Page 26 of Holding Her Heart

“Babe, I’m sorry.” Liam held up his hands, genuine remorse in his eyes. “I didn’t mean for you to feel like that. But I wanted to talk to you, and I’ve missed you.”

“Liam, I have work to do. A business to run. You can’t show up demanding that I talk to you.”

“Why not? I thought you loved me!”

Eden pursed her lips. Did Liam truly believe that? “I’ve never once told you I loved you.”

Liam frowned, taking a step back. Eden didn’t know why he was so shocked; they’d never discussed love. Not once. “Well, I mean…”

“No. You don’t get to assume you know how I feel. It doesn’t work like that.” Eden paused, running a hand through her hair. “Do you have any idea how busy I am here?”

“M-maybe I could see you tonight? Come over to my place, and I’ll order in.”

Order in. That’s all they ever seemed to do. Eden didn’t want someone who constantly ordered in. She wanted someone who would take the time to cook for her. She also wanted to return the favour. Liam, in the six months they’d been together, hadn’t once asked Eden to come over because he’d cooked dinner. It was takeout or it was a restaurant. And while Eden loved to be wined and dined in a restaurant that offered good food, she’d rather be at home with her…lover. She wanted—no, she craved, that intimacy.

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

“I mean…no.” Eden glared straight through Liam, willing the door to open and end this discussion. “I called you and ended this, Liam. Please respect that.”

“You expect me to walk away from you?”

“I do, yes. Surely you saw this coming. I mean, it’s taken you two weeks to show up.” Eden knew Liam had to be out of his mind if he believed they were happy.

“I…thought you were busy.”

Eden nodded, resting back against her desk. “I am busy. But this also isn’t working for me. I’m sorry.”

A light knock on the door almost produced an audible sigh of relief from Eden. If it was Aster, her legs may just turn to jelly. “Come in.”

“I’m talking to you,” Liam said, frowning. “Tell them to wait.”

Eden pushed off her desk, walked towards her ex, and stepped past him. “I think it’s time you left, don’t you?”

“Not really, no.”

“I’m not feeling this attitude; I don’t like it. I’m asking you to leave. Do so, or I’ll remove you myself.”

Liam snorted, folding his arms across his chest. He wasn’t intimidating in the slightest. Eden, herself, had more intimidating tendencies than Liam ever would.

“Please. Don’t make a dick of yourself.”

The gentle knock on the door from before was this time stronger. Eden gripped the handle and opened it. Relieved when she found Aster standing on the other side, a shy smile playing on her lips, she tilted her head and smiled. “Come in.”

“Oh, I can wait if this isn’t a good time.”

Eden took Aster’s arm and pulled her inside. “It’s the perfect time. Have a seat; I’m just seeing my visitor out.”

Aster slowly moved through the office, stopping as she stared out at the water through the window. Eden turned her attention back to Liam, clearing her throat. “Now, it was lovely to see you, but I’m busy.”

“Come over tonight. Please?”

Eden pinched the bridge of her nose, gritting her teeth. “Liam, what part of no don’t you understand?”

“All of it. None of this makes any sense,” He lowered his voice. “I thought we were good together.”

“If this, what we’ve been doing, is your idea of ‘good together’…then I had other expectations.”

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