Page 24 of Begin Again, Part 1

"It's a difficult job, and you need someone with experience to do it well."

"I still want Eden McBride," Liam insisted. "But you can choose another candidate, so I'll have two assistants!"

He smiled with satisfaction as he leaned back in his seat and loosened his tie. He'd found the solution to their problem. Gibby would have her machine of an assistant, and he'd have Eden. Problem solved. It was a win-win for both.

"Why have two assistants when you can have one who's super-efficient?" Gibby tried to change his mind, but Liam's word was final. Eden McBride would pay for everything she took from him. He planned to make her life as miserable as she had made his for the last two years.

Chapter

Nine

SOLD

Eden was about to settle Aiden down for his afternoon nap when her phone rang. He wasn't fussy, but preferred routine over surprises. Any slight delay in his schedule made him cranky.

"Hang tight, my angel. Mommy has to take this call." She handed him a sensory toy to distract him while they dashed to the kitchen to grab her iPhone on the counter.

"Hello?" she gasped into the phone just as it stopped ringing. Aiden tried to snatch it from her and gurgled his little head off when she bit his hand playfully.

Eden stared at the phone, praying the caller would ring back. She couldn't call them back, because their number was withheld.

After ten minutes and still nothing, she returned to her room, stretched out on the bed, and rested Aiden on her chest. Within minutes, he was out. She placed him on the mattress and sat there awhile, watching him sleep until her phone rang again. She answered without checking the caller ID as she strode to her living room, her disappointment seeping through her sigh at her mom's voice. They hadn't spoken in months or seen each other since Eden moved back over two weeks ago.

"How's everything?" Erica asked in a voice laden with suspicious concern.

Eden assured her everything was great, and she was adjusting well to life in the big city again.

"Your father wants to see you. When can you come home for dinner?"

There was a lot wrong between them. Dinner wouldn't fix any of it. Old resentments and grudges would resurface the minute they were in the same room. So for her own peace of mind, Eden declined the invitation, "thanks, Mom, but I'll pass."

The last two years had forced her to grow up. There were things she wasn't willing to put up with anymore, like her parents' passive-aggressive behaviour.

"He regrets it. We both do."

Eden would have been sold by her sincere tone if it wasn't for the heartache still burning hot in her chest. Sure, she messed up plenty when she hooked up with Liam. But at twenty-four, she was old enough to make her own decisions, no matter how stupid. Her folks' disappointment over her pregnancy was understandable, but their open hostility towards her unborn child had felt like a kick in her stomach.

"Will you at least think about it?" Erica persisted.

Eden outright refused. If she saw them, it would be on her terms. "I'm not ready to see you guys."

And the guilt-tripping began as Erica sniffled. "That's so unfair. What else were we supposed to do?"

"I don't know, Mom. But how about not throwing me out like I meant nothing to you? How about not judging me and making me feel like the worst daughter in the world?"

"Simon ended the engagement. You fell pregnant with someone else's baby and refused to tell us who the father is!"

Eden swallowed down her frustration as she mentally counted to ten. She couldn't understand why everyone felt so entitled when it came to Aiden's father.

"Mom, I've said it before, and I'm saying it again...I won't talk about that!"

"You still think you're right? Edie, this is all our fault."

A sad smile flickered on Eden's lips as she gripped the phone, draining the colour from her knuckles. She didn't need her mom to dredge up the past. After all, her refusal to reveal Liam's identity forced her to move to the Blue Mountains. Feeling drained from their chat, she decided she was done with their conversation, "I have to go."

Giving up didn't exist in Erica's world, though. "We saw Aiden's photos on your page. He's beautiful and has grown so much since Grammy's funeral. Please bring him home, even if it's only for a few hours?"

"Bye, Mom." Eden ended the call without making promises she didn't plan to keep. She didn't even have time to process their conversation when her phone beeped in her hand, her face crinkling in horror as she read the email. After five rejections, she'd secured a job interview. One she didn't apply for. There could only be one culprit behind this. So Eden called her friend and asked her to come over ASAP.

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