Begin Again novel Chapter 118

"Are you drunk?" Liam clutched the phone tightly in his hand and shook his head in disbelief as he checked his watch. 

Two hours. 

That's how long it's been since he left Eden in the VIP booth, and in that short two hours, she had somehow managed to get shitfaced, even when he told her she shouldn't, even after he had begged her not to be reckless. 

Now more than ever, Liam was convinced Eden's sole purpose on earth was to torture and torment him.

"Why don't you like me?" She asked again, her sobs drowning out her words, and at that moment, with his heart aching at the sound of her tears, he forgot all his anger.

"Where are you? I'm coming there right now." His voice was much gentler as he sighed into the phone. 

"Please like me." Eden hiccuped softly on her end. "I like you so much it hurts. So please like me."

Her pleas left him stunned for words. 

How she could think he doesn't like her when everyone around them seemed to be experts on his heart and his very obvious feelings for her was mind-blowing.

"Even if it's just a little bit." Eden cried. "Please like me, okay?"

"Okay, okay, I like you." He admitted. "Now, tell me where you are."

"You do?" She sounded amazed by his confession. "Do you seriously like me?"

"Eden—" Liam gritted his teeth, his patience running out fast.

"You can't take it back!" She hiccuped, laughed and sobbed in one breath. "You said you like me, so you can't take it back."

"Okay, I won't take it back. Now tell me where you are, Princess?" He begged her. But talking to a drunk Eden was like banging his head on a stone wall. He didn't even think she was aware that she had drunk called him.

"Since you like me, you can't like anyone else—" She carried on sobbing and sniffling.

"Eden, snap out of it and tell me where you are!" He closed his eyes and groaned, wondering which god he'd pissed off this time.

Finding her wouldn't be hard at all. He'd turn this place upside down if he had to. But his life would be so much easier if she just told him where she was.

Before she could reply, though, he relaxed a little when he heard the faint sounds of toilets flushing, doors opening and slamming shut and water gushing out of taps.

"Stay there," he told her softly. "Don't move; I'm coming to take you home."

He hung up from her and returned to the cellar where the semi-final round was still raging on. 

But even if he stayed, there was no way he'd be able to focus on the tournament. Not when his heart was passed out over some toilet bowl somewhere in the female bathroom.

"Look, I know a hundred million is chump change in the grand scheme of things, but it's Aleksei Fucking Ivanov. We can't let him win!" Julian grumbled as he knocked back his whiskey and took a long drag from his cigarette. He seldom smoked. But today, with their reputation on the line, Julian's stress levels had reached such epic proportions alcohol alone just wasn't cutting it.

Liam patted him on the back and squeezed his shoulder. "Matt's doing okay; you can jump in and help him at any time if you hate to lose that much."

"Me? Hate to lose?" Julian whipped up his head. "You hate it more than I do, especially to the Ivanovs."

"Yeah, but Eden needs me," Liam explained. "I have to take her home."

His cousin's eyes lit up, and his shoulders relaxed some. "Say no more, dude!"

"Let's meet tomorrow to discuss the bidding proposal for Lusso!" He said as he gulped down his bourbon before heading for the door.

"Leaving already, Anderson?" Aleksei taunted him. "It's only thirty million you've lost. You can still make it up, don't be such a pussy!"

Liam flipped him the bird as he pushed out of the room.

He'll deal with him another day, and he'll get back more than just the thirty million he's lost.