Page 42 of Fractured Dreams

Eden had tried every way she knew how to get Noah to tell her what the problem was, but he was uncharacteristically closemouthed on the subject. He’d also continued to drink more heavily than he usually did, and that concerned her.

His behavior didn’t make any sense, and not only was she worried about him, but she felt she was walking a tightrope trying to see Tex secretly, scared that a single misstep could send them both hurtling to the ground.

Luckily, Eden’s volunteer work ended up being not only something she loved doing, but also meant that if she didn’t tell Noah her exact hours, she could see Tex before or after her shifts. And if Noah had plans with Crossfire, even better, because it gave Eden and Tex hours of uninterrupted time together. They spent those hours naked and exploring each other’s bodies in his bed, going for rides on his motorcycle, or just sitting and talking, learning all the details of each other’s lives. Anything where it could be just the two of them still sequestered in their own little world. The time they stole together was never enough for Eden though. Never long enough to satisfy her desire for him.

As she began counting down the weeks until she had to leave for her internship, Eden became more and more desperate to spend time with Tex, the date of her departure looming like a storm cloud on the horizon. She kept telling herself it was only six months, that if she and Tex had something meaningful, then they could last that long. Then she could come back to LA, Noah would know everything, and they could finally start having a real relationship.

That was the reason she was currently sitting in the waiting room of an LA-based music therapy clinic waiting to meet with the clinic’s director.

The receptionist had pointed Eden toward one of the comfortable couches lining the room, and as she waited, she looked around at the colorful pictures on the wall showing children playing different instruments, smiling and happy. There were boxes of toys in the corner of the room and two small tables with coloring pencils and paper. Everything looked clean and well cared for, if a little worn.

A few minutes later, a tall slim woman came through the door, her brown eyes warm as she smiled at Eden and held out her hand.

“You must be Eden,” she said, as Eden stood and took her hand, giving it a firm shake. “I’m Jemma, the director of Healing Beats.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Thank you so much for seeing me today.”

“It’s always nice to meet new graduates,” Jemma said. “So, your email said you’re interested in possibly joining our team after you receive your certification, is that correct?”

“Yes, in a few weeks I’ll be heading to Oregon to do my internship, and I’ll be taking my exam after that. I’m looking into the possibility of moving back to LA and getting a permanent position here.”

Jemma nodded. “Well, let me show you around, and then we can talk some more in my office.”

She led Eden out the back to the therapy rooms, talking as they walked. “So, as you probably already know, we’re a not-for-profit organization that focuses on inspiring creativity and imagination by providing music education classes and instruments to disadvantaged and at-risk children and youth throughout the LA area. We also offer group sessions for children that have social, sensory or communication concerns, and one-on-one sessions to help those that need more intense help. We also partner with several early learning centers, schools, day programs, hospitals, and community support services to run outreach programs across the greater LA region.”

She showed Eden the individual session rooms and the larger group session room, then took her back to her office, sitting down at a slightly shabby desk, with a computer several years old sitting on the corner. Eden sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk.

Jemma typed on her keyboard, then looked at something on the screen. “So, it says here you’re doing your internship at the Claire Bailey Music Therapy Clinic in Portland?”

“Yes, I start in just under three weeks.”

“But you’ve decided you’d like to return to LA after you’ve completed your certification?”

“I’m looking into it at this stage. My brother lives here, and it would be nice to live closer to him. I thought I’d arrange this meeting to see if working here might be an option.”

“Well, I’ve looked at your resume and college results and I can’t see any reason you wouldn’t do well at the clinic. If you’re still keen once you’re certified, we would definitely be interested in having you as part of the team.” Excitement surged through Eden, but it was dampened when Jemma continued. “However, I can’t make any promises at this stage because we don’t currently have any vacancies. We’re hoping to expand the number of therapists we have, and we’re looking to get a grant to allow us to hire more. But the grant program is extremely competitive obviously, and music therapy is still struggling to achieve as much mainstream recognition as some other therapeutic practices. But the good news is, we’re currently looking into several fundraising options which might help us expand further.”

Eden nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. “I understand.” An idea occurred to her. “Um, fundraising is an area I’m also interested in getting involved with in the future.” It was too early to say anything more but considering her brother and the other band members already supported several music therapy initiatives, she was sure it was something she’d be able to help with.

Jemma smiled warmly. “That’s wonderful! Help is always appreciated. And I’m hopeful that we’ll soon have more positions available.” She handed Eden her card. “Once you’re certified, feel free to reach out and touch base again.”

Eden slipped the card into her purse, then stood and held out her hand. “Thank you so much for meeting with me today.”

They shook hands and Jemma showed Eden out.

As Eden drove back to Noah’s house, she thought about her conversation with Jemma, wondering whether she actually could use her connection to Fractured to help with fundraising. She knew the band had done several benefit concerts before, and that they donated some proceeds from sales of their albums, but she thought about whether there was more they could do. Perhaps they could get people to donate by offering a VIP experience with the band, or figure out a way to get some of the bigger music influencers involved in spreading the word. Maybe they could even consider getting more of the artists attached to Fractured’s label to contribute.

Eden spent the rest of her drive thinking of various fundraising ideas, feeling cautiously optimistic about the prospect of coming back to LA—and Tex—at the end of her internship.

Her mind turned back to telling Noah the truth, something that seemed to consume her thoughts all too frequently these days. With only a few weeks left before she headed off, she knew they needed to bite the bullet soon. Or rather,shedid. She was the one that kept insisting they put it off, hopeful that Noah’s bad mood would dissipate so that when he heard the news, he’d be happy for her, and not turn into an overprotective big brother again.

Familiar disquiet caused Eden’s stomach to churn. Her apprehension had only continued to grow over the last few weeks. She knew she was probably blowing it all out of proportion, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that once they revealed their relationship to her brother, everything between her and Tex would change, and not necessarily in a good way. It was almost as if the closer they got to telling Noah, the more the future she’d started dreaming of—a future she hoped would have Tex in it—seemed to grow out of reach.

Eden sighed. She was being ridiculous and worrying for no reason. Still, they’d kept the secret for that long, she couldn’t see any harm in waiting just a little longer to see if Noah would relax. Then she and Tex could tell him the truth and Eden could put all the anxiety behind her and concentrate on her future.

Maybe eventheirfuture.

Chapter 25

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