Zain shoved his phone in his pocket and stood up, grabbing his jacket off the chair. His mom raised an eyebrow, arms crossed like she was about to ask where he was going.
He beat her to it. “I’m going out for ice cream with Theo.”
She didn’t say anything at first, just gave him that mom-look, like she knew exactly why he was smiling like an idiot. “Tell him I said hi,” she finally said, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Zain pulled his jacket on, messing with the zipper to avoid eye contact. “Yeah. I will.”
As he opened the front door, he hesitated for a second. “Love you, Mom.”
Her expression softened immediately. “Love you too, Zain.”
He grinned, stepping outside and letting the door swing shut behind him. The cool air hit his face, but it didn’t really matter—Theo’s car was already waiting at the end of the driveway, headlights cutting through the dark.
Zain jogged down, sliding into the passenger seat like he’d done it a million times before. Theo glanced over, smirking as he rested his hand casually on the gear shift.
“What took you so long?” Theo teased, tapping the steering wheel.
“Had to say bye to my mom,” Zain said, clicking his seatbelt in. “She says hi, by the way.”
Theo smiled, pulling out onto the street. “Tell her I said hi back.”
The car ride was quiet for a minute, just the hum of the engine and the glow of the streetlights. Zain leaned his head against the window, watching the world blur by.
After a second, Theo’s hand found its way to Zain’s thigh, resting there like it belonged.
Zain’s heart did that dumb flutter thing again. He glanced over, biting back a smile.
“So... ice cream?” Zain asked, pretending his face wasn’t burning.
Theo chuckled. “Yeah. And maybe after... we find somewhere to park.”
Zain laughed, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”
Theo just grinned wider, squeezing his leg lightly. “Yeah, but you like it.”
Zain didn’t argue.
ns 15.158.61.41da2
