Begin Again novel Chapter 53

They sat in stony silence for the first ten minutes, with Linda only too happy to observe them and take notes.

Eden looked at everything but Liam and his therapist, and his gaze remained firmly on her. For some unfathomable reason, he'd decided to stand by the window even though there was plenty of room on Linda's tan couch.

At last, unable to take the silence and suspense any longer, Eden addressed the therapist. "I'm not sure why I'm here."

Linda snapped her notebook shut and leaned back in her chair, and for fifteen minutes, she brought her up to speed on the reasons for Liam's weekly sessions with her.

Eden sat in numb disbelief, her eyes now constantly shifting between Liam and the therapist, convinced they had both lost their minds or she was stuck in a dream that didn't make any sense at all.

He'd obviously lied to Linda about his erectile dysfunction because she'd felt his hard-on when he kissed her in the meeting room that first time, and in his office too just yesterday. He can clearly get it up.

"That's not true," she said, shaking her head. "He does not have any issues. I felt his—"

"You felt what? My erection?" Liam drawled softly. "Congratulations, Princess, you are the only one in the whole fucking universe who makes me hard."

Eden ignored his outburst and turned to Linda. "Is he serious right now? Is that even a thing?"

Linda explained it's all true. Liam's condition is linked to the timing of their hookup. He'd experienced so many life-changing events—almost losing his father, giving up his career and taking over a mega-billions operation were all huge stressors— and when she vanished without a word, something broke in him to a point he couldn't bring himself to connect with other women.

"Your encounter on its own would not have had such an impact on him," Linda explained, "but coupled with all the other stressors in his life, it was a perfect storm for someone already under immense pressure."

"I didn't know," Eden said softly.

She knew about Liam's Dad being sick. She'd read about it in the papers. But, she would never have imagined the emotional fallout that resulted from his cancer diagnosis. And at that moment, her heart ached for Liam badly. She loved drawing with a passion, and she couldn't imagine ever being forced to give it up or to have to take on a responsibility she didn't want.

Linda carried on in her flat voice, the tips of her steepled fingers resting against her lips. "I suggested to Liam that perhaps if he were to see you again and talk things out with you about that night, he might be able to put the incident behind him and work towards healing. That's why you are both here, so you can talk openly and honestly about that night. This is a no judgement space, and I encourage you to express your feelings."

Eden nodded, but as much as she understood and was empathetic to Liam's plight, her life also changed drastically after their hookup, but she didn't go around lashing out at people.