Begin Again novel Chapter 61

"Well, the only sure-fire way to get someone out of your system is to fuck them, you know that, right?" Matthew reminded him.

Liam would love nothing more. But, banging Eden was the one option no longer on the table after their session with Linda, that much he knew.

But he had to figure out a way to rid himself of her somehow, and get her out of his system before this feeling, whatever it is, took hold.

Matthew's phone rang, and he went to a quiet corner to answer it, leaving Liam alone with his thoughts and a thousand regrets.

Sighing, he pulled out his phone and spent the next five minutes typing out a lengthy text, but he couldn't bring himself to send it because he knew an apology has to be given in person. Same goes with a breakup. His mom had taught him well.

"Ugh!" Liam groaned as he deleted the message and watched Julian still flirting up a storm with the brunette over martinis.

He smiled, shaking his head. It seemed Chloe, and her underwear, was firmly out of his cousin's mind.

Liam pulled out his laptop from his messenger bag, ready to tackle all his emails, but Lydia's page, still open in his browser caught his eye.

He crawled it for a bit, reading through her latest post—an apology to her two million-plus fan base for the issues with the site earlier. Apparently, she had to take it down briefly while she did some maintenance.

"Guess she was telling the truth after all," Liam said softly, thinking about Eden's excuse earlier. The panic in her eyes when Matthew had filled her in, and the way she'd tried so hard to convince them to not go on the blog, had made him a little suspicious. He was glad to see he was wrong about her.

He looked through Lydia's gallery and watched a few videos, his suspicions about Eden roaring to life again when he noticed all the ones her son was tagged in were now mysteriously locked.

Liam was still browsing the video gallery when Matthew came back.

"Sarah's trying to get a meeting with Lydia's handlers," he announced as he sat down again.

"Can you check her page for a sec and let me know if you can access the videos Eden's son is tagged in?" Liam looked up from the screen briefly and called a waiter over to take their drinks order; since Julian wasn't planning to come back with their bottle of tequila, he had to think on his feet. He had no intention of sitting through an eight-hour flight sober.

"Right now?" Matthew asked, making a face, clearly not in the mood for work.

"No, genius, tomorrow's fine." Liam drawled sarcastically. "I watched one video featuring Eden this morning before the meeting, but when I tried now, they're all set to private."

"So?" Matthew asked.

"So don't you find it odd?" Liam shot back.

"Eden said her friend's doing maintenance, maybe that's what she meant." Matthew shrugged but tried to access the blog from his phone anyway while Liam tried again on his laptop.

"I can't view them either." He announced moments later after trying several.

Liam pushed his laptop away and leaned back in his seat, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"What are you thinking?" His cousin asked as the waiter returned with their drinks.

"Stay here and forget about her business acumen for a sec," Matthew clapped his hands together to get him to focus on the issue at hand. "Fact of the matter is you asked her if Aiden's your son, and she said he's not. I think you're looking for a reason to insert yourself into her life. You're looking for ways to hold on to her."

"Fuck you!" Liam sneered, his face tight with fury. "If I wanted Eden, I’d already have her by now, and if I wanted to be in her life, I'd go after her hard and fast and I'd get her. So don't you ever make such shitty assumptions again! Inserting myself in her life my ass!"

"Okay, I'm sorry," Matthew put up his hands, withdrawing from what could easily turn into a full-blown fight. "I think you have enough problems right now. Linda. Your therapy. You need to focus on that before you invite any more."

Liam reached for his drink and guzzled it down. He signalled at the waiter to bring him another one. After his third, he felt more like himself again, a little less on edge.

And the longer he thought about it; the more Matthew made sense.

"You're right, I'm sorry." He said, at last, raising his glass at his cousin. He was overthinking and seeing things that weren't there. There's no way Eden would intentionally keep his son away from him; she would have told him if Aiden is his. They may have a rocky relationship at best, but he didn't think she'd be that cruel.

He was about to smash his fourth drink when Gibby appeared at his side.

"The jet's been cleared, sir. Wheel's up in thirty."

Liam smiled and nodded at her, "Thanks, Gibby. We'll handle it from here. I'll call you throughout the week if I need anything."

"Have a safe trip, gentlemen," she smiled and waved before she turned on her heel and headed for the exit, her merry band of assistants trailing behind her.

"Let's go," Matthew announced as he waved his brother over while Liam packed away his laptop, thoughts of Aiden being his son momentarily pushed aside as he refocused his mind on the multi-billion Rand deal he's about to sign with a furniture store magnate.