31. Henry

After leaving Zara, I head to the office to try to concentrate on work, but all I can think about is Zara's arms wrapped around me. Knowing that I have to push forward with my plan, I decide it's time to clear this with Ben before I go any further.

The drive is short, nothing is too far away in this part of the country, and I push open the door to Ben's office building.

It's nearing lunchtime, so he should be able to take a break and talk with me. Stepping into the lobby, I feel like I'm walking into a beehive. The place is alive, with people zipping past me left and right. They're all caught up in their own worlds, clutching papers and tapping away on their phones.

The air hums with chatter, and there's incoming calls that echoes off the walls. Everyone here moves with purpose like they've got important places to be and even more important things to do.

Colleagues are huddled in pairs or groups, some leaning over desks while others stand in doorways. They talk fast, their words spilling out in quick bursts as if every second counts double. I watch them, feeling a bit out of place with my jeans and casual shirt amidst their sea of suits and ties. Again, a perk of working for myself. But I brush it off; I'm not here for them. I'm here for Ben.

My heart thumps a steady beat, not too fast, but enough to remind me of what's at stake. This chat with Ben is going to change things between us, hopefully for the better. I shove my hands into my pockets, trying to appear nonchalant as I navigate through the maze of activity, making my way to where I know he'll be.

"Excuse me," I mutter as I edge past a couple of people deep in conversation. They barely glance at me, too caught up in whatever problem-solving they're doing. I finally catch sight of him, tucked away at his desk.

"Hey," I mutter as I walk up to him. He's hunched over a blueprint, a pencil behind his ear. He's so engrossed in his work, he doesn't notice me until I'm standing right in front of his desk. I clear my throat, and Ben's head snaps up, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Henry. What brings you here? Is it Mia?"

"No, Mia and Zara are both fine, as far as I know." I mean, I don't know for sure, so I can't insist. "But can we have a chat about something?"

He blinks at me, then nods. "Sure. The meeting room is empty right now." He stands up, stretching to his full height, and I follow him like a shadow.

We slip through a door labelled ‘Conference Room B', shutting out the clamour of the office behind us. The room is stark, just a long table and chairs, but it's private. Ben gestures towards a chair, his eyes questioning as he sits across from me.

"Everything alright, Henry?"

I shuffle my feet, the carpet beneath somehow too solid and too flimsy all at once. "Look, Ben. I'm going to be frank. Your situation is not good. There are no places to cut back, and even with Liam helping out, it's a lot. You know? With Mia and Zara."

He frowns and crosses his arms, perching on the edge of the table. "Yeah, I figured." He heaves a sigh. "So what do I do?"

"Make it a three-income household."

"Huh?" His frown deepens. "You mean, you?"

"Yep."

He's quiet for a beat, considering, and I hold my breath. He's not dismissing it out of hand, which has to be a good sign. There's a flicker of something like relief in his eyes, but it's gone before I can be sure.

"You sure about this?" He searches my eyes.

"Very sure. I've put out feelers for the house, and the estate agent already has a queue of people gagging to get into the area. I can rent it out in no time."

"But what about, you know?" He knows I'm thinking about the future, but what he doesn't know is that I want that future to be with Zara. If she decides she wants me, and even if she wants Liam or Ben, or both, or even some rando I don't know, I don't care. I just want her to want me.

"The future?"

"Yeah."

"I'm focusing on the present right now."

"I hate that it's come to this," he groans. "Maybe I should move?"

"That is an expense you simply cannot afford right now. As easy as it sounds and as tempting as it sounds to release some of your income back to yourself, it's not as cut and dried as that."

"Figured."

"So, is that a yes?"

"Yeah," he grins. "Thanks, Henry. You and Liam are…" He chokes up, and I blink back the sudden tears.

"Don't be a pillock. We're friends, more than that. We're family."

"Yeah, we are," he says. "So, when were you thinking of moving in? Zara panicked when Liam moved in, so maybe we need to give her notice?"

"Today," I say with a shrug, not eager to drag this out while Liam gets closer to Zara. "She'll be fine. I love to clean, I'm tidy as fuck, plus I can cook. She'll be happy I'm there," I say with a snort.

Ben chuckles. "Well, if you're so sure, you can be the one to tell her."

"Ohh, big bad alpha scared of the tiny omega nanny."

"Hey, she is fierce. I wouldn't want to get on her bad side," he snickers.

Going mock-serious, I chew my lip. "Maybe I'll just slip into the household, and she won't even notice I've actually moved in."

"You could… if you think that will work," Ben says, shaking his head, still smiling. He rises and slaps his hand on my shoulder. "I guess I'll see you back at home."

"You'll tell Liam?" I ask. "I didn't see him out there."

"He had to go do a visit. Yeah, I'll tell him."

Nodding, we leave the office and part ways. I can already see Ben's shoulders a little lighter. He isn't as defeated as he looked earlier. I'm glad that I made that happen, and I know this will work out. Zara is just the icing on the cake.

I swing by my house to pick up a few essentials; I'm not doing the full move today, that will take days, but it's enough to get me started, while I get the agents on the phone to tell them to start the ball rolling. I haul out a big holdall and pack toiletries, a couple of changes of clothes, my work stuff and a couple of books to keep me going.

As I pack, a feeling of contentment settles over me. I just hope that Zara feels the same way as I do about this move, but one thing I know is that she can't refute it if she knows it's to help Ben out. The rest will come.