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59|Laura Stone
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2024-10-29 19:42:56An hour later, as Eden went through her evening routine with Aiden, she was still reeling from her hot encounters with his father.
"Ducky!" Her son screeched with excitement as he held up his bath toys and splashed water everywhere, and for a little while, Eden just watched him play, floored by the immense love she felt for him.
His father might be an asshole half the time, but he knew how to please her for sure, and it's only a matter of time before she crawled back to him, begging to be pleased like he was so convinced she will.
Mortified at the direction her thoughts were taking, She mentally shook herself, "No!"
She couldn't and shouldn't allow this thing between her and Liam to burn out of control like Clara warned her it would.
He's married, and he still hated her. However painful they were to accept, those two facts hadn't changed; no matter how intense his desire for her had grown over the past month.
It's true what
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Begin Again 60|Family Reunion
Eden had just gotten home and kicked off her shoes when her bell rang. She leaned on the door and groaned, annoyed with whoever was on the other side. She wasn't in the mood for company; the last thing she wanted was uninvited guests. What she did need though was a long bubble bath in her clawfoot tub, some peace and a good bottle of wine to drown her sorrows. Exactly what the doctor would order for the end of another week of terrible decisions and heartache. She wasn't destined to get either. The bell rang again, shattering any illusions of a peaceful evening she may have had. "Gosh!" She groaned as she straightened her back and turned to confront the intrusion. Ice cold fury seeped through her veins when she flung the flimsy door wide open and found her parents on her front porch with worried frowns on their faces and numerous gift bags in their hands. Of course, Eden thought as she leaned on the doorjamb and appraise
Begin Again 61|La Famiglia
Across town, at a family-owned restaurant whose speciality is all things Italian, in a secluded corner booth reserved for very important people like his parents, Liam was just as miserable as the woman he'd kissed on impulse in the printing room earlier in the week. He was seriously glad his shitty week is finally over. Now he can drink himself to a stupor and forget all the shit with Eden. He glumly picked at his starter—a hearty minestrone soup— and silently fumed over their latest confrontation in his office. He'd called her in because he'd wanted to have an open, honest conversation with her about their relationship, and offer her an olive branch of some sort. But the minute Eden put up walls around her again, the same walls that took him over a month to break down, the lengthy apology speech he'd prepared flew right out of the window— "—Darling, is everything okay?" His mom’s voice cut through his thoughts, and Liam looked up from his soup, start
Begin Again 62|Meet The McBrides
"If it isn't the Andersons! Aren't you all a sight for sore eyes!" Professor McBride's booming voice and hearty chuckle resounded through the room. As much as Liam didn't want to, he found himself looking up from his phone; the man's laugh was infectious, and he sounded genuinely pleased to see his parents. For the longest, confusing second of his life, Liam thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when they fell on Eden. This is new, he thought, blinking up at her. He scratched his head, baffled by this turn of events. He's been blind drunk before and saw double everything. Hell, some of his worst and best decisions were made whilst he was deep in the semi-comatose stages of inebriation. But seeing people, more specifically, the one woman whose touch set him ablaze and whose body he desired with a passion that terrified him, was certainly a new occurrence. "Liam!" His mom rammed him hard in his ribs with her elbow, jolting
Begin Again 63|Compromise
Eden had never been so glad to see a jug of ice-cold water in her life. She attacked it the minute they all sat down in their VIP room, her body trembling with relief at the realisation that she's managed to avert disaster yet again. She couldn't keep having these close encounters and near misses, though. Her luck was bound to run out at some point, and it's only a matter of time before the truth about Aiden's paternity came to light. "You were in such a hurry to get away from the Andersons. Is there a reason you didn't want to dine with your boss and his family?" Steve asked, interrupting her panicked thoughts, a concerned look in his eyes as he patted her shoulder gently. Erica barely noticed the mini-crisis Eden's in. She was still floating on air, elated over the tons of compliments the Andersons had showered on them. "Honey?" Steve touched her arm gently, trying to get her attention. "What is it? Did Anderson Junior treat you badly? Do yo
Begin Again 64|Was It All A Lie?
Utterly astounded by her parents’ announcement Eden stared at them with complete shock etched on her face. Weren't they too old to separate? What did separate even mean? "You mean like a divorce?" She asked in a strangely alien voice; there's no way this thin, trill sound belonged to her. "Yes, honey," Erica reached for her hand to give her a reassuring squeeze. Eden snatched it away before she could. In that awfully thin voice she barely recognised, she carried on with her questions, "but why? Why are you doing this?" "We don't love each other," her Mom said calmly and dabbed her napkin on her lips before discarding it on the table beside her half-finished food. Eden laughed. At least that's what she wanted to do. But it came out more like a snort. "Don't love each other? Of course, you do. You've been married for twenty-six years. If that isn't love, I don't know what is." Sure, her parents were not shining examples o
Begin Again 65|Wellness Check
Mystified by the last three minutes, Liam watched Eden dash off. One second she's crying buckets on his chest and the next she's babbling all kinds of strange things about Laura. He stared at the emergency exit she'd just slipped through, debating whether to follow her or not. She's clearly distraught, but as her least favourite person in the world at the moment he should just let her be. Shrugging his broad shoulders, Liam turned to the bar, where a bottle of something—cognac, maybe bourbon—with his name on it, waited for him. But he paused when panic stirred in the pit of his stomach, threatening to suffocate him. "Fucking hell," he groaned. She wouldn't. But this is Eden. Anything's possible with her, especially in the emotional state she's in. Without putting any more thought into it, Liam ran after her, bolting through the emergency exit and up the stairs. By the time he reached the rooftop, he was
Begin Again 66|Is Anything Ever Real?
"Why are you standing there?" "Just," Liam said and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Don't tell me you're afraid of heights?" Eden tilted her head slightly as she gawked at him. "I'm not!" He's definitely not afraid of heights, but if he came any closer, he didn't think he could stick to the boundaries she'd set. She'd made it very clear in his office he shouldn't kiss, touch or hold her in any way, and he's trying very hard to respect her wishes. So he stayed right where he was, rooted to his spot a few feet behind her. "Tsk tsk tsk," she laughed mockingly. "The mighty Mr Anderson is afraid of something." "I'm not afraid of anything!" Liam lied for the second time that evening. There's a lot he's terrified of, and Eden is high up there on the list. He was so afraid of losing his heart to her, terrified she'll take it and vanish again and leave him far worse off than he was when she disappeared two years ago.
Begin Again 67|You Don't Deserve Liam
The minute she was alone again on the rooftop, Eden burst into tears and cried harder than she has in a while, the howling wind and the constant stream of cars ten stories below drowning out her loud, heart-wrenching sobs. She'd told Liam she wanted to be alone, but the truth is she would gladly take his company any day over this feeling of aloneness gnawing at her heart. "Pull yourself together," Eden told herself over and over. But she couldn't. She didn't know how to. She's twenty-six, with a baby of her own, and her parents' divorce shouldn't affect her so much. But it did, and in ways she'd never have imagined or would ever wish on anyone. Maybe it was the suddenness of it all or the complete randomness, but her parents' announcement had devastated her world beyond measure and shattered all the illusions she'd had about love and relationships and family. Yes, her family was dysfunctional at the very least. But, there was a sense of safety
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Begin Again 196|We'll Always Be Together
[Six Months Later]... After months of preparations, Eden's weeklong exhibition at Fugue was a smashing success. She even managed to sell two of her paintings. But with all the smiling and pandering she had done to Rock Castle's uber-rich, she would not have expected anything less. So when Saturday rolled around, the only thing she wanted to do was to crash on the couch and put up her feet. Not a lot for a girl to ask. But she wasn't destined to enjoy the little things in life. Having tried every trick in the book to get her to give up her spot on the couch and leave the house with him, Liam finally let the cat out of the bag. Her friends had tasked him with the sacred job of dropping her off at Heat for a surprise baby shower. Eden didn't want to go anywhere, but she would never hear the end of it if she didn't show up. So she threw on a pair of black leggings—the only thing in her closet that still fit her— and Liam's denim
Begin Again 195|Begin Again
As Liam watched Eden slowly make her way to him, he was overcome with emotion. The whole day he had tried to keep it together, and he had lost track of the number of times his cousins had had to stop him from running to her guest suite to see her. And now that she was here, and they were so close to the start of their next chapter, hard as he tried to blink away his tears, Liam couldn't. He choked back a sob, unable to believe how lucky he was. He had never seen that many brides before, but Eden took the number one spot from the few that he had. She looked incredible in her dress, a vision of grace and elegance and beauty, exactly how he imagined a real-life princess would look. But then again, she was his Princess, his hell, his paradise, and her slow progress down the aisle wasn't working for him. He crossed the room in few quick strides, and in a heartbeat, he had her in his embrace as he kissed her fiercely, much to everyone's surprise and cheers.
Begin Again 194|First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life
Wedding fever hit town as soon as the press release about Eden and Liam's impending nuptials went out. For days the announcement, posted on Anderson Logistics website and all the company's socials, was the number #1 trending topic on all social media platforms. The internet was in disbelief. Thousands of Liam's adoring fans couldn't accept that the day they had dreaded was finally upon them, and the Three-Month Prince was officially off the market. Well, almost off the market. Like most people who have an unhealthy obsession with their idols, they had to share their outrage and sadness with strangers on the internet. Overnight, Eden became the villainess, the woman who had ruined all their fantasies, and they couldn't understand why, out of all the beauties in the universe ready to fall at his feet, Liam would choose her. She had to have used some kind of witchcraft or love spell on him, they said. And when Sienna's exposé on t
Begin Again 193|Something About Almost Dying
Liam headed straight to his study as soon as they got home and spent almost an hour on the phone with his father. Like he'd expected, Clarke was against the meeting and even more disturbed when he brought up the idea of dropping the charges. "Are you insane?" His father barked on his end, and if they were in the same room, Liam knew he would have likely throttled him. "We almost lost you. You almost died! How can you even think about this?" "What other choice do I have, Dad? He's watching Eden. We're getting married in three weeks. I don't want to keep looking over my shoulder. What kind of life will that be for Eden and our children?" "James told you there's a way to handle this. Aleksei and his brother are dogs. They should be put down." "And what will that make us?" Liam asked sadly. "I didn't call to ask for your permission. I was simply informing you the meeting with Andrei is happening." He clicked off before his father could pus
Begin Again 192|Finish Strong
The botanical gardens were in the northern part of Rock Castle, and on a good day, it would have taken them under ten minutes to get there from Van Holt Industries. But, it took them almost twice as long because, by the time they left the doctor's rooms, every man and his dog was out and about, running their morning errands. By the time they arrived, the place was almost packed to capacity. Everywhere they turned, they were greeted by people on their picnic blankets with their wicker baskets; others were on camping chairs under big shady umbrellas, already sipping beers and turning sausages and steaks on their braai stands even though it wasn't even 10:00 AM yet. "Look at this place," Eden murmured, her eyes flitting everywhere. "We can't let Aiden out of our sight. I don't want a repeat of the aquarium. What if Aleksei is here?" "He's in jail, remember?" Liam reminded her as he lifted her chin. "He can't hurt us." "But his brother is around—"
Begin Again 191|Too Many Expectations
Liam never thought he'd survive two weeks in hospital. But he did. With lots of patience, tons of reports and proposals to keep him sane and an endless supply of meds to ease his pain. Before he knew it, the dreaded family fun day, months in the making, finally snuck upon them. However, Anderson Logistics' big day coincided with his hospital release and their first check-up with Dr Emily. Eden was highly strung, anxious out of her wits when she came to pick him up. "There's so much to do today," she wrung her hands as they watched James scoop Aiden up and grab Liam's travel bag. It was amazing how much stuff he had managed to collect over the past couple of weeks. His duffel bag was now heavier than it was when Eden first dropped it off. "Tell me what's wrong," Liam said as he wheeled himself around the room and paused in front of her. He didn't need the wheelchair now, but he found it very comfortable, way better than sitting on the stiff bed. "So, what's wrong?" he pulled her do
Begin Again 190|We Don't Kill People
The thought of spending an indefinite amount of time in the hospital did not please Liam at all, so as soon as they returned to his ward after their brisk walk, he tried every trick in the book to get Eden to speak to the doctors and get them to discharge him. But she refused to do his dirty work, much to his dismay. He thought she would want him home as soon as possible. "Whose side are you on?" He glared at her. "Yours, of course. I don't want to take any chances, you know," she said as she helped him up on the bed. Their son was now sitting on the floor, craning his neck at the blank TV screen in the corner and sipping his boxed juice. Liam had never met a kid who loved TV as much as Aiden, and he wondered if it was normal. Maybe spending all that time with Brenda during the day wasn't such a good thing. Maybe he needed to start going to school to get his mind stimulated. "I'm someone's fiancée now, you know, and I need the groom pr
Begin Again 189|It Will Always Be Yes
Later that evening, when Eden walked into Liam's ward with Aiden in her arms, she was surprised to find him clean-shaven and fully clothed in joggers, sneakers and a hoodie as if he was ready to go somewhere. "Dad!" Aiden shrieked with joy as soon as he saw his father rolling around the room in a wheelchair. Liam roared right back at him, his voice thundering through the room as he opened his arms. "Kool-Aid!" Eden set their son down, and he ran to his father. Liam scooped him up despite his visible agony but yelped out in pain when he tried to throw him up in the air. Eden was instantly at his side, worry dancing in her eyes, the travel bag in her hands falling at her feet with a dull thud. Aiden, too, look just as concerned. "I'm okay," Liam assured them, but the anguish on his face told a different story. "Why are you even out of bed?" Eden scolded him, much to Aiden's disapproval. "Mom, no!" He shook his hea
Begin Again 188|A Lifetime Of Kisses
Eden looked up, startled out of her mind to see his eyes were open. "Liam!" She was instantly on her feet and kissing him on the lips as she sobbed so loud she thought she'd wake the patients in the neighbouring rooms. "Oh my God, it's true. You're awake! I was starting to think they lied." "If you keep crying, I might just pass out again!" He growled and patted the empty spot on the bed. "Come here!" She sank beside him, and he drew her closer and placed his hand on her tummy. "How's my little warrior?" Eden burst into tears again at his words. "You heard everything I said that night?" "Of course I did," he smiled tearfully as well. "I may have been dying, but I'm not deaf, you know." "And you're not angry?" "Why would I be angry?" Liam asked. "Because you just found out about Aiden and now—" "Now our family will be complete," he pulled her down, and she nestled in his arms, careful not to touch his wound. "I l
