amsterdam ( central cee )

15

I stare at the angry emoji Mo had sent me as my thumbs hover above the keyboard while another text chimes in.

Lexi: be so fuckin for real :/

I don't reply, afraid of what she'll say next. My chest sinks in with the effort of my sigh.

I'll make it up to you xx

I text Mo back and click on Lexi's text next, leave her on read, and click my phone off.

I look around the restaurant, Cench's— or... Oakley's friends had settled on one table and me and him a little further. My eyes fall on Bushybrow, when he smiles he looks much younger than he is. He throws his arm over his girlfriend Kiara, who I'd just met, and whispers something in her ear. She smiles at him and playfully pushes him away again while he playfully fights to get closer for a kiss. My heart swells like it was caught in a fist. I have a weakness for him, I'm not sure why. Maybe because he's Oakley's little brother, I wish I still had mine. He's such a kind and respectful boy. I want to think of Valentine being able to grow up and be just like him.

Oakley paces back and forth near the entrance of the restaurant with his phone pressed to his ear. A thrill of uncertainty flows through me.

What even am I doing here?

Doubt continues to hover over my thinking and confuses me for the next second. Until the waitress places my appetizer in front of me, she smiles at me and gives a nod.

She thanks me in Dutch like she somehow knows more than she's supposed to. Cench—... Oakley basically rented this entire place. How would she know that I specifically speak Dutch?

...

Oh god.

"Enjoy," when I smile back at her and reach for the cutlery she lingers. "Uhm... Not to be rude or anything but are you Dennis van der Meer's daughter?"

Of course. Forgot about this.

I shove a bite of pasta in my mouth and nod. "Yes that's me."

Her face falls with something I can only see as a relief.

"Woah— I thought I recognized you from the pictures in the book. I am a big fan of your father's writing!"

"Yes, that's me," I gift her a pressed-lipped smile. "I'll let him know thank you!"

She smiles sweetly and disappears into the kitchen.
Oakley joins me back on the table watching the waiter as she walks away. When our eyes meet, warmth flushes to my cheeks.

"What was that all about?"

I shrug.

"My dad..." I reply with a sigh.

He laughs like this shit is funny and begins eating. My eyes drift all over him while he pretends not to notice me staring at him. Diamonds on his chest caught my eye. It's a flashy necklace with diamond-encrusted Cuban links. CC at the end of it, probably meaning Central Cee.

I hear him chuckle and we lock glances.

"Keep looking at me like that 'nd imma fall in love with you."

Oh.

He laughs at the visible reaction my face makes. "I wasn't lookin at you I was looking at your necklace. It's pretty."

"You think so?"

I'm not sure that realizes how good cockiness suits him. I shrug, feigning a nonchalance I didn't feel.

"I wanted to get it for a while, you know?" he plays with the end of it, the lights above us causing the diamonds to reflect perfectly.

I wonder if this is his way of impressing me. I don't care about money or flashy things. He's gonna work way harder than this.