Part 1, Ch. 1 Intruder

Chapter 1

(Birdie is 20, Noor is 9 and Zuri is 2)

"Go on," Heyder said as he pushed the birthday cake closer to Birdie. "Make a wish."

Birdie scrunched up her nose as she stared at the sparklers on the cake. The candles flickered, their reflection dancing in her silver eyes.

"What kind of cake is it?" Noor asked, leaning forward and trying to sneak a piece from the bottom.

"Hands off!" Heyder said as he pulled the boy back. "Let her make her wish first."

"I wasn't going to eat it, Paba," Noor rolled his eyes. "I was just looking at it."

"Noor, baby. Let Birdie make her wish first," Nora said as she balanced Zuri on her hips.

The little dark haired girl leaned forward from her mother's arm and tugged at her father's shirt. Hayden looked up and beamed at his daughter as she climbed onto his lap.

"We should get her ears pierced," Maya said, looking at Zuri.

"No," Hayden said immediately.

"It's not that bad," Maya insisted. "She won't remember it. And it will look so cute."

"Thank you," Hayden reached for his cup. "But no."

"Let the girl learn how to talk first and then you can go around piercing her," Heyder said. "The diamonds can wait."

"What diamonds?" Nora asked.

Heyder laughed as he looked over at Maya, "Maya bought Zubee a pair of diamond studs."

"She's too young for diamonds," Hayden muttered.

"They're little hearts!" Maya said. "They would look so cute on her."

"I like hearts," Zuri's big brown eyes sparkled with excitement.

"I know you do, pretty girl," Maya said, leaning forward across the table and kissing Zuri's nose. "That's why I got them for you. But your daddy is being a pain in my ass."

"Language," Hayden reminded his mother.

"Ass is a body part," Noor said, licking the frosting he had successfully stolen from Birdie's cake. "Ew, vanilla. Who picked vanilla?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Heyder turned to the little boy dramatically. "Was I supposed to ask for your approval first?"

"Yes," Noor said. "You should have. No one likes vanilla."

"I like vanilla," Heyder said.

"Is it because you're old and chocolate makes you gassy?"

"Okay!" Birdie clapped her hand and yelled loudly. "I know what my wish will be!"

"About time," Noor muttered under his breath as he got ready with his fork.

Everyone around the table turned to look at Birdie as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Zuri began to clap her hand impatiently as Heyder got ready to command the confetti cannons to burst.

"No! Wait!" Noor shrieked just as Birdie leaned forward and blew out her candles.

"Happy Birthday to me!" Zuri yelled as the confetti cannons went off with thundering booms all over the living room.

"What? What?" Birdie said in alarm, looking at Noor's disappointment.

"The average human mouth has more germs than a toilet bowl," Noor took a seat. "You just blew all of your germs onto the cake."

"Sucks to be you," Heyder laughed. "More cake for us."

"No one even likes vanilla," Noor slid down his chair like a sloth.

"You didn't think I would forget about my favorite baby, did you?" Maya asked as she got up from her chair and walked over to the kitchen. "I know you're picky about your cake."

"Daddy, can I open my presents now?" Zuri looked up at Hayden and grabbed his chin to make sure she had his full attention.

"Baby, those are Birdie's presents," Hayden reminded her.

"Zubee, come here," Birdie held out her arms. "Come help me open my presents."

Zuri didn't waste a second as she crawled across the dinner table towards Birdie. Heyder grabbed the cake and pulled it out of the way before the girl knocked it over.

"Monsters," he said with a spoon in his mouth.

"Cake for Noor!" Maya announced as she came back in with a slice of chocolate cake.

"You're the best, mimi," Noor sat up and grabbed his fork. "Marry me, woman!"

"How much money do you make?" Maya asked, setting the cake down and kissing the top of the boy's head.

"Not much yet," Noor said. "But I'll make more than Paba one day."

"I'll have my lawyers get started on the divorce papers," Maya winked.

"Zubee, you want cake?" Heyder ignored his wife and looked at his granddaughter.

"Later," the girl waved him off as she sat patiently on Birdie's lap, watching her aunt tear up the gift wrap.

"You want some of mine?" Noor held up his plate towards his sister.

Zuri looked up and examined the cake for a few seconds before nodding her head. Noor scooped up a forkful of cake and fed it to his sister.

"Oh, so she doesn't have germs in her mouth?" Birdie arched her brow.

"That's my sister," Noor said. "And she doesn't kiss boys."

"What boy?" Heyder asked.

Birdie's eyes widened as she warned noor to keep his mouth shut. But her reaction only made the boy laugh harder with his mouth full of cake.

"I saw Birdie kissing Adan," Noor laughed.

Maya gasped just as Heyder began to cough and hit his chest. Hayden grinned, looking at his sister's mortified expression.

"Noor," Nora called to her son. "What did we say about spilling secrets?"

"It's not a secret if she's kissing him in broad daylight in the yard!"

"In my yard?" Heyder hollered. "When was this?"

"Yesterday," Noor said.

"I'm going to kill you," Birdie said very calmly with a lovely smile. "Slowly and painfully."

Noor shrugged as he took another bite of his cake before feeding Zuri again. He looked up at Heyder and took a seat.

"I gave you valuable information," Noor said.

"So?" Heyder asked.

"What do I get in return?"

"Nothing."

"Okay," Noor shrugged once more. "No more information for you. If I ever see Birdie with another guy, I won't say a word."

"He's actually insane," Birdie said, looking at Hayden. "Do you hear this?"

"I'll give you five dollars," Heyder offered.

"I need your promise that you will protect me from Birdie," Noor said.

"I am not your bodyguard," Heyder shook his head.

"No information," Noor looked at Birdie. "What ever happened to the other guy?"

"There's more?" Heyder asked.

"Maybe," Noor shrugged. "I can't share that information."

"There isn't anyone else!" Birdie leaned forward and glared at the boy. "Listen here, you twig. I'm going to rip your tongue ou-"

"You have my protection," Heyder said. "Now speak."

"Swear it," Noor said.

Heyder narrowed his eyes and laughed, "Oh, you're good."

"You taught me," Noor grinned.

"I swear it," Heyder said.

"There was no other guy," Noor said.

"What?" Heyder deadpanned.

Maya laughed along with Nora and Hayden as they watched the look on the jinn's face. She walked over to her husband and kissed his cheek before taking the cake from him to slice it up.

"So the student became the master," she said, passing Noor and ruffling his hair.

"Mommy, I want that one," Zuri reached for the other present by the side of the table.

"We still haven't looked at this one," Birdie pulled her back. "One at a time!"

"How long has this been going on?" Heyder looked at his daughter. "You and Adan."

"I thought you wanted them to be together," Hayden injected.

"Yeah," Nora chimed in. "And Adan is a good kid. He's so polite and sweet."

"We're not together," Birdie said.

"Why not?" Heyder asked.

"Because we're not!" Birdie said. "It's not that serious!"

"Is this a friend with benefits sort of thing?" Maya asked.

Heyder and Hayden both shuddered.

"What's that?" Noor asked, licking his plate.

"Damn, kid," Heyder looked at him. "Do your parents not feed you?"

"Leave him alone," Maya warned. "Baby, do you want more chocolate cake?"

"You're gonna give him diabetes," Heyder said.

"Keep your negative energy to yourself," Maya bumped him away with her hips as she went into the kitchen to grab another slice.

"Noor, no more after this one," Hayden said. "You'll get a tummy ache."

"Does Adan think it's not serious?" Heyder asked, turning his attention back to his daughter. "What's the issue?"

"No, issue," Birdie shook her head.

"Why is this not a thing?"

"Oh my god," Birdie lifted Zuri off her lap and sat her down on the table. "I do not want to do this on my birthday."

"Heyder, leave her alone!" Maya said from the kitchen.

"I'm just curious!" The jinn said.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Noor said.

"Satisfaction brought it back," Hayden winked.

"Zuri, let's go," Birdie held out her hand for the little girl.

"No, no," Heyder shook his head with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, baby. I won't ask again."

"You promise?"

"You swear?" Noor asked.

"I promise," Heyder said. "And I swear."

"Fine," Birdie turned towards the stairs.

"I promised!" Heyder hollered.

"I need to pee!" Birdie hollered back.

"Zuri, you haven't peed in a while," Nora sat up. "Let's go take a potty break."

"Why do girls always go to the bathroom in groups?" Noor looked at Heyder.

"They do witchcraft in there and come up with new ways to mess with our heads."

"Girls are scary," Noor said.

Birdie ignored the comments downstairs as she ran up the steps and headed towards her room. She heard Nora usher Zuri into Hayden's old bedroom as she closed her door and switched on the lights.

Suddenly, a hand fell over her mouth, covering her scream as she was pushed up against the wall of her bedroom. Birdie's eyes widened as her heart leaped into her throat.

"Happy birthday," the intruder with the intoxicating hazel eyes whispered, his voice low and deep.

What do you think so far? :)