Kaysan walked straight into Shan's house like he owned the place, He didn't even bother knocking as usual. His shoes echoing softly against the polished floor as he made his way upstairs. He didn't even bother knocking as usual.
"Shan!" he called out. "If you're pretending not to hear me, I'll assume you're dead."
"In the study," Shan replied calmly.
Kaysan found him seated behind a wide desk, sleeves rolled up, glasses on, eyes focused on his laptop screen. Papers were neatly arranged, the room smelling faintly of coffee and wood polish.
Kaysan leaned against the doorframe. "You work too much."
Shan didn't look up. "You talk too much."
"Fair," Kaysan admitted. "But you promised me three days."
Shan finally glanced at him. "I gave you two."
"And today is the remaining one," Kaysan said triumphantly. "Besides, you lost the bet."
Shan sighed slowly, removing his glasses. "That bet was unfair."
"You still lost."
Shan leaned back in his chair, eyes thoughtful. "What do you want to do?"
Kaysan grinned. "Go out. Breathe. See the city."
"I've seen the city."
"Through car windows doesn't count."
Shan was about to respond when Kaysan's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and smiled. "Perfect timing."
"Nawal?" Shan asked.
"Who else?"
He answered. "What's up?"
Nawal's voice came through loud enough for Shan to hear faintly.
"We're going out. You and Shan should join us."
Kaysan nodded enthusiastically. "We're in."
There was a pause.
"Oh," Nawal added casually, "Nuha will be there too."
Shan froze.
Kaysan noticed immediately, raising an eyebrow.
"Nuha?" Shan repeated.
"Yes," Nawal said. "So don't start acting boring."
The call ended.
For a moment, the study was silent.
Kaysan smirked. "Interesting."
Shan cleared his throat and stood up. "What time?"
Kaysan burst out laughing. "I thought you were busy."
"I can move things around," Shan replied smoothly, already reaching for his jacket.
Kaysan shook his head. "So this is what makes you leave your study."
Shan didn't respond, but as he walked toward the door, his mind replayed the brief moment from the previous night, the soft apology, the calm composure, the quiet elegance.
Nuha.
And suddenly, the day didn't seem like a waste of time anymore
Nuha was halfway through folding her scarf when her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen.
Nawal.
She sighed before answering. "You're already outside, aren't you?"
There was a pause, then Nawal laughed. "Why do you know me so well?"
"I just do," Nuha replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "And I already said I'm not coming."
"Nuha," Nawal said, suddenly soft, "just come downstairs."
"No."
"Please."
Nuha closed her eyes. "Nawal..."
"I swear on my favorite heels, if you come downstairs and still don't want to go, I'll let you be."
Nuha hesitated. "Five minutes."
"Deal."
She walked downstairs in simple clothes. A neutral-toned abaya, flat sandals, her scarf loosely draped. No effort. No intention of going anywhere.
The moment she stepped outside, she stopped short.
Parked neatly by the curb was her car.
The Lexus RX 500h+ F SPORT Performance, gleaming under the morning light.
Nuha stared. "You set me up."
Nawal leaned casually against it, grinning. "I prefer strategically surprised."
Nuha walked closer, still stunned. "You said outing, not ambush."
"I wanted your reaction."
Nuha shook her head, smiling despite herself. "You're impossible."
"And yet you're still here."
Kaysan spotted them first and lifted a hand.
"Salam alaykum!"
Nuha nodded politely. "Walaykum salam."
Then she saw him.
Shan stood beside Kaysan, posture relaxed, expression calm.
"Salam alaykum," Shan said.
Nuha met his gaze. "Walaykum salam."
Nawal's eyes flicked between them, already amused.
Kaysan clapped his hands. "Everyone's here. Let's move."
They settled into an open, relaxed spot. Soft music floated in the air.
Kaysan talked easily. Nawal laughed too loudly. Nuha listened more than she spoke.
"So," Kaysan said, turning to Nuha, "how does it feel being the company's favorite now?"
Nuha blinked. "I'm not."
"You got a car," Nawal cut in. "That says a lot."
"It was unexpected," Nuha replied calmly.
Shan studied her. "You don't like being praised."
"I prefer effort to speak for itself."
Kaysan chuckled. "That's rare."
Nuha shrugged lightly.
"And you?" she asked Shan, redirecting attention. "How long have you been back?"
"A few days."
"Adjusting?"
"To everything," he said with a faint smile.
Their eyes lingered briefly.
Nawal nudged Nuha under the table.
Nuha ignored her.
As the outing wound down, Kaysan stepped aside to make a call.
The evening breeze brushed softly against Nuha's scarf as she leaned back in her chair, watching the way the city lights slowly began to glow. The place had thinned out; conversations around them became quieter, more intimate.
Kaysan was still on his call.
Nawal had gone after him, claiming, "If I don't monitor him, he'll lie."
Nuha shook her head with a soft laugh. "They're exhausting."
Shan smiled. "Yet you tolerate them."
"Barely," she said, then laughed again. "But they're my people."
He turned slightly toward her. "You smile differently when you talk about them."
She raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yes," he said calmly. "It's lighter. Less guarded."
Nuha paused, then chuckled. "You really do observe a lot."
"I have time," he replied. "And I enjoy watching things that matter."
She glanced at him, amused. "That sounds dangerously poetic."
He laughed quietly. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Nuha relaxed into her seat. "So tell me, Shan… are you always this calm, or is today special?"
"Today," he said, meeting her eyes, "is special."
Her lips parted slightly. "That was smooth."
He shrugged. "I meant it."
She laughed, genuinely this time, covering her mouth briefly. "You're bold."
"I prefer honest," he said. "Bold comes with intention."
Her laughter softened into a smile. "And what intention is that?"
"To make you laugh," he replied. "I think laughter suits you more than seriousness."
Nuha tilted her head. "You've known me for barely a day."
"And yet," he said lightly, "I can already tell when you're pretending to be fine."
She let out a breath. "That's unfair."
"Is it wrong?" he asked gently.
She studied him for a moment, then shook her head. "No. Just unexpected."
"So," Shan continued, resting his elbow casually on the table, "are you always this responsible?"
Nuha scoffed. "You make it sound like a disease."
"It looks heavy."
She smiled wryly. "It is. But someone has to be."
"And who made you that someone?"
She hesitated. "Life, I guess."
He nodded slowly. "That explains a lot."
"Like what?"
"Why you carry yourself like you don't want to burden anyone," he said. "Even when you're tired."
Her eyes flickered with surprise. "You're really not fair."
"I warned you," he teased. "I notice things."
She laughed again, softer now. "You're making me nervous."
"Good nervous or bad nervous?"
She thought about it. "The kind that makes you forget what time it is."
His smile deepened. "I was hoping you'd say that."
She laughed loudly this time. "You're enjoying this too much."
"Only because you're enjoying it," he replied.
Across the space, Nawal glanced over and smirked.
Nuha noticed and groaned. "She's watching."
"She looks impressed," Shan said.
"She's plotting," Nuha corrected.
Shan leaned back. "Tell me something."
She raised an eyebrow. "You're asking already?"
"Something small," he said. "What makes you feel free?"
She blinked, caught off guard.
"Free?" she repeated.
"Yes."
She thought for a moment. "Late-night drives. When the road is quiet and no one expects anything from you."
His eyes lit up. "That's… specific."
She smiled. "What about you?"
He answered without hesitation. "Conversations like this."
Her heart skipped. "You're good at this."
"At what?"
"At making things sound meaningful."
He leaned slightly closer. "Because they are."
Her laughter returned, softer, almost shy. "You're going to get me in trouble."
"With who?"
"With myself," she said honestly.
He held her gaze. "I'd never push."
"I know," she replied.
And that, somehow, made everything warmer.
Kaysan and Nawal returned.
"What did we miss?" Nawal asked, eyes glittering.
"Nothing," Nuha said quickly.
Shan smiled. "Everything."
Nuha shot him a look. "You're trouble."
"Only if you let me be."
She laughed again, unable to stop herself.
As they stood to leave, Shan walked her to her car.
"I'm glad you came today," he said.
"So am I," she admitted. "Even though I didn't want to."
"Sometimes," he said gently, "the things we resist are the ones we need."
She met his eyes. "You say things like you've known me for years."
"Maybe," he replied softly, "we've just met at the right time."
Her heart fluttered.
She opened her car door, then paused. " Good bye"
He smiled. "Drive safe."