Begin Again novel Chapter 167

"Would you have, though? If she'd told you three months ago, would you have accepted the truth? You hated her, and you couldn't stand being in the same room with her."

"That's not true—" He shook his head, trying to deny his truth for the past two years.

But Linda had saved up all the receipts.

She got up and looked through one of the filing cabinets behind her desk, returning a moment later with a stack of notebooks.

There were three in total, much to Liam's dismay, when he quickly scanned them.

Three notebooks in two years.

That's a lot of venting.

"Here," she shoved the stack in his direction. "All your rage and hate for Eden is in there. Look inside if you don't believe me."

"Why are you showing me this?" He growled and pushed the journals back at her.

"She didn't tell you because she knew you hated her, and co-parenting with you would have been impossible," Linda said as she picked up the new journal and scribbled something.

"It doesn't excuse her actions two years ago!"

"You can't get a free pass for your actions too, Liam." She smiled and sipped her whiskey.

She was going easy on it, and he'd already finished his third. It's a good thing she was his therapist and not his drinking buddy. She was a terrible drinker.

"What are you saying?" He asked as he stood up and paced the room. He didn't drive in terrible weather and braved the rain just to be reminded of his shitty actions.

He came to vent. And he paid Linda to hear his side. But so far, she seemed to be firmly on Eden's, and he couldn't understand why.

Was he the only one who had an issue with betrayal and being deceived?

Was he wrong for feeling disappointed and —

"Even when you hated her, Eden still stayed," Linda murmured. "When you lashed out at her, she took it and treated you with kindness and grace and humility because she knew one day you'll find out about Aiden, and you'll both have to co-parent your son. She stayed because she wanted to help you. She put your needs and your mental well-being above hers."

Liam collapsed on the sofa at her words, and the pain in his heart was back. He closed his eyes and blinked back his tears as he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I love her," he admitted. "I love her so much it terrifies me, Linda. But I don't think I can forgive her for what she did. I don't think I can ever trust her after this. How does she hide a whole human being? How? Who does that?"

"She forgave you all your screwups. Perhaps you need to show her the same kindness, grace and humility she afforded you."

"How do I do that?"