Begin Again novel Chapter 34

Eden and Cassandra spent a few minutes outside the hair salon, making plans for the weekend. They parted ways soon after her friend got a call from her assistant. Something about a burst pipe.

"God, I'm not cut out for this business crap!" Cassandra grumbled as she snapped on her helmet and jumped on her bike.

"Thanks again for doing this," Eden called after her as she watched her pull away from the curb and race down the street, towards her studio not too far from the Civic Theatre.

Eden turned to her car and sighed as she touched her hair, wishing it was all a dream, and Franco hadn't gone crazy with the scissors. At least it's soft; she consoled herself as she unlocked her door. It smelled amazing too, so there's that.

She was about to slip in behind the wheel when her phone rang.

It was a private number, and despite common sense telling her not to—because whoever was on the other end was only calling to sell her insurance or other such services she couldn't possibly afford—she answered her phone.

"Eden, it's Gibby, do you have time today for a quick chat?"

Yeah, she had plenty of time now that she's unemployed again. But, she'd rather avoid any quick chats with Gibby or anyone else from Anderson Logistics.

She'd spent a large part of her night tossing and turning while her mind raced over her encounter with Liam. When she did manage to close her eyes, sometime after 3:00 AM finally, he'd haunted her dreams.

So chatting to anyone close to him, especially so soon after their Battle Royale, was bound to give her major anxiety.

"Are you still there?" Gibby sounded unsure and a little desperate, very different from the disapproving woman who'd worn a permanently annoyed scowl on her face throughout Eden's interview and orientation.

"If you're calling to ask me about the contract, don't worry, I've torn it up already," Eden said cooly as she played with the handbag strap on her shoulder.

"I was hoping you didn't," Gibby said. "Mr Anderson needs you at work ASAP."

Eden slapped her forehead with her palm, gobsmacked by this turn of events, unable to believe the other woman's announcement.

One of them was losing their minds, Eden thought, and it sure as hell wasn't her. There's no way she'd return to Anderson Logistics, not after the bashing her heart took. Liam had put her through the wringer.

"He needs you—" Gibby carried on, taking her silence as a moment of weakness, the perfect opportunity to launch her attack.

But Eden cut her off very quickly, seething at Liam's arrogance. He may be hot as fuck, and his dick may have done things to her she didn't think any other could. But she was not a masochist. She didn't get off on pain.

"No, thanks. I can do without the humiliation," Eden said sternly, hoping the ice in her voice was enough to put an end to the call.

"He regrets it, you know." Gibby pushed on, chipping away at her defences. "He wants to work things out."

"There's nothing to work out. I'll pass on the job. Thank you, though."

Eden hung up and slipped inside her car, pushing her seatbelt in place forcefully, seething at the call. She was so tempted to head home and take a nap with her son, but she still had tons of stuff to do.

Her first stop was the grocery store; her cupboards were bone dry.

She spent a crazy amount of time in the organic food aisle. But all the healthy food was ridiculously expensive.

"One day," she said longingly at a carton of organic milk. The last time she had some or anything organic was when she still lived under her parents' roof.

She moved along and mindlessly stuffed her trolley with stuff she knew wasn't good for her and Aiden, but was all her meagre weekly budget can afford.