Bubblegum

Part 7

It had been a few days since the concert and things had been tense between Eden and Jake. After staying the night in the guest room, Eden had woken up before everyone else, and quietly made her exit, getting an Uber home and only texting Sam that she'd made it home okay. After flopping into the comfort of her own bed, she noticed Elton on the other side, and dragged the cat into her arms. He resisted for a moment, but eventually relaxed and curled back up to sleep again. Eden squeezed her eyes shut as her conversation with Sam played over in her head.

"You're falling in love with Jake?" Sam whispered. Eden shrugged and put a hand over her eyes.

"I don't know. I just know when he kissed me the other day, it felt amazing. I felt all bubbly inside." she sighed. "Maybe it's just because I haven't kissed anyone in a long time. Maybe I'm just attention starved or something." Sam studied her face, then moved her hand away from her face, gently grabbing her chin and making her face him. Eden was about to ask him what he was doing, when Sam's lips pressed against hers. His hand moved to cup her cheek and deepen the kiss, and Eden brought a hand up and pressed it flat against his chest.

"How was that?" Sam asked. Eden shook her head with an apologetic smile.

"I felt nothing." she admitted, and Sam grinned and shrugged.

"So you really like Jake, huh?" Sam laid on his back, staring at the ceiling.

"You can't say a word." Eden sat up, looming over him. "This could just be me tipsy and projecting my hurt feelings as something more. This stays between you and me, Sam." Sam lifted up a pinky, and Eden wrapped her own around his.

Currently, Eden was sat at the keyboard in the recording studio/basement of Casa de Greta, Sam working on a guitar lick behind her. She was quietly plucking out a song that had been in her head when her phone buzzed. She picked up the phone swiping the screen to answer the call from Bryan.

"Big new gorgeous!" he greeted her excitedly. "I've got everything all squared away for your next album! The writers are on, and they've got some good stuff, real chart toppers."

"That's great." Eden feigned excitement. "Bryan, I was hoping to be able to write a few of my own songs, though. Louise and Matt are great writers, but they don't really listen to any of my input."

"Oh Eden, you'll have input!" Bryan scoffed. Eden's eyes caught movement and watched as Jake and Josh entered the room, carrying cups of coffee and tea. "But they're the professionals. We didn't sign you for your songwriting. Remember those terrible songs you came to us with?"

"Yeah, I remember." Eden mumbled dejectedly. She had worked on those songs for months and years, putting her all into them. "I'm just..I'm just getting really tired of singing about things I don't care about, Bryan."

"Well start caring, Eden." Bryan said, his tone no-nonsense. "Until your contract is up, you're going to record whatever the label wants you to." Eden felt her blood boil, knowing he was right. "We'll need you in the studio in three weeks. Get a lot of throat coat, and those lozenges Ariana always talks about. Gotta go!"

"Okay, bye." Eden hung up her phone, and let her head fall onto the keys of the piano. The horrible chord that was playing made Sam stop playing his guitar.

"What's got you down, Edie?" Josh asked, handing her a cup of tea. Eden lifted her head and took the cup from his hands.

"Don't ever, ever sell your soul for a record deal." she mumbled, taking a sip. Jake gave her a concerned look, but Eden ignored him. He had yet to apologize for snapping at her after the concert. Their last coffee date she spent on her phone, playing a game while Jake played on a guitar app, neither really talking to the other.