Page 14 of Begin Again, Part 1

"I know it was hard—" Lois touched his shoulder.

Liam gently shrugged her off. 'Hard' was failing an exam or getting a warning for shirking one's responsibility at work. What he went through almost killed him.

Liam would never tell a soul how he wept until he was hollow when he withdrew from his team and ended his relationships with his sponsors. He'd never felt the kind of heartbreak he did when he took off his racing suit and put away his helmet for the last time. It was crippling, like someone had plunged a sword into his heart and sliced it to shreds.

"Darling, I'm sorry. I want all of you to be happy."

Liam shook off his grief long enough to stand his ground. "The only way we can is if all of us play our part. I see no reason why those two still get an allowance. They have full-time jobs, and their salaries should fund their lavish lifestyle."

Lois nodded her agreement, but the grim look in her eyes told him she wasn't entirely on his side. Changing the topic, she announced, "I'm going to see your father. Are you coming?"

Liam explained he'd stopped by the hospital before reporting for the mandatory weekly dinner. He had to meet Julian and Matthew at Crush in an hour.

Chapter

Five

BROKE HIM

Crush was already hopping with swarms of horny drunks, grinding and stepping on each other. Liam headed straight to his cousins' VIP booth, relieved he didn't have to deal with the rowdiness.

"You made it!" Julian belched as he swayed on his feet, almost toppling over when he tried to hug him.

"Easy there, buddy." Liam caught him and pushed him back on the sectional couch. "How much did you drink?"

Matthew pointed at the line of empty shot glasses on one of the neon cubes. "All those, and before you ask, the actress left him for a wealthier, older man."

"Ouch!" Liam touched his heart in mock heartbreak. A half-naked waitress appeared at his side and took his order of their priciest bottle of bourbon. After the nightmare of a day—no—after the hellish few weeks he'd had, he deserved every drop.

"How's the old man?"

Liam updated him on his visit to the hospital, while absently scanning the place. His heart soared at the sight of a petite brunette on the dance floor.

"Found her!" Liam pointed at the woman in the crowd. But when she turned in his direction, laughing at something her friends had said, he slumped back in his seat with a heavy sigh. "Guess not."

"You can't tell me you're still searching for her?" Julian surged to life and sat up.

Indeed, Liam was still looking for Eden. He'd never stop looking for her. He wanted his shirt back, and he needed to return her panties. While he was at it, he hoped to get some answers too. He'd asked his security detail to find her. But so far, their search had proven fruitless. Not exactly their fault since they had nothing else to go by other than her name and description.

As much as Liam's life had changed over the past few weeks, one thing had remained the same: his fascination with Eden. It was beginning to smell like obsession the longer he searched for her.

"You need to move on—" Matthew said, pausing when their waitress returned with the bourbon.

Liam poured a shot and gulped it down, enjoying its smoothness down his throat and the warmth it left in his chest.

"As I was saying," Matthew continued as he watched him pour them all a round of drinks. "That woman can easily become an obsession if you keep this up. Let her go. Move on."

"I'll move on once I get all my answers," Liam promised, raising his glass at his cousin. That was all he wanted. Answers. Was he not good enough for her? Why did she run off without wearing her underwear? The idea that he didn't meet Eden's expectations in bed terrified him. No woman had ever complained before. He was many things, but a selfish lover wasn't one of them. Hook-up or not, he always aimed to please and wanted everyone involved to leave with no regrets.

He had too many regrets after Eden.

"What is about her that's got you so hooked?"

Julian's question startled Liam, but he took a moment to think it over. If he was 'hooked' like his cousin suggested, it would explain why he couldn't move on from Eden. His obsessive need to find her would make sense, but...

No way, he mentally shuddered, horrified at his thoughts. Eden was a five at best in looks, wealth, and maybe intellect. He could do so much better. He'd done so much better in the past.

"I am not 'hooked' on her," he insisted, disgusted the suggestion had even come up. "She's not even my type!"

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