Page 42 of Begin Again, Part 2

Those two words sent Eden's world spinning out of control, effectively upending the blissful calm life she'd managed to build for herself since her return to Rock Castle. For a frightening moment, she thought she'd faint, and she'd never been more terrified of anything in her life than making a fool of herself in front of Liam's ex. She blindly reached out, trying to steady herself. But the only thing she found was Laura's white-sleeved arm. The other woman quickly ducked out of the way, and Eden swayed on her feet, slumping on the wall with a dull thud.

"If you thought you'd trap Liam with that bastard child of yours, I have news for you, honey. He hates kids, and he'll never accept that little boy," Laura announced, her crimson lips twisted viciously. "So do us all a favour and return to whatever hole you crawled from. I want my life back now!"

"How do you know about my son?" Eden asked in a small voice. Lydia had assured her she'd removed all the videos of Aiden from her vlog. She, herself, had checked numerous times to make sure there were no traces of her son anywhere. Apart from her friends and Brenda, no one else should know Aiden's paternity.

"The custody agreement you asked Isaac to draw up?" Laura sneered, clearing up her confusion. "But I knew about little Aiden way before that. I found out about him after seeing you at Crush that night, when you made a fool of yourself with that cheating fiancé of yours."

Eden blanched at the memory of her fight with Simon and her public meltdown. It wasn't her finest moment for sure.

"I had to see it for myself and figure out why Liam was going gaga over you. So I looked for you on the interwebs. You know what they say, know your enemy and all that jazz," Laura carried on, the calculating smile back in all its glory, taunting her. "You shouldn't let your friend post your son's videos everywhere. You never know how many psychos are lurking out there."

"Why?" Eden asked, her voice still sounding papery and brittle, her pulse virtually non-existent now. She felt dizzy and lightheaded, and she desperately wanted to close her eyes and blink this nightmare away. But she leaned on the wall instead, enjoying the feel of the cool bricks on her back. "Why haven't you told Liam yet?"

"No, sweetheart. That would be too easy," Laura shook her head. "It's more fun to watch you self-destruct. And it's only a matter of time before this house of cards you've built comes crashing down, and I'll be right here, waiting to help Liam pick up the pieces."

"It won't," Eden said with conviction. "I'm going to tell him the truth tonight. I was waiting for the custody agreement to be ready."

"Silly girl, you didn't have to draw up the agreement. Liam won't sign it. And do you know how I know he won't? Well, let's see, I was with him for three years, and he told me he didn't want children. He planned to get a vasectomy because he didn't want to make the mistake of sowing his seed."

"That's not true," Eden shook her head. But even as she said the words, she knew it was true. After all, Liam had said as much to his parents, and he told her before he was glad Aiden wasn't his. Granted, they were both angry at the time. But angry people, just like drunks, told no lies.

"Ask him if you don't believe me." Laura gave her a knowing smile. "Just out of interest, did he take you to the penthouse yet?"

"How do you know about that?"

"That's where he took all the women he tried to fuck in the past," Laura said, twisting the knife deeper in her chest. "At least with you, he might succeed if he keeps up with his therapy visits. But sweetie, that penthouse, he didn't buy it for you. That's his fuck pad. He's had it for years—"

"Enough!" Eden yelled. "No more. There's no need to say more."

"Fine," Laura turned to leave, waving over her shoulder. "Most women would charge for this type of intel, but I gave it to you for free. You're welcome."

Eden stayed in the dingy hallway for some time, trying to wrap her mind around her encounter with Liam's ex, the gaping hole in her heart left by her words growing wider with each passing second.

"No!" She closed her eyes in a futile attempt to banish everything Laura had said from her mind. But Liam was with her for three years. That fact alone was enough to make Eden sick to her stomach. She dashed back inside the restroom and spent some time there, puking out her lunch and glass of wine. When she came out of the restroom ten minutes later, Liam was waiting for her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching for her. "You don't look okay."

"I'm fine." Eden pushed his hand away from her forehead when he tried to check her temperature.

"You're burning up," he said. "I'm taking you home."

She didn't get a chance to protest. Her eyes rolled back in her head as total darkness fell over her.

The next time she came to, they were in the car, on their way to the penthouse. His fuck pad. And Eden lost her shit.

"Take me home, right now," she shrieked as she pulled away from him.

"You're not feeling well." Liam tried to force her head back down on his lap. "Lie down."

But she wasn't having any of it. There was no way she'd go to his fuck pad ever again.

"I don't want to lie down!" she snapped, balling her hands into fists on her lap. "The penthouse, when did you say you bought it?"

"Why are you asking about that right now?" Liam frowned at her, confusion swimming in his eyes.

"When?" Eden demanded. "How many women did you take there?"

"Are you honestly asking me that?" He looked thoroughly incensed by her question. "What do you take me for?"

---