Page 69 of Begin Again, Part 1

"Are you insane?"

"Just broken," he said sadly. "You broke me! And you are the only one who can fix me."

"I'm sorry," she said, acknowledging his pain for the first time. As insane as it sounded, it didn't make it any less real for him. And she couldn't ignore the hurt and anger she saw in the depths of his eyes.

"You think a simple sorry will fix me?" Liam crossed his arms and leaned on the window.

Eden shrugged. "What do you want me to do? Tell me what you want me to do, and I'll fix this."

Liam ignored her plea and continued with his accusations. "Because of you, I haven't touched another woman. I couldn't touch another woman even when I wanted to, even when I desperately wanted to fuck them senseless I couldn't because you did something to me!"

Linda jumped in and explained that every time Liam had to perform, his fear of intimacy and anxiety got in the way. He was so afraid his performance would fall short, and his partner would leave him the same way she had. He'd gotten it in his head that she left him that night because he didn't meet her expectations, that he was inadequate somehow.

Eden was mind blown by this revelation. How he could even think he lacked in any way when her body only knew him, reacted only to him, wanted only him, was beyond her.

"Liam—" she said, but her voice trailed off. All her assurances remained unspoken when she realised no words would ever bring him comfort.

Her heart broke anew for him, and she wanted so much to hold him and tell him he was enough. She wanted to reach deep inside his heart, to that place where hurt and self-doubt resided, and take it all away and make him whole again.

So she stood up and tried to reach for him, but he held himself away from her, anger etched on his face.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she sat down again. "I left because I didn't want you to feel awkward around me. I didn't realise I'd leave you with doubts. But you were enough for me. You are enough."

Liam turned from the window. "Good to know, but it still doesn't fix my problem."

"I can't help you with that. It's not my fault—"

"That's where you're wrong," he said as he finally sat down. "You are the only woman I react to. Why is that?"

"That's something only you can figure out. I don't know why you react to me and not others." Eden turned to Linda for help.

The therapist nodded. "We've talked about this, Liam. Eden's your trigger, but you have to figure out what it is about her that makes you react in such an extreme manner."

"I don't have time to figure this shit out. I need a solution fast. That's why I pay you both so much. I'd like to have sex soon. Like a month from now soon, and with someone other than her!" Liam scoffed in Eden's direction, and she flinched at his words.

"I'm sorry you feel that way."

"I don't need your sorry, Ms McBride. I need a solution."

"It's obvious my presence is causing you distress. I'll hand in my resignation."

"Why is running away always your default mode?" Liam exploded, stunning her with his anger. "Why do you always run and think you're making things easy on me?"

"I don't know what else to do! I don't know how else to help you."

"Until you do, until there's a solution to my problem, you are not going anywhere," Liam said.

Linda looked at her watch and nodded at Liam before leaving the room.

She was back in two minutes and announced, "it's clear."

They left Linda's office with Liam promising to see her next week. Eden wanted no part of this nightmare again. She couldn't sit through another round of accusations and blame.

Sure, she broke him more than she could have imagined when she left without a word. But, he wasn't the only one whose life changed after that night. His rage was a little misplaced, in her opinion.

She skulked to the furthest corner from him in the elevator and pressed her back to the cool metal wall, wishing she could melt into it and disappear.

"Relax; I won't bite you!" Liam put her out of her misery, barely glancing at her, his attention on the phone in his hand.

---