Page 54 of Knot Just Their Nanny
“Seems like a lifetime ago.”
“A lot has happened,” he agrees, taking it from me to open and lay out neatly on the blanket.
“Yeah.” I look back at the house and wonder if Ben is watching this. And if he is, what does he make of it? Does he realise Liam thought about him and Mia?
“Fizzy water?” He hands me a paper cup. I’d been too busy lost in my thoughts to hear him open the green bottle propped up next to him.
“Careful, or you might spoil me,” I tell him, accepting the cup.
“Too late, I’m afraid. That ship has sailed,” Liam replies, raising his cup in a mock toast. “To spoiling Zara, long may it continue.”
Our cups come together, and I can’t contain the laughter that bubbles up inside. It feels good to sit here with him, sharing food and silly jokes under the open sky. For a moment, everything else fades away, and it’s just us, basking in the simplicity of a picnic and the complexity of our growing connection.
Liam flicks a grape towards me, his aim perfect as it lands right in my palm. I pop it into my mouth and chew thoughtfully while he stretches out on the blanket, looking relaxed yet somehow serious all of a sudden.
“I really like you,” he murmurs.
“I really like you too.”
He smiles, almost sadly. “I’ve never really liked anyone before.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“My dating history’s been, well, let’s just say, less than stellar.”
I tilt my head, curious. “Oh? How so?”
He shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. “I guess I’ve never found someone who made settling down seem worth it, and thenthere’s what happened with Ben and Nicole, which I thought had put me off for life ever wanting to settle down and mate.”
“I can imagine,” I murmur.
He grimaces. “No, you really can’t. She was a piece of work. Narcissistic, you know? Always needed to be the centre of attention.” He shakes his head, his usual lightness fading for a moment. “She didn’t just mess with Ben’s head—she tried to wedge herself between all of us. Me, Ben, Henry. We were tight, and she couldn’t stand it. She wanted to isolate Ben, have him depend only on her. She hated his parents and pushed them away. It was a nightmare. But Ben didn’t see it.”
“It’s rough, but he wouldn’t, though. Not unless he wanted to.” Iknow. I lived it.
“Rough doesn’t quite cover it,” he says, acknowledging my other words by reaching out and taking my hand to give it a squeeze. He doesn’t remove it, but laces our fingers together. “I—I hate to say this, and I’ve never said it to Ben, and nor would I, but I think she only decided to have Mia as a way to keep control over Ben. That’s why she bolted so soon after. She wasn’t cut out for it, and she cut her losses.”
“That’s sick,” I mutter. “Ifit’s true. You don’t know that for sure.”
“I can pretty much guarantee,” he growls. “Don’t give her the benefit of the doubt, Zara. She was a bitch, and I’m glad she’s gone. I feel if she hadn’t left when she did, Henry and I would’ve staged an intervention.”
“You’re good friends,” I murmur with a smile.
“We try. But this went off the rails. I was talking about me, but watching Nicole destroy Ben put me off. It’s something that I guess I needed you to know.”
“I’m not like her,” I start with a frown.
“Fuck, no. I wasn’t saying you were. You are the opposite of her, the Anti-Nicole. You are perfect, sweet, kind, loving. You arean omega through and through. I always wondered if Nicole had alpha tendencies.”
“It’s been known to happen.”
“You have changed my outlook. I can see there is good in relationships when there is give and take.” His gaze simmers into mine.
“You’ve really been dating the wrong people,” I giggle, but then sigh. “Not that I have a leg to stand on.”
“Yeah, the infamous Eddie. Have I mentioned what a toolkit he is?”
I laugh. “Once or twice, but feel free to say it again and be more scathing about it.” I lean forward, a blade of grass between my fingers, twisting it as I gather my thoughts. “He had this way of making me doubt myself, like everything was always my fault. If he turned up late, somehow, I’d got the time wrong. If he forgot something, I must’ve never told him.”
