Page 41 of Begin Again, Part 1

Just when he was about to give up and clear things up for her, Gibby sparked to life. "You mean she can help with the therapy?"

"Yes!"

"Why didn't you say so from the start?" Gibby asked, her voice suddenly warm with concern. She was the only person who knew he saw Linda because she took him there. But she didn't know the reasons.

"Something happened between us in the past," Liam told her.

"I figured. What do you need from me? What can I do?"

"I already told you. Get Eden back."

"It's not that simple. I saw her when she left. Whatever you said or did to her wounded her badly. You can't fix that with money. You have to talk to her yourself and apologise—"

Liam cut her lecture short. "Let's try the money first. Increase all her benefits. Give her the world if she asks. And if she wants the moon too, let me know. But I need her back ASAP."

"And if it fails, will you at least apologise?"

It cannot fail. It was bad enough that Eden had so much power over him. There was no way he'd get on his knees and beg her for mercy. No chance in hell. She broke him. She had to fix him. It was non-negotiable.

"Will you?" Gibby asked as she stifled a yawn.

"I'll think about it."

"I'll set up a meeting with her sometime this week."

"Come on, Gibby, you can do better than that."

"Alright, tomorrow then."

"There's my Rockstar. I knew I could count on you!" Liam grinned and hung up.

His joy was short-lived. When he turned back from the window, ready to tackle his reports, Laura stood in the doorway. Time to change the locks, he thought as he shut down his laptop and rose from his seat. There was no way he'd get any work done with all the silent accusations swimming in her eyes.

"Who is she?" She demanded as she leaned against the doorframe, his shirt hanging loosely on her.

"Eden McBride. My new assistant." And the only woman I can fuck, it seems, he added silently.

He wondered now about his denim shirt, the one Eden stole from him, and if she still wore it. Getting it back should have been his top priority instead of jumping her like a Neanderthal.

"Why are you giving her the world and the moon?" Laura whined.

He ignored her. He wasn't in the mood to explain himself. They were not that couple. They didn't get jealous or question each other. Theirs was a business relationship with simple economics and outputs.

"I thought you would have left by now," he said as he sidestepped and headed upstairs. He hopped in the shower, and Laura joined him. She never could read the room.

As Liam watched her on her knees, trying to perform miracles only one woman could, for the first time ever, he hated her. And he hated himself for hating her. It wasn't her fault he was messed up.

He pulled her to her feet and held her, sighing into her hair as he rubbed her back. "We have to stop this."

Laura wailed harder in his arms. "I can fix you. I know I can."

No, Liam thought sadly. Eden already fixed him. She just had to do a little more, and he'd be as good as new. But he didn't have the heart to tell Laura any of it. She was distraught as it was. No need to kick her when she was already down.

She clung to him and her desperate hope. "I found a doctor overseas. I'll call him and make an appointment."

"We've talked about this. No doctor can fix me. You can't either. You deserve a lifetime of amazing orgasms, and I can't give you that!"

"I don't care about that!" Laura shook her head, reminding him she was okay and happy with his skilful use of her vibrator.

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