Page 138 of Begin Again, Part 2

Emily shook her head. "It could have moved, and we'll have to do an x-ray of your arm."

An x-ray meant going to a hospital, and it wasn't exactly Eden's idea of fun.

"We could also run some tests to check for traces of the hormone released by the implant in your bloodstream."

Eden didn't mind that so much, so she allowed the doctor to draw some blood samples.

"Now," Emily said when all the blood work was out of the way. "Your high blood pressure is a huge concern. Your weight, too, worries me. It's on the low side. Are you under a lot of stress?"

Eden shook her head, but felt the need to mention her sudden onset of hives on her hands and neck, and her constant scratching.

"Any other symptoms?" Emily asked as she hit the pen on her notepad.

"Just the random throwing up and extreme fatigue," Eden said, irked out of her head by the incessant tapping of the pen. But she mentally forced herself to switch it out, redirecting all her attention to the sticky coffee stain next to the stack of medical files on the desk.

"Throwing up and fatigue are normal in the first trimester, but the hives are almost always a sign of anxiety when there's no underlying condition," Emily said. "Is there anything you feel particularly anxious about?"

Eden shook her head again. Her life was just rosy. But she went ahead and told her all about her big tabloid debut not too long ago, the engagement party she didn't know about, and the recent changes in her living arrangements with her baby's father and their short skirmish over what could have turned into an ugly custody battle.

"Heavens, Eden, that's a lot of emotional stress for one person, and in your condition, we can't have that," the doctor said as she scribbled a prescription for prenatal supplements. "I want you back here in three weeks for your first scan, and since you've had a high-risk pregnancy before, we'll have to monitor you closely."

"Thank you." Eden smiled even though she had absolutely nothing to smile about. "I'll see you in three weeks."

"You forgot this," Emily waved the prescription, and Eden turned back and snatched it from her.

"Congratulations! This is such an exciting time for you and your partner."

No, it wasn't. But Eden nodded anyway and asked for her pregnancy test. Emily frowned, but picked up the phone and asked the nurse to do the necessary.

Eden waved over her shoulder one last time, collected the brown bag with her pregnancy test from the nurse, and headed out into the cold afternoon sunshine, pulling her trench tighter as she dashed to Jace's car. She sent Clara and Liam texts as soon as she was safely strapped in, and informed them she was taking the rest of the afternoon off. Within seconds, her phone flashed silently on her lap with their frantic texts.

She promised Clara everything was great, and told Liam they had to talk tonight. He couldn't wait that long. He called her as soon as he read her text.

"Is everything okay? What did the doctor say?" he asked when she picked up.

Eden assured him the doctor had given her a clean bill of health, but they had a lot to chat about.

"I'll be home as soon as I can after my meeting with Ivanov."

"Liam," Eden said. "I love you, and be safe."

"Always!" Hearing the smile in his voice made her miss him so badly, and she wished she could see it now.

"Don't give Aiden a bath without me, and I'll read to him tonight," Liam added.

For the first time since she left the doctor's office, Eden didn't feel so anxious. Maybe being a mom of two wasn't such a terrible idea, she thought as they hung up. Maybe she and Liam would handle two children easily. And maybe their new baby was the person they needed to complete their little family.

Chapter

Forty-Two

HEART OF A WARRIOR

06:00 PM.

That was the time they were supposed to meet. Liam was there at 4:30 PM, though. Not because he was eager to strike a deal with the devil, but because James and his guys wanted to scope out the place for possible threats. Ordinarily, entering the venue after hours would have been a hassle, but as a former motorsport driver, Liam's lifetime pass allowed him 24/7 access. Within minutes, they were in the VIP lounge. He slipped off his messenger bag, took off his coat, and placed both on the coffee table.

"Do you need anything, sir?" James asked, scanning the room.

---