shattered souls By Afsheen k.

lion's den

Irha ali

  When I got the call to babysit today at double my usual rate, I was thrilled-until I saw him again. Of all the people in this city, why did it have to be him? I probably need a few people to hold me back before I launch myself at this begairat.

"Well, well, so you're the one who's going to look after Arhan," he says, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

No way in hell. As much as I adore that little boy, I can't stand his arrogant father.

"No thanks. I'm canceling from my side," I snap, my tone as bitter as a cold winter wind.

"So, you hold grudges, huh?" he replies, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm leaving. Find yourself someone else."

"But I'm offering double pay for the day," he presses.

"Like I care. I'd rather work twice as hard than deal with you again, you little piece of ice!"

"Ice?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Well, I don't curse, so I use the equivalent word. Any problem with that?"

"You're... weird," he says, shaking his head slightly.

Just as I'm about to kick his A-S-S, Arhan runs toward us, giggling.

"Daddyyy!" His laughter rings out as he rushes into his father's arms. "We're finally going to play today! Let's go inside!"

He's so excited to be with his father that he doesn't even notice me at first. But then, he looks up, and his face lights up even more.

"Oh-hey, it's you!" Arhan dashes over to me, wrapping his little arms around my waist. I can't help but smile and hug him back.

"Well, hello there, sweetheart," I say, charmed by his innocence. He's so adorable, and it's impossible to resist his cuteness.

"I wanted to thank you for waking my daddy up! But what are you doing here? Daddy, are we three going to play together?" he asks, looking up at his father with wide, hopeful eyes.

"No, malysh, it's just you and her today. I have some work to do, but after that, I promise we'll play," Zayyan says, his voice softening.

"You always say that, Daddy! You always have work," Arhan's eyes fill with tears, his little voice trembling.

"Please try to understand, it's important," Zayyan pleads, his gaze flicking to me. "Besides, she'll be with you until I return."

Arhan looks at me with those big, sad eyes, and I know I can't say no. The last thing I want is to make him more upset.

"Yes, Arhan, we're going to have so much fun today," I say, trying to lift his spirits.

His face lights up instantly, and he jumps up and down with excitement. "Yes! I like you! I'll show you all my toys, and you can play with them too!"

"Okay, now run inside, champ. I have something important to talk about with her," Zayyan says, ruffling Arhan's hair.

Arhan runs off, singing a song in a language I don't recognize, his mood completely turned around.

"Thank you," Zayyan begins, his tone surprisingly sincere. "I'm Zayyan Muniz, by the way."

I give him a puzzled look, not sure where this sudden politeness is coming from.

"Yeah, I know it's confusing. I'm not religious like you, but my mother was from a Muslim heritage, so she named me Zayyan," he explains, as if that should clear everything up.

So, he's not religious, but his mother was Muslim. Interesting. It explains the mismatch between his name and Arhan's.

I study him for a moment. He's dressed in a dark navy blazer, his dark hair perfectly styled, looking like he just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Most women would probably be swooning, but I'm not most women.

"I don't need your thanks," I say, crossing my arms. "I only did it for Arhan, since you're too busy with work to play your role as a father."

His expression falters for a split second before he recovers. "Look, I'm sorry about the other day. I regret being rude to you, and I won't do it again. The situation was... complicated. I got lost in it all. I appreciate what you did for Arhan, and I wanted to apologize in person. Can we move past it?"

I blink, taken aback. Did he really just apologize? A man admitting he was wrong? That's rare-most of them wouldn't dream of it.

"Are you serious?" I ask, my voice tinged with disbelief.

"Yes, I am," he replies, his gaze steady.

"Well, okay then," I say, slowly nodding. "I'm happy you realized your mistake. I'll look after Arhan for you today."

"I'll be back by ten," he says, relief washing over his features. "I've listed everything he likes and dislikes in the PDF I sent you."

I can't help but laugh a little. "Yeah, I saw it. You made a whole PDF for that? It's my first time seeing something so detailed. Most people just give me a quick rundown, but hey, I can work with it."

He studies me for a moment, his eyes searching mine, as if trying to figure out what makes me tick.

"Okay then, I'll see you later."

I don't realize I've been holding my breath until he finally turns and walks away. Well, duck me, why do I keep getting lost in a trance every time this man is around?