Page 107 of Begin Again, Part 1

"Dude, that's cheating!" Matthew complained after losing a few rounds.

"How is it cheating when I'm winning fair and square?" Liam demanded, still annoyed that Eden kept coming up. He should never have gone up that rooftop or asked James to look out for her. Hell, he should have kept his distance like she asked.

He seethed anew when he remembered how she pushed him away in his office. He won't kiss, touch her, or hold her ever again like she damn wanted, he vowed as he railroaded Julian off the track on the screen.

"That's not nice!" Julian grumbled. "I don't like you."

"Get off the track if you're going to be a pussy!"

Before his cousin could say anything, the doorbell rang. Dave and the housekeepers had retired for the evening, so Matthew went to get it.

He returned with a huge delivery crate in his arms.

"What the fuck is in here? It weighs a ton!" He grumbled as he dumped the box on the coffee table.

"Careful with that," Liam jumped to his feet and pushed him aside. "Can you not read? It says fragile right there."

"Okay, Mr Grumpy Pants." Matthew stepped into the kitchen to grab more beers. He popped one and dumped the rest of the six-pack on the floor in front of the TV next to Julian.

"You want one?" Matthew waved the can at Liam, but he shook his head. He was already preoccupied with the crate from Fugue. Willow must have been desperate for the sale, to send through the painting and vase so soon. He ordered the items over their dessert, and in less than—Liam checked his Rolex—five hours, she'd delivered his stuff. If she wasn't his sister, he would have been impressed with her service.

"Whoa, dude!" Julian whistled as he gawked at the delicate, oriental vase in Liam's hands. "I didn't know you collected these. I have tons at home. Every time Mom stops by, she leaves a bunch of flowers."

"No offence to Aunt Liz, but this isn't your garden-variety vase!" Liam snapped at him. "All that money you're swimming in, and you still don't have class? This, my dear brother, is an imperial Ming dynasty vase, the only one of its kind in the world."

"And you know this how?" Matthew arched his brows, amusement lighting up his face. He knew him too well.

Liam shot him a wry grin. "Well, I read it on the gallery's website."

"And here I thought you were cultured!" Julian rolled his eyes.

"So, who's it for?" Matthew asked as Liam returned the vase inside the box and pulled out the painting.

It was an impressionist print and nothing to write home about, at least not for the price he paid. He'd only shelled out a small fortune for it because the artist had recently died in a car crash following a drug-fuelled joy ride in his Ferrari on the N1. For some warped reason, the art world believed his works were worth far more now than that he was gone.

"Yeah, you're pulling out the big guns. I'm guessing it's for a woman!" Julian got straight to the point.

"God, please tell me it's not for Laura," Matthew groaned. "You just escaped with your life. I beg you, don't go back there."

"It's for Eden!"

"The same Eden you hate?" Julian was all ears, his eyes sparkling with glee.

"Shut up!" Liam scoffed. "It's my apology."

"For what?"

"The cookie incident." He returned the painting inside the box, and reached for a beer on the floor, popping it open. "I overreacted, and it hasn't sat well with me since. I have to fix this, and maybe only then can Eden and I start on a clean slate."

"By spending R750K on a painting and a vase?"

"Is it not enough?" Liam asked, suddenly worried. "I also have tickets to Fashion Week."

"Dude! A simple sorry would have been okay." Matthew patted him on the shoulder as he sank beside him on the couch. "Return all these shiny things and get your money back. Eden won't like any of it."

"How do you know?" Liam demanded, irritated at his cousin and his know-it-all attitude. Sure, he was closer to Eden, but it didn't make him an expert on her.

"Look at her. Is there anything fancy or showy about her? She wears department store clothes, drives an old Toyota Prius, and lives in a simple bungalow. If that doesn't scream modesty, I don't know what does. This fancy painting and your imperial vase will make her uncomfortable."

---