The Inheritance Game

❃17❃

STREAM HIND'S HALL BY MACKLEMORE

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I gently stroked the back of Sunshine's ears as she slept contently on my lap, her rhythmic breaths and purring soothed my unsettled mind. I had missed my baby girl so much. It felt good to finally be home.

But even in the comfort of my home, I couldn't stop thinking about Benjamin's words. There was a constant unsettling that followed me everywhere. And I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt for letting him down, for being the cause of him being fired.

"Liam?"

Zayn's voice broke through my thoughts, I looked up to find him standing in the doorway, shirtless, a towel casually draped around his neck, a post-shower glow on his skin. Sunshine stirred at the sound of his voice but continued her peaceful slumber on my lap.

"Shower is yours if you want it," he offered. "And it's amazing!"

"Come on!" I said with a slight frown, carefully lifting Sunshine from my lap and placing her onto the bed before standing up. "Do you have to be shirtless right now?"

He winked. "Are you not used to it by now? Should I walk around shirtless more?"

"Forget it." I rolled my eyes.

He studied me for a moment before sighing. "You're upset over your butler getting fired, aren't you?"

Avoiding his gaze, I shifted uncomfortably and crossed my arms. I hated how he could read me like an open book-it was both a comfort and a frustration.

"Benjamin really seemed convinced that you and I are a bad pair," I admitted, meeting his eyes tentatively. "Was he telling the truth?"

"About what exactly?"

"I don't know!" Frustration crept into my voice as I ran a hand through my hair. "Are you lying to me about anything?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Of course not."

I took a deep breath. "I want to trust you, but..."

Before I could even finish, Zayn was in my personal space, his hand gently enveloping mine, entwining our fingers in a reassuring grip. With gentle insistence, he guided my other hand to his chest, holding it there against the erratic rhythm of his heartbeat as his bare chest rose and fell with each uneven breath under my hand.

I knew what he was trying to do. He was laying his vulnerability completely bare, offering it up to me without reservation. And it confused me even more.

Then he lifted my hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss against the palm with a worried look on his face. Almost like he was begging for me to trust him, to believe in him, in us.

I stared deep into those hazel eyes that drew me in even deeper with each passing second. His hands then found their way to my waist, pulling me in close without uttering a word. It was as if he could sense the weight of my worries and uncertainties, and with his touch, he eased the burden, allowing me to release the breath I hadn't realised I was holding.

Zayn knew exactly how to hold me, where to touch, to put my mind at ease. And yet, despite his efforts, I hated that our actual relationship was starting off on shaky ground.

"Liam, we just became an actual couple. You think I'd lie to you about anything now?" he asked in a low, soothing tone, that could make me do whatever he wanted in a blink of an eye. "I'm the happiest I've ever been in a long time. I don't want to mess that up, baby."

His words sent a rush of warmth through me. I was a mess inside, him calling me baby made my heart flutter, my knees weak. Clearing my throat, I gathered what little composure I had left before placing my hands on top of his on my waist.