Page 144 of Begin Again, Part 1

Her mom was trying now with her million sorries. Lucy had come in earlier with her half-hearted vague 'sorry'. Liam, as well—the vase and the painting were supposed to be his apology for the incident with the cookies and the shit in Linda's office. How many more sorries would she have to take? How much longer would she allow everyone to trample all over her?

"Let's have dinner soon," Erica suggested.

"No, Mom," Eden refused. It ended here. No more sorries. No more being treated like everyone's bashing doll.

"I'm good. Your announcement shattered me briefly, but I'm okay. And I don't care if you both want to end your marriage. At least calling it quits is the first authentic thing you've done in twenty-six years, so there's that, I guess."

"Eden—"

"Goodbye, Mom!"

She hung up and held on to the edge of her desk for several minutes, willing herself to rein in her emotions. Walking into an interview emotional, even if it was for a handyman vacancy, wouldn't serve her well.

Feeling a little calmer, Eden pulled out her compact case, retouched her lipstick, and slipped on her oversized shades. She smiled at her reflection. She could easily pass for a B-lister. Just the look she was going for.

She grabbed her handbag and dashed out of her office, colliding with Liam at her door.

"I'm sorry," Eden said breathlessly as her hands came up to his chest to steady herself.

"Be careful," he said, his arms winding around her waist briefly, before he let her go and stepped back from her, giving her all the room and space in the world.

She smiled, grateful he couldn't see the terror in her eyes. With his overpowering presence, the man was not good for her sanity.

"What's with the shades?" he asked, crossing his arms casually over his chest, the same chest she'd had the pleasure of touching for two blissful nights in a row.

"Ms McBride, why are you wearing sunglasses inside the office?" Liam asked, his hard tone snapping her out of her daze.

Eden banished her racy thoughts with a quick shake of her head. "It's nothing, sir."

"Take them off," Liam commanded, his eyebrows merging in a tight frown.

"I just need to step out briefly," she lied. "And it's too sunny outside."

He pulled the sunglasses off when she refused to comply with his request.

Eden tried to hide her face, but he gently lifted her chin, a low growl rumbling deep in his throat when he saw the mark under her eye.

"What did she do you?" he asked, his voice deathly silent. "How hard did she hit you? How many times? It wasn't just a slap, was it—"

"It's nothing. I'm okay." Eden snatched the shades back from him and pushed them in place again. "I have to go."

"It's 10:50 AM. Where could you possibly be going so early in the morning?"

"I've cleared it with Matthew, sir."

"Ms McBride!" Liam gritted his teeth, an angry glint in his eyes. "Where are you off to?"

"I'm meeting a friend," she raised her chin stubbornly.

He glared at her, a small muscle twitching in his jaw the deeper his scowl grew. Eden was starting to believe he'd keep her there the whole day, in their little standoff, when he sidestepped her, growling over his shoulder as he brushed past her, his back as stiff as a rod. "Be back here in an hour."

"I'll head straight to the venue," she said, watching him leave. She'd never get used to that, seeing him so cold and aloof again. But what did she expect? She couldn't have her cake and eat it too.

Isaac was already waiting with a bouquet of white calla lilies when Eden walked into the lobby of Hayes & Jones. She didn't know if it was because she hadn't seen him in over a month, or if it was the tailored dark suit he wore that made him look all the more dashing.

"Traveling incognito, I see." He smiled and pointed at the shades covering her eyes before pulling her in a warm hug.

"Of course." She beamed at him when they drew apart. "I can't have my deranged fans mobbing me."

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