ཾ. ·˚ ༘  𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 . ➶°⁂🩹
𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 -ˋˏ 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑒𝑒 ˎˊ-

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: Thinkin' Bout You — Frank Ocean
･♩: *･ﾟ🎶:* ◄◄ ▐▐ ►► ･ﾟ♪: * ･ﾟ♫:*
❝ 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚎, 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕? 𝚘𝚛 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚘𝚝
𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍? ❞

ཾ. ·˚ ༘ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 . ➶°⁂•*
≫·˚ ༘ ────── ☽ * ➶🩹°⁂ ˚ ☾ ────── ·˚ ༘ ≪

𝘮𝘢𝘺 10, 2023. 8:30𝘱𝘮
𝖎𝖓𝖜𝖍𝖎𝖈𝖍 𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗌𝗂𝗆𝗉𝗅𝗒 𝖼𝖺𝗇'𝗍.

Black, bleak and desolate. The canvas painted for the night was obvious, nothing good was going to happen. The only buzz was one person after the other coming through and getting their fix for the night and walking off.

Money was finally coming in, which meant I was finally ready to give Manny another shot at a normal life. We kept in touch often — she's actually bare funny when she opens up to you. Funny in a cheeky way.

I sat in my car with Roms beside me, flicking through pictures of the apartment I had taken her to see recently. It was in a nice place, in the calmer and quieter side of West.

She was so excited, bless her, already figuring out where she was going to put her bookcases and shit. Granted, she didn't want me paying for any furniture. She wanted to get a job. Which I understand, she wanted a normal life.

There was also something else she requested.

"So you're buying all this shit, moving all this weight for someone who said they never wanna see you again?" Roms questions, turning down the volume in a way to signal the start of a conversation.

I shrug my shoulders, looking expressionless. "I don't see the problem, bro. She got fucked up last time she dealt with mandem like us. Not to mention, have you heard how she speaks? Sounds like fuckin' David Attenborough but female. She's never been 'bout that life."

We share a laugh before he answers, "Nah, thank God you clocked that. Sounds like she's from Portsmouth. Which makes me think, like, why get mixed up with a hood nigga? It's not her ting and she knows dat."

I start to wonder the same. However, I had people asking around and working for me and they were going to find out about who could've got her mixed up in this.

Pelu most definitely was involved one way or another but, it was too much of a risky move to go for his head directly. So, start with the smaller people first then work up.

Then again, even that was gonna take forever. We aren't the feds; we just sell drugs.

"Dunno, bro. We'll find out, though. I'm not gettin' sleep until I do," I conclude, looking up and at a specific block of houses. There, in the window up top, I see her.

What happened a few weeks ago was so different of me. I had never acted so impulsively, ever. And this is coming from someone who always does what they want. This time, though. This time...

She looked beautiful, aswell. In a red hoodie and joggers and no makeup. Her smile. She doesn't see herself the way I do, I know that. If only she could, though — she'd realised she is so much more than what I could give and look elsewhere.

Which is exactly why I watch him take her in his arms, bundle her up close and kiss her. Passionately. Like they were 'bout to make a movie or something. While it lit my entire body on fire to watch her kiss somebody else like she had completely forgotten about us and the way I made her feel, that was the least of my worries.

"And you're sure that's him, fam?"

I get up the picture Kimbella showed me of what she thought was the undercover copper. I watch as Roms looks at the photo then, while holding onto the steering wheel, ducks down so he could view the window from up above. It was then when I saw the realisation hit, which only took him about an hour to finally believe me.

"Shit."

"Yeah, shit," I repeat in a dumb tone to mock him, "the fuck you think I would lie about this for?" I question rhetorically, opening the glove compartment to grab a couple things, as well as under my seat.

"What's the M.O, then? 'Cause this seems like a bit of a late revelation. We shoulda caught and killed bro ages ago, or James' girl is gonna up the prices on the ting," he explains, referencing the conversation with Kimbella.

"Nah, that girl's not changing her mind," I scoff. I turn to look at him and his eyebrow's raised, looking at me skeptically.

"What you done?"

"Flirted with her a bit. Keeps on her toes for me."

When I don't hear a response, I look at him again to only have my smirk wiped off my face. Don't worry, it was only replaced by disappointment. 'Cause I don't know why this man was looking at me as if I had told him the maddest news ever.

"Are you dumb, fam? If James ever gets out and finds out 'bout that, he will actually kill your before Pelu does."

"Relax, man," I groan out and lean back in my seat, "I said 'flirted with'. Not 'fucked'. You think I'm stupid enough to think with my dick in a situation like this?"

Again, the man's looking at me tekky. Like, he doesn't believe me when I say that. He needs a good smack upside the head sometimes.

"Look, her man's in pen. She's lonely right now. You give her a likkle suttin suttin to get her excited, she won't be able to keep focused. And it's worked, bro. You can't get by playing it safe, man. Us, of all people, should know this."

This makes Roms lean back, assessing what I just told him. What I was doing was scummy, manipulating a woman's emotions like that especially when she's like this but, I don't do all that 'cause I want to.

I do it 'cause Kimbella's very smart. A force and I liked that. However, she's a force that has been weakening as of recent — something I needed to take advantage of.

He shrugs, a way of telling me he saw where I was coming from. Not that he agreed, but that he saw where I was coming from.

"Regardless, gyal like her aren't my type anyway," I clarify. I double check my gun is in my waistband before opening the car door. "Ah yeah," Roms starts, "and who is?"

That's probably the only question I don't answer the whole night, as I look once up at the window before leaving the car. Going to Thea's apartment at night while she has... "visitors" was quite a dumb decision but, I wasn't going inside.

Plus, Ryan, or Leo or whatever the fuck he wants to call himself was going to be dead very very soon, so he might aswell see my face.

Walking up the stairs, step by step, only makes me pay attention to my heart. Getting faster beat by beat. It was never going to be about no fed, it was never going to be about Manny.

It's just- it's been a bit of time since that last encounter. I don't even know if she missed me, regardless of whether or not she was kissing him I had to be in her mind like she was mine. She had to miss me like I miss—

The door opens and I squint.

Not her?

This was a different girl, but still a very pretty girl. She had body, bruv, her curves literally bust out her outfit. And that wasn't me checking her out, I just- you have to be here stood with me to see what I'm seeing. She had these tantalising eyes, like Nala from the Lion King and rich brown skin. Her hair was in bangs and thick black frames were worn on her face.

As soon as she sees me though, she has this sort of playful, condescending smirk on her face. She was the bestfriend. The one that knew every little thing about me.

"Thea, someone's at the door for you. Tried gettin' his name but it seems he doesn't have one," she emphasises, turning her head back slightly towards what was behind her.

Attitude. Too bad I live for that shit.

There, with one last glance, the fit bestfriend goes to where Thea's at the door now. Up close, I start to remember why I had accidentally distanced myself.

Embarrassingly enough... she makes me nervous.

And I know what you're about to say: "you weren't so nervous when you were on your knees in the apartment hallway with your tongue in her pumpum."

So, in my defence, I would like to raise the argument that I was high, irritated and sexually frustrated. All those three things had my brain turn to this mush of nothing but Thea.

While my brain is still lowkey in the same state, I'm just sober now, and not so irritated, and not so sexually frustrated. And I haven't felt so strongly about a girl since I was 16. And that ended like fucking shit.

Now, here I am, struggling to talk to a woman. At the colossal age of 23.

"Yo, what you sayin'? Y'alright, yeah?" I awkwardly greet which she (unfortunately for me since she's a really smart girl) sees right through.

"Central, why the fuck are you here? Again? Unwanted... again?" She questions bluntly. Shockingly, her expression wasn't adoring like it usually was, or attentive like it normally was.

She looked completely neutral. Bored, even.

"Uh, I'm here to see if—"

"Babe, who is that? We're ordering food..."

Ofcourse, he goes to see who's at the door because he's a perfect fucking boyfriend. But, if things weren't clear to me before, they definitely were now. He was most definitely the copper. Also, he just looked so conservative. Like, he is secretly a Tory. For sure.

I assess his movements to wrap his arm around Thea's waist which further proves my point he's the copper. He's a pussy, who's intimidated by me answering the door. Why else do you think he's physically trying to claim her? 'Cause he's cold and he needs body heat? Surely have a day off, son.

"Just lookin' for Manny. Have to chat to her, styll," I say, looking down at the small package in my hand.

"Ah. Friend?"

Can't wait to see him try have that same likkle snark in his voice when he's choking on his own blood.

"We're close, yeah," I answer, collected and reserved. It wasn't long before me and bro partake in a staring contest, resulting in Thea doing anything she possibly could to ease whatever situation we'd both created with just the presence of our testosterone.

"Is that Cee?"

Manny's voice is heard from a faint distance, and I break from the stare, unfortunately letting Mr. Undercover win.

Thea's quick to answer her, "Yeah. And you're just the person he was lookin' for aswell," she awkwardly stammers which makes me look up at her.

Why was she stammering? Unless she was nervous. Which there was no chance of that being a thing. She'd clearly moved on.

Her eyes are scouring the entire wall behind me, avoiding my eyes, avoiding my entire presence and desperately waiting for Manny to show up. And she soon does, her slightly tall frame stepping infront of Thea.

"Cool. Can I chat to you out 'ere real quick, please?' I ask politely, still giving the white boy a once over. He's barely spoken this whole time, which makes me think... has he clocked me like I've clocked him?

"Central—"

"Thea," he interrupts, "it's fine. No problem. Don't take too long though, Manny. Still need to know what you wanna order." He tries to come across as nice and respectful and shit but obviously it falls flat because his smile is so tight, those thin ass lips were most definitely gonna split open.

Once everyone's gone, the envelope in my hand is finally the topic of conversation.

"Welcome to your new life, Manny."

𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐀𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐀 𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊 𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐒𝐊𝐈 .
i'm doubly updating for
you guys since you acc
deserve it for how disgusting
i've been treating you guys.
DONT WORRY, you'll be
getting a very lengthy chapter
next chapter too which includes
manny's lovely send off party.
she's kinda become my fav
character the other two are
currently pissing me off they
need to get over their feelings
alr

I LOVE U GUYS
SO SO MUCH
<33