There's Always A Plot Twist | Wattys 2023 ✓

44| The Butterfly

"So then me and Amara were thrown into a holdings cell, which I thought would be terrible, but then I met this guy called Diego and I gave him my number." Asanti takes a sip from his lemonade after talking for three minutes nonstop. "Does that answer your question?"

The waitress continues to stare down at him with a tired expression. "I just asked if you wanted extra cheese with that." she repeats, still hovering her pencil over a pad of paper as she fits down their orders.

"Jenny, were you not listening? I said I gave Diego my number. Hot, isn't into choking I checked, Diego. Do you want to ruin this for me?"

"I'll come back." she replies, tucking her pencil and pad into her apron before leaving.

Asanti ignores the grumpy glares of the table, shrugging his shoulders as he buried his face into his phone. "Like I said, some people are just stuck in their depression."

"Or maybe you just bring it out of people?" Freddie grumbles, dipping a fresh straw into his salted caramel pretzel flavored milkshake.

"Whatever."

Freddie doesn't catch the sudden shift in Asanti's mood and continues to push. "What, no comeback?"

Asanti presses his bottom lip against his upper lips, firing off a thousand harsh responses in his mind but only deciding on one.

"You severely overestimate how cute you are...Freddie Cho." Asanti turns to Rachael, who somehow got a last minute invite. "He's all yours."

Farah, Bjorn and Lance peer up from their menu's all at once, watching Asanti walk off without saying another word.

"You know I like to keep to myself, but what the hell was that?" Farah inquires, looking between Bjorn and Freddie for answers. "That was potentially the nicest thing Asanti has ever said."

Freddie rolls his eyes. "Now you're pushing it."

"What did you do to him?" Lance asks, directing his question towards Freddie, whose started to blush.

Freddie scoffs. "Why do you think I did something?"

"Because you're being so defensive about whatever it is that's going on."

"We had a disagreement, things got heated, it's nothing. By tomorrow we'll be back to business and then at each others throats by Wednesdays." he replies, gulping down his milkshake once the others back off.

However, eventhough they seem to be taking his word for it, there's a small part of him that questions if that's even true.

"Are you sure?" Rachel asks, recalling the video she saw if Amara creating a mini-explosion. "Didn't he just get arrested?"

"Detained. Don't let him intimidate you, I'm pretty sure he can smell fear." Freddie jokes, getting a tiny laugh out of her.

Just then, three black limousines pull up to the front of the diner, having unique looking flags mounted on the front of the lead and rear vehicles.

Guarding the centre limousine is a squad of officers on motorcycles, who remain seated as a small army of men wearing suit and tie emerge from the other vehicles.

They enter the diner and search the place, stationing themselves at each corner of the diner once their search is complete.

"Kai, I think your parents have come for a visit." Arlo jokes, still choosing to mumble his words as to not draw any unwanted attention from the tough looking bodyguards.

Kaizen scoffs, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "My parents are rich but not this rich."

All heads turn once the door to the limo is opened, with many already having their phones out to record the whole ordeal.

A handsome black man, tall and fair skinned with minimal facial hair and soft brown eyes, strolls into the diner dressed business casual, wearing warm, earthy, tones that complement the changing season.

He bricks his eyes across the room, stopping once it hits the table that Riley and her friends are sitting at.

She notices the tiny frown appear on his face, not with his mouth but by his expressive eyebrows that start off thick in the corners and thin out gradually.

Amara doesn't sense his tall frame towering over her until Riley taps her shoulder and points at the man.

She carefully removes her headphones from her ears, having completely missed the showcasing of his wealth, and frankly, feeling a little pissed that he's blocking her light. "Can I help you?"

"Really, that's all you have to say for yourself?" he replies, having a deep voice that carries as he speaks.

Amara immediately recognises it as a voice belonging to someone who has always gotten everything they've ever wanted, being well versed in that department after having met a hundred guys who carry themselves in a similar fashion.

"Excuse me?" Amara retorts, forgetting her phone as she straightens her posture. "Who do you think you're speaking to?"

He appears just as offended as she does, tucking his hands into his pockets as he asks his second question. "You don't recognise me, do you?"

Amara purses her lips. "I don't care who the hell you are, you could the president and I'd still tell you to leave me the hell alone."

"Is that so?" he asks, suddenly smirking, his brows still furrowed. "Even to your fiancé?"

Amara squints her eyes, peering up at the handsome man, studying his face a little closer than she had when he first arrived. "Rome?"

"So you do remember me, great, now we can skip the small talk."

Asanti flutters his eyelashes. "I beg your pardon...did you just say fiancé?"

Amber ignores the gawking looks from her friends, more concerned about the why than the what. "Rome, why are you here?"

"Well, the parents didn't like the idea of their future queen having criminal charges and a lawsuit out against her, Amara, so they sent me to clean up your mess! How fun is that?"

"Queen?"

"How long are you here for?" Amara asks, glaring at Kenna as she feverishly wipes Amara's phone screen after spitting out her drink.

"Until your graduation princess. Looks like we'll be starting the rest of our lives together starting today."

"Can't you tell them-"

"-no. The decision has been made. They shipped me out on a plane before I could even break up with my girlfriend properly! That's how serious they are!"

Amara scoffs, throwing her napkin down. "Oh fuck you.!"

"Fuck you too!" he curses back, matching her energy as she climbs to her feet and storms off.

"Oh brother." Riley moans, slamming her head down on the table. "Here we go again."