Page 73 of Begin Again, Part 1

A hand near the back of the room shot up. It belonged to Justin or something along those lines. Liam couldn't remember his name because he didn't bother with the interns, since they'd leave in three months anyway. He didn't even know why an intern was sitting in, but he nodded at him to speak.

"Ms McBride is friends with Lydia Edwards. Maybe she can tell us everything about her friend."

As if on cue, the door creaked open, and Eden traipsed in, sucking all the air from the room and Liam's lungs. Relief like nothing he'd ever felt before rocked his body with such force, he gripped the edge of the table to steady himself.

She was back. She was okay. She didn't run away or quit like he was certain she would. She came back to him.

Maybe that was stretching the truth a little too far. But she was back.

And he was oddly...Happy?

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said.

Liam's gaze drifted to her feet, checking what was so fascinating about them since her eyes were glued there.

He wasn't a shoe guy. He preferred underwear. Pink, lacy underwear. Like the one safely tucked away in his closet, left by the same woman who stood before him now, the one woman he was now convinced would send him to his early grave. But, he had to admit, her red-soled stilettos with their studded buckles were pretty. His sisters would go nuts over them.

It was the size of her feet, though, that fascinated Liam. They were so tiny, like her. He figured she was a three or a four.

Eden cleared her throat, still staring at her pretty feet, making a point of avoiding his gaze. "It will never happen again, sir."

"Are you okay?" he asked, dragging his eyes back to her face, surprising everyone in the room with his gentle tone. He ignored the hushed chatter about the 'Dragon being suddenly calm'.

The woman in front of him, whose sadness and pain he felt deep in his heart, was his only concern for the moment.

"I lost track of time, Mr Anderson." Eden ignored his question and held on to the notebook on her chest for dear life.

"Doing what?" Liam wanted to kick himself as soon as he asked. He doubted she'd willingly tell everyone she was a blubbering mess on the sidewalk not too long ago.

"I'd rather not say," she replied.

More stunned gasps and violent headshakes from the team. Nobody had ever dared to be late for any of his meetings, let alone refuse to give reasons for their tardiness.

Liam didn't mind, though. He wanted to make sure Eden was okay, and only her eyes would tell him the truth.

"Look at me," he said softly.

And when she still wouldn't comply, he used his boss' privileges. "Ms McBride, it's an order—"

Eden finally looked up, her beautiful, slanted eyes still brimming with tears, and his heart shattered anew, leaving an ache so profound he wanted to reach deep inside his chest and yank it out. He'd take numbness and hollowness any day over the hurt tearing through him at the sight of her tears.

"Would you like to be excused from the meeting?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, sir. Thank you. I'm okay."

"Let me know if you need anything."

Eden nodded and scrambled to find a seat.

All the phones in the room were turned on again, followed by frantic typing and urgent beeping as everyone shared the latest status update with the rest of the business. Their new saviour had subdued the Dragon. For the moment, at least. Everyone was allowed to breathe again.

Liam cleared his throat and turned to the screen, painfully aware of Eden's sadness weighing heavily on his heart.

Chapter

Twenty-Five

GOD’S WILL

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