like hell the person you love is there to catch you before you hit the ground. Please give me another chance. Giveusanother chance. If you want to stay in Portland after your internship, we can do long distance, I’ll visit every chance I get. Just let me prove to you how sorry I am.”

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