Page 52 of Knot Just Their Nanny
Got anything specific you need from the shop?
I reply back:Food.
To which he sends a laughing face emoji and then:Don’t blame us then if we arrive with beer and bread.
Shaking my head, I know he’s joking. Ben has been fending for himself, so he knows what he needs to buy.
The rest of the day passes in a blur of baby giggles, nappy changes, and bottle feeding. Her temperature stays at a steady 38.5, which is worrying but not an emergency, so I keep texting “no change” to Ben. He replies with that fucking thumbs up emoji which everyone knows is the condescending symbol for fuck you.
So, I leave him to it. I’m not digging deeper into his feelings after this morning. That was plenty for one day.
By late afternoon, I start to get anxious about this date with Liam and leaving Ben here with Mia. It seems cheeky and a bit rude.
You’re allowed a life, though.
Well, yeah, but something doesn’t feel right about this, and I pick up the phone to cancel with Liam.
But then something else stops me and I chew my lip as I shove my phone back in my pocket.
After making sure Mia is safe and sleeping, I head downstairs. The front door opens, and the guys stroll in, beaming like they did something amazing.
“Food!” Liam announces.
“Great. You want a medal?”
He snickers as Ben gives me a narrow-eyed stare. “What an ungrateful response for the hunter-gatherers.” His lips turn up into a smirk, and I giggle.
“Is that how you see yourselves? Tackling the aisles at the supermarket?”
“You don’t know what it’s like out there for two single alphas doing the weekly shop,” Liam says with a laugh. “Dodging omegas like they’re sabre-toothed tigers.”
“Yeah, I bet,” I chortle as I take a couple of bags Ben hands me, glad that his mood has lightened considerably. I guess bonding time with Liam outside of work has been good for him. Maybe they should go out tonight instead?
“But why dodge?” I ask lightly, cursing myself and my runaway mouth.What am I doing?
Liam’s eyes find mine with a curious stare. Ben, on the other hand, snorts in disgust.
“Huge pass,” he grumbles and stalks past me to the kitchen.
“Well, it was fun while it lasted,” I say with a sigh.
“Back to that question,” Liam says, ignoring me. “You don’t want me to dodge?”
I do! I do! But I shouldn’t want you to.
I shrug nonchalantly and turn away from him.
“Whoa,” he says, grasping my arm lightly to halt my progress to the kitchen. “What’s brought that on?” He searches my eyes earnestly. “Have you changed your mind about our date?”
“It’s just a date,” I murmur. “You are free to do what you want.”
“Is that what you think?” he asks with a frown that worries me I’ve made a really serious error in judgement here.
Ya think, bitch?Even my brain is shaking its metaphorical head at me.
I hesitate because this tiny moment feels like the cusp of something significant. It’s not just about a date; it’s about whatit represents. Liam’s looking at me like he’s trying to read the headlines of my soul, and I’m suddenly conscious that I might be broadcasting all sorts of signals I hadn’t intended to.
“Look,” I find myself saying, “this is coming out all wrong. But there’s a lot going on, yeah? Mia’s ill, Ben’s going through his thing, and I’ve been caught in the middle of all this.”
