Page 84 of Begin Again, Part 2

"You're worried about the car? What about my tux?" Liam shot back as he took a box of tissues from Julian. "It's a fucking limited edition."

He wiped off the residual puke from Eden's mouth and threw the soiled paper on the floor.

"Hey, you need to pick that shit up," Matthew glared at him in the rear-view mirror.

"I'll pay for your damn car wash." Still fighting with the gooey stain on the front of his shirt, Liam retorted. The more he tried to wipe it down, the worse it got. He furiously unbuttoned his shirt and yanked it off, glad he had the sense to wear a vest. He turned to Eden, ready to go off on her. But when he saw the tears shimmering in her eyes, he lost his nerve. He pulled her close to him and kissed her hair. "I told you not to drink tonight."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But I didn't even drink a lot, and I shouldn't be throwing up like this."

"Well, if you get the urge again, you'd better keep it in until you get to lover boy's house," Matthew yelled from the front. "And just so we're all clear, this is the last ride you both ever take in my car."

Julian looked through the glove compartment, pulled out an air freshener, and sprayed it in Liam's direction.

"Get that shit off my face," he growled.

"This is as close to a bath as you'll get. You're welcome!" Julian smirked and returned the spray to the compartment.

"Goodness, she shouldn't ever drink. Remind me not to take her anywhere," Matthew raged as he pulled away from the curb. He opened the windows to ease out the stench of vomit still filling up the car even after Julian had doused the inside with the spray.

"Liam?" Eden sighed beside him.

"Yeah?"

"Why haven't you come to see Aiden?" she asked, her speech slurred, her eyes droopy with sleep. "Why haven't you come to meet him? You said you want him. He likes to read, and he loves the moon so much. And his favourite word is 'more', and he saw your photos on the internet, and for a week after that, his favourite word was 'Daddy'."

Liam gawked at Eden, his heart thudding slowly as he listened to her drunken talk. He pulled her up and held her face in his hands.

"What did you just say?" he asked, searching her face. "Tell me what you just said!"

"What?"

"Everything you just said," Liam said softly. "Tell me again, tell me everything Aiden likes."

"He likes PAW Patrol." Eden smiled sweetly, but her eyes were bright with tears. "And he's not a fussy baby at all. Sometimes I think I hit the jackpot. He never cries, only when he's tired or scared."

"He sounds perfect," Liam said when he was sure the lump in his throat was gone.

"He is," Eden agreed and closed her eyes again.

"Do you ever tell him about me?" He kissed her forehead.

"All the time. I have a scrapbook with all your photos."

"Okay," he held her close, touching their foreheads together, his heart heavier than ever. Yet he felt peace and calm he hadn't known in a while. "And I do want him, and I want you. I want you both so much that being away from you for three weeks kills me. That's why I didn't come to see Aiden. I knew I'd never leave if I saw him and held him. But when I come back, we'll move in together, and we'll be so happy. I love you both so much. So no more dates with the lawyer, okay?"

"No," Eden pushed him away, crying into her hands. "We can't be happy if you're dead, Liam. Next time Aleksei won't send a bullet, and we know this."

Matthew hit the brakes again and turned on the hazard lights.

"Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on?" he glared at Liam. "Did I just hear Eden correctly?"

"Ivanov threatened you? When?" Julian added, sounding just as agitated as his brother. "What the hell is she talking about?"

"It's nothing," Liam said a little too casually for someone with a huge bull's eye on his back. He placed Eden's head on his lap, making sure her hair didn't touch the part of his pants with her vomit before he pulled out the ring box from his jacket and handed it to Julian.

Chapter

Thirty

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