Chapter Twenty-Eight - ZAYN
The smell of grilled chicken and fries still hung thick in the air when Zahid wiped Malik's mouth for the fifth time. The little boy clapped his sticky hands together, humming happily, while Mara tried to sip from her juice box without spilling anything on her shirt. The table was a chaos of napkins, sauce packets, crumbs, and toddler-sized bites, but for a moment there was comfort in it. The kind of comfort that came from routine. From family. From loud innocence that had no idea how dark the world truly was.
Across the table, a man with the same sharp jawline as Zahid leaned back in his chair, amused.
"they look so cute, almost as good as I am," he said.
"you haven't changed from being narcissistic," Zahid replied, giving him a flat look. "can't grow up, can you."
Zayn chuckled anyway, the sound low and careless. "Still dramatic. Relax, big brother. I'm only saying hi to my niece and nephew."
