Page 42 of Begin Again, Part 1

Liam held firm, because he knew she cared about the physical side of their relationship. No sex toy would ever make up for physical contact.

"No. Let's end it here. It's time we stopped," he said, leaving no room for doubt and confusion. Lord knew they'd tried so many times. But they always ended up right here, with him feeling like a complete failure and Laura in tears.

It was time they stopped. It was time he stopped bashing her heart.

"Give me time to get used to the idea," Laura pleaded.

Liam didn't think that was how breakups worked. But she was hurting, and it was his fault. He would give her anything to make her feel better. Just not the world. Or the moon. He already promised those to Eden McBride.

Chapter

Fourteen

THE MEETING

Franco's was on the east side of Forrest Creek, the industrial part of the neighbourhood, and it was everything Eden would never have imagined. Well, the exterior, at least.

She gaped at the concrete structure, convinced she'd taken a wrong turn. But her trusty GPS, with Siri's help, had followed the directions to a T. There was no way she was at the wrong place. But the flat-roofed, single-story building, with its murky windows and rusty steel door, was... Underwhelming. Disappointing. Not at all what she expected from a revered hairstylist.

The inside, though, was a different story. Eden could swear she'd stepped into the grandest hotel in town. The decor was exquisite, the furniture lush, and the service top-notch. When a smiling hostess showed her to her seat, she finally understood why a haircut cost an arm and a leg here. The overhead expenses to keep this place running had to be insane, and Franco had to recoup the costs somehow.

Eden was still drinking in her lavish surroundings when the hostess returned. She handed her a Mimosa, clipboard, and pen. "I'm Naomi, Franco's assistant. Could you please complete this for our golden boy?"

"What is it?" Eden asked.

"It's a style profile questionnaire to help Franco figure out what to do with your gorgeous hair!" Naomi gushed, touching Eden's locks.

On any other day, she would have asked her to step back. She didn't like random strangers touching her. But still dazed by all the splendour surrounding her, she stared at the clipboard.

The door swung open. Cassandra walked in, dressed in ripped jeans, an old university hoodie, and combat boots. She pulled Eden up to her feet and hugged her like they hadn't seen each other in years, even though they'd spent half the night bitching about Liam.

"Sorry I'm late. The bike's giving me trouble again."

"Isn't it time you let it go? You do have the Jeep," Eden suggested.

"Would you let go of Aiden as soon as he starts coughing?"

"Not the same thing!" Eden argued. But she understood her reluctance. Cassandra bought the bike with her hard-earned cash after working countless part-time jobs. It had been with her since their first year of varsity. It would always hold a special place in her heart.

When a fresh wave of customers rolled in and eyed Eden's chair like it was the hottest commodity in town, she scrambled to reclaim it.

"So, what do you think?" Cassandra perched herself on the armrest since there was no sitting room anywhere.

"It's insane," Eden replied, zoning in on the clientele. They were all classy men and women dressed to the nines and somewhat loaded. No way they'd even get an appointment with Franco if they struggled to buy dog food.

"Why didn't you warn me about this place? Look at all that gold plating on the mirrors, and are those real rubies?" She pointed at the gem-crusted chandelier dripping from the ceiling, her eyes wide with awe.

"Stop it." Cassandra rolled her eyes and balanced her helmet on her lap. "You're embarrassing me. And I wasn't asking about the place."

"Right!" Eden chuckled and returned her attention to the questionnaire.

"Have you decided yet?"

Shaking her head, she tapped the pen on the clipboard. When she mentioned a makeover, she was just flirting with the idea. Now that she was here, about to take the plunge, she was beginning to question her decision to switch up her look. The style questionnaire designed to help narrow her options only added to her confusion. She had no clue what Naomi wanted from her.

"A quick wash and trim should do it," she decided as she handed Cassandra her untouched drink. No need to waste free booze because she was still off alcohol.

Horrified by the idea of a simple wash and trim, her friend took the drink and gulped it down in one go. Eden stared at her open-mouthed. It wasn't even 9:30 AM yet.

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