Begin Again novel Chapter 101

"God, someone, please take him away," Eden complained as she booted Lydia off the bench and sat down.

Her friends gasped and fussed at Lucy's handiwork when she took off her oversized sunglasses.

They were outraged and wanted blood—Lydia more than the other two—when Eden told them all about her office renovations and her fight with Lucy.

"Who the hell is this bitch?" She yelled, startling Aiden playing at their feet with his toy bucket and spade.

He thought she's shouting at him, and he yelled back, "no!"

Eden groaned. "That's his favourite word now. Today especially, everything is a huge 'no' for him."

"Well, he's probably pissed his mom was assaulted." Sienna leaned over and ruffled his hair. Aiden looked up and smiled sweetly at her, the small dimple on the side of his mouth—the only thing he'd inherited from Eden—blinking at them as he sprayed sand everywhere and chuckled his little heart out.

"I found her address," Lydia announced, stunning everyone with her determination. "Let's go egg her house."

"Can you be so juvenile?" Cassandra rolled her eyes and sipped her tea. "I'm sure Liam's dealt with her."

"Let's not mention him, please!" Eden sunk low in her seat and leaned her head on the metal frame as she stared at the clear sky.

"So you frigging returned his gift?" Sienna frowned, her annoyance palpable. "Why couldn't you keep the painting at least? You know the artist was the love of my life."

"Sorry, Si, it's too much. I couldn't bring myself to keep it, not with all the rumours going around." Eden explained.

"Technically, they aren't wrong," Lydia shrugged and crouched down to help Aiden build a sandcastle. But he had his own plans and politely pushed her hands away. "You slept with him once, and if that photo in the chat is any indication, it's only a matter of time before you do again. No one can contain all that fire."

"Shut up," Eden sighed and closed her eyes. "That photo's an innocent hug; I was devastated by my parents' divorce, and Liam was there for me as my boss. It was blown out of proportion."

"But look at the heat between you two, the hunger in both your eyes," Sienna added fuel to the fire as she gawked at the photo on Eden's phone.

"What heat? What hunger?" Eden snatched her phone back, wishing she hadn't shown them the chat that launched Lucy's missiles. "Besides, he has Laura."

"Of course, the mystery wife," Cassandra nodded.

"Well, I don't know what she is, but she's in the picture." Eden sipped her now lukewarm chai and nibbled on a doughnut.

Her son looked up longingly, but he knew better than to beg. He was not allowed to have sugary stuff so late in the day.

Smelling a scoop from a mile away, Sienna screeched and shot to her feet, startling Aiden a little with the sudden movements. "Whoa! Hold on, back up! I'm so confused. Is she or is she not the girlfriend? And is Liam like cheating on his wife?"

"Well, there is no wife," Eden admitted and reluctantly filled them in on their encounter in Liam's office and how he dragged her to his childhood home to confirm his marital status with his parents, their romantic dinner at the Portuguese restaurant on 8th Street and their passionate encounter at the penthouse in Green Point.

"We told you he's not married!" Her friends shrieked as they jumped for joy and hugged her, startling Aiden yet again with their crazed noise.

Her son, though, quickly got over his shock and joined in, clapping his tiny hands and laughing his head off even though he had no idea what they were all celebrating.

"Oh my gosh! He booked out an entire restaurant for you!" Sienna sighed when they were all calm again. "This is so crazy!"

"By telling Liam, I guess," Sienna said as she picked Aiden up and threw him in the air before smothering him with kisses.

Her son screeched gleefully and demanded more. And for a little while, they all watched Sienna goof around with Aiden.

"I'd tell him in a heartbeat if he didn't admit to his parents he's got no room for kids because his life is too full, and his job's keeping him way too busy to be a father," Eden said, shutting everyone up for a little while with her revelations.

Reeling from her announcement, they all sipped their teas and watched Aiden make car sounds while he pushed his bucket up and down the sand.

"You need to get this child toys." Cassandra was the first to snap out of her thoughts.

"He has tons," Eden replied absently. "His grandparents bought him a whole toy store, but he still prefers the bucket."

"So, what are you going to do about Aiden and his dad?" Sienna asked.

"I'll figure something out." She shrugged,

"This shit won't end well," Her friend warned. "You need to tell Liam the truth and quit finding reasons why you can't."

Lydia agreed, nodding her head emphatically. "I'm usually okay with bad decisions, but this is beginning to stink real bad."

Eden opened her mouth to defend herself but couldn't come up with anything because her friends were right. Now that she knew Liam was not married, she had no reason to keep the truth from him. She would ask Isaac for his legal expertise about co-parenting and navigating shared custody when she sees him tomorrow.