Page 127 of Begin Again, Part 2

She smiled. "Yeah. That's the word."

"You'd better get used to them fast, honey. That's your new family right there."

"You're right, I'd better go back." Eden stood up, stretched, and yawned, breathing a huge sigh of relief when she returned to the patio and found Liam alone with his parents.

"Is Brenda okay now?" he asked, massaging her neck gently. She would have purred like a kitten if they were alone. His fingers on her stiff neck felt so good.

"Yeah, she is," she replied as she picked up her glass and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the bubbles when they popped in her mouth. "Where did your sisters go?"

"Movie date with friends."

"And we have to leave, my dear," Clarke announced as he stood up and helped Lois from her chair. "I have a game of golf with Leviticus Van Holt. I believe he's your former boss?"

Eden nodded, mildly impressed he knew the renowned hotelier. She'd worked at Van Holt Industries for almost three months, but never had the pleasure of meeting the man.

"Liam, make sure you invite the Van Holts to the engagement party. It's been a while since we saw Levi and Colleen," Clarke said as they exchanged hugs and kisses at the front door.

While Liam filled his father in on his upcoming meeting with Aleksei, Lois pulled Eden aside and took her hands in hers, "Liam told me you haven't been feeling well."

Eden assured her it wasn't anything to worry about. Liam was overly cautious for no reason. "I think it's just a tummy flu. Sometimes I feel great, and other days I'm exhausted, and I can't hold anything down. Today's one of the good days."

Lois's smile grew bigger the longer Eden explained. "You must take it easy. Don't overwork yourself, and if the nausea persists, try ginger tea."

Eden smiled back despite the warning bells going off somewhere in her tired brain. She didn't like the ginger tea suggestion. It made her mind jump to places she'd rather not go to, because she had an implant that was ninety-nine percent reliable.

"And you have to see a doctor," Lois added. "It's best to make sure it is a tummy bug and nothing too serious."

Eden nodded even though she had no intention of seeing a doctor. She threw Liam a pleading look over her shoulder. His mom was making her uncomfortable with her wellness check. Sensing her gaze on him, he looked up from his conversation with his father and beamed at her. Something in her eyes must have given her unease away. He quickly ushered his parents out of the house, promising they'd stop by one of the days for supper.

Mentally and physically drained suddenly, Eden leaned on the counter and stared into space. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you get rid of them."

"That's okay," Liam said, giving her a back hug. "You've had a long day."

She leaned into him, enjoying his arms around her. If she could stay in his embrace forever, she would. But she had things to do, an estate agent to contact, and reports to prepare for tomorrow's meetings. She pushed his arms away, but he tightened his hold around her and kissed her temple. "Thank you."

"For what?" Eden asked.

"For not fighting with me over the engagement party in front of my parents."

She turned around and searched his face. "Why would I do that?"

"Laura used to when she was upset, and I thought you would too, especially after being blindsided—"

"I'm not Laura," Eden cut him off as she flew out of his grasp. "But it would have been nice to be given a heads up. I never agreed to marry you. In fact, you didn't even ask me to marry you."

"Will you say yes if I ask?"

Eden was pretty sure she looked like a deer caught in headlights, her mind suddenly blank, and the only thing she heard over and over was the terrified voice screaming inside her head, urging her to run and never look back because if she didn't, Liam would leave her the same way Simon had.

She took too long to answer, and Liam took her silence as a rejection.

"Forget I asked," he said, making his way upstairs.

Eden found him in the shower, his anger filling the bathroom. She should leave him alone and let him calm down. But she was so afraid if they didn't talk things through, his disappointment would fester until it turned into a septic wound. So she opened the door and peeked inside. "Can I join you?"

Liam grunted under his breath and shrugged. Since it wasn't an outright refusal, Eden undressed, stepped inside, and held him.

"I am terrified," she admitted as she rested her head on his chest.

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