Page 78 of The Rivals' Touch

“Did you have a nice time last night?” Ariana asks Zayd, who shovels more cereal into his mouth.

Nodding, he eyes me. “Yeah. It was a good night.”

I haven’t looked away from the food on my plate since I sat down, and I haven’t touched it either.

Bennett spreads out on the chair and puts his arm around my shoulder. His black t-shirt is one I bought him for Christmas last year. It has a stupid print below the belly button that says, “Property of my girlfriend,” with two hands pointing down to his dick. I thought it was funny at the time. I don’t anymore.

“What’s up with you?” Zayd asks, lifting his chin at me.

I stay silent, stirring my spoon through my cereal.

“You’re just tired, aren’t you, beautiful?” Bennett answers for me. He looks at Zayd. “I kept her up all night.”

Ariana clears her throat and gulps her scalding coffee. “Let’s keep the conversation clean, shall we?”

The spoon clatters as Zayd drops it in the bowl and says to Bennett, “You won’t be around forever. When is it you’re going back? Oh, that’s right. Tonight!”

Bennett stiffens next to me. “Stay away from my fiancé!”

Zayd bursts out laughing.

Next to me, Ariana looks uncomfortable. She waves a servant over and asks for more coffee. Luckily, my father has other plans this morning and is missing from the breakfast table.

“What the fuck? Fiancé?”

Bennett grabs my wrist and lifts my hand in the air, showing off the big rock on my finger that my dad ordered me to put on last night before leaving my room.

“It’s so pretty!” Ariana coos. “It must have cost a fortune, Bennett?”

He shrugs, removing his arm from around my shoulders to grab a buttered piece of toast. “Money was never an issue.”

Zayd’s eyes collide with mine.

I avert my gaze first.

“I can’t wait to go shopping for wedding dresses, Remi. Yours and mine.”

Bennett’s phone lights up with a text message on the table. He snatches it up, but not before I spot who it’s from.

Cali.

I feel sick – Legacy was right, after all. It’s not just a rumor. What the fuck is happening?

I chance a look at Zayd again. His eyes are already on me, and he raises his brow.

“Are you excited, Remi? We’ll have to arrange an engagement party!” Ariana beams. She’s in her element.

“Yeah, why don’t we?” I smile, looking at Bennett. “Let’s invite Cali.”

He ignores me and puts his phone down but his hand on my thigh beneath the table squeezes in warning.

I pretend I don’t notice as I turn my blue eyes on Zayd and say, “I would love it if you could come too. And Jacob. I’ve grown close to both of y—”

Bennett clears his throat loudly.

“What’s wrong, baby?” I fake concern, pressing the back of my fingers to his temple. “Are you unwell?”

His phone vibrates with another incoming message.

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