29. Zara

"Go and get ready," Liam says to me, coming into the kitchen with another bag.

"Here, I'll put that away first," I say, reaching for it.

"I've got it. You go up."

"What about Ben's dinner?"

"All sorted, just go or you will give an alpha a complex."

Giggling, I nod. "Fine, I'm going. What do I wear?"

"Warm and comfy."

"I can do that." Relieved that this is going to be a low-key date like he said, I head upstairs to my room to get ready. Pulling on some black jeans and a long-sleeved black tee, I put on my socks and a black jumper, grabbing my boots and a coat from the wardrobe.

Once downstairs, I sit on the bottom step and put my boots on, then rise to slip into my coat. Hearing a noise from the kitchen, I enter and see Liam heading out the back door.

Following him curiously, I step out onto the back lawn, my feet sinking a bit into the soft grass, watching as Liam, all smiles and casual grace, unfolds a blanket with one hand. He's got a basket beside him and my heart clenches with more feeling than I used to for this sweet, kind alpha. The sight of it all, so unexpected and charming, makes me stop in my tracks.

"Surprise," he says, looking up at me with those eyes that seem to twinkle with some secret joke between us.

"Is this for us?"

"Yep, I thought we could use some fresh air and good food while staying close to home." He pats the blanket like it's an invitation I can't refuse.

My heart skips a little with excitement. He's put together a picnic right here on the lawn, where we can still keep an eye on the house—and, by extension, Ben and Mia.

"This is so thoughtful of you," I say, and I mean it. It's not every day someone plans something so considerate. It's just a simple spread on the grass, but it feels like so much more because he's taken them into account, too.

"Come on, then. Have a seat." He gestures to the blanket, now spread wide, with plates and cups set neatly around a mysterious, covered dish in the centre.

"Okay." I smile, walking over and carefully taking my place on the blanket. The grass is cool under the fabric, the dying sun warm on my skin in this small patch of the garden before it disappears. It's perfect picnic weather, and just like that, I'm buzzing with happiness at the surprise, at the thought he's put into this, and at the evening that stretches ahead.

Liam sets out all sorts of goodies, but I snicker at the pre-packed sarnies.

"Hey, I was on a short timescale," he says, not offended in the least.

"Oh, I know, and this is perfect, absolutely perfect. Ham and cheese," I add, picking up a boxed sandwich.

"Same as you made me that first day you arrived."

"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 then there'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." I know. 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. "If it'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 are an 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."

Liam shifts closer, resting on one elbow, his gaze fixed on me.

"He loved to play mind games. And the worst part? For a long time, I fell for it. Thought I was going mad."

He reaches out, his hand brushing mine lightly. It's a small gesture, but it sends warmth spiralling through me. "You're not mad, Zara. He was just an asshole."

I meet his eyes then, seeing the sincerity shining there. It's as if he's handing me a piece of his heart, asking me to trust it won't break in my hands. "Yeah, he is. I was grieving when I met him. My parents died in a car crash about a year ago. Drunk driver. He found me at my worst and maybe assumed I was naturally like that. Sad and weepy and a total basket case. He thought he'd lucked out, but he didn't get I was mourning, and when that deep pain of losing them healed a bit, I started to get myself back. I've never been a pushover. I like to please people, but I know when I'm being taken advantage of. Or I did. Eddie lured me in and made me feel comforted at first, but then the cracks started to show, you know?"

"Yeah." His expression is soft and open, like he's peeling back layers of himself to show me he understands. "No one should make you feel less than you are. Especially not some cowardly alpha who's not worth your time."

"I guess we've both seen our fair share of rubbish relationships, haven't we?" I muse, feeling the weight of the past ease off my shoulders.

"Looks like it," he agrees, his smile kind. "But you're here now, and you're amazing, Zara. Don't forget that."

"Right back at you," I say with a grin, shaking off the seriousness of our conversation.

I scoot closer to Liam, our sides touching. His arm finds its way around my shoulders, pulling me in for a hug that feels like home. I breathe him in, his scent mingling with the fresh air around us.

I pull back slightly, meeting Liam's gaze. He waits, patient and attentive.

"It's odd, isn't it? How life throws these curveballs at you," I start, fiddling with the hem of his coat. "Here I am, meant to be focusing on my job, looking after Mia, and then there's this thing between us."

He studies me for a second, his eyes searching mine. "It's natural, Zara. Feelings don't tend to check your employment contract before showing up, do they?"

I let out a small laugh, despite the seriousness of our conversation. "No, I suppose they don't. But it's complicated, isn't it? I mean, Ben's been great to me, and Mia is a darling. I love her so much already. I can't mess this up."

Liam nods, his hand squeezing mine gently. "It is complicated. But whatever you're feeling, it's okay, Zara. We'll figure it out, won't we?"

"I hope so because right now, sitting here with you, it feels right." My cheeks warm at the admission, and I'm grateful for the fading light that might hide my blush.

"Feels right to me, too," he says, the corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smile that sets my heart racing in a way I can't ignore. We stay like that, close but not quite touching, as the sky shifts from dark blue to hues of pink and orange. It's beautiful, yet I can't stop thinking about the pull I feel towards him, magnetic and undeniable.

"We'll take things slow. No pressure, no grand gestures. Just whatever feels natural." His gaze is steady and reassuring as he speaks again.

"Thanks. I appreciate the thoughtfulness."

We lean in, and the whispering breeze seems to hush, waiting. I'm teetering on the edge of something unknown, thrilling.

"Zara," he murmurs. His voice has this gravity that pulls at me.

"Yeah?" It comes out breathy, my usual chatter lost somewhere in the wind.

"Whatever happens..." He trails off, but there's an intensity in his gaze that tells me he's as tangled up in this moment as I am.

I nod because it's all I can manage right now. The ‘what-ifs' swirl around us like the leaves above. What if I'm reading this all wrong? What if this changes everything with Ben and Mia?

"I don't want to rush you, or..."

"Or?" I prompt.

"Or muck this up."

"Neither do I," I murmur back, feeling the weight of my words. They hang there, mingling with the twilight.

We stay like that, hands clasped, the world shrinking to just the two of us and the quiet hum of the evening. But as much as I feel happy to be here with Liam, and I'm glad we took this step, my heart doesn't feel full. I cast a glance back at the house, towards Ben, and see him staring at us from Mia's nursery window. We lock gazes for a moment before he backs away, and I know then that I'm as lost to him as I am to the alpha in my arms.

How on earth am I going to navigate my tangled emotions for both the man beside me and the one who's entrusted me with his most precious possession?