Begin Again novel Chapter 160

"Fucking hell, Laura!" Liam barked at his ex and pushed her away from him.

She stumbled and fell in a clumsy heap at his feet.

"She lied to you, and you still want her—" She spluttered out her bewilderment, but his cold, piercing gaze was enough to shut her up real quick.

He gulped down more of the bourbon, resenting her even more for complicating his already messy evening.

Now he not only had one but two issues to work through with Eden.

"When did you find out?" He demanded when her words sunk in at last.

"That night at Crush when she fought with her boyfriend. I tried to warn you the last time I was here, but you were adamant he's someone else's kid."

"You knew!" His voice was dangerously soft as he placed the now half-empty bottle on his desk. "You knew, and you said nothing!"

"You hate kids, remember? In all the years we were together, you never wanted them. I figured there's no need to tell you since you were so convinced he's not yours," Laura explained.

But Liam held up his hand, cutting off all her justifications. "Is that why you told Eden about the vasectomy? Is that why you even made up stories about the penthouse, so you can mess with her head and make her believe I wouldn't want my own flesh and blood? Who the hell are you? You knew I have a son, and you kept him away from me! Three months, Laura, three fucking months, and you said nothing?"

"I'm not the one you should be angry with!" Laura clenched her jaw and jutted out her chin. "I don't owe you the truth. But your precious Eden does, and she chose to keep you out for two years. Don't blame me for something she did!"

She was right, of course. His fury, somewhat justified, was a little misplaced. But he needed an immediate outlet to vent, and Laura was right in front of him.

"If you didn't do a DNA test, you'd still be in the dark," Laura carried on, encouraged by his silence, blissfully oblivious to how dangerously close he was to snapping her neck off. "Clearly, she wasn't planning to tell you."

"How did you know about the paternity test?" He asked even though he already knew the answer.

She tried to backtrack and save herself. "Well—I mean—I figured you'd do one anyway—"

"Don't fucking lie to me, Laura! I know your mother told you about the test, the same way she told you about the penthouse! She reports every little detail about my life to you!" He rapidly made his way over to her, his nostrils flaring, the veins in his temples and neck throbbing hard as molten rage coursed through his entire body.

He almost had her throat in his hand when she closed her eyes and pleaded with him.

"Please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. It's just so hard to let go and not know what's going in your life. It's not mom's fault; I ask her for updates."

"Get out!" He pointed at the door.

"You're not serious!" Laura shook her head incredulously as she fell back on the couch. "You can't possibly be thinking of playing happy family with that trash. She lied to you!"

Liam rounded on her in a heartbeat, his shadow falling across her on the sofa, his hands clenched at his sides.

"Don't you ever speak about the mother of my son in that manner again! You'll show her all the respect that goes with that role." He gritted his teeth and pointed at the door for her to see to herself out.

Laura looked utterly broken. "But why? Why are you okay with her child when you never wanted one with me?"

"I didn't know I was okay with having children until Eden came along," Liam explained truthfully.