Hey everyone:) Thank you all so much for reviewing and comment. All you support is appreciated!:) So what will Anna find out from Van Houten? Read to find out! Hope you like the chapter:) let me know what you think.
Okay?
~Wallflower95
"Is that-?" Kaitlyn started. But I didn't reply. I stood and walked towards Van Houten's table. He was just sitting there with a glass in his hand and a smug smile on his face.
"Anna!" Kaitlyn said. I ignored her call. I sat down across from Peter. He smiled at me.
"To what do owe the pleasure of your company Miss Lancaster?" He said.
"Cut the crap Van Houten. What do you want?"
"Can't an old man buy a meal for some strangers out of the kindness of his heart?" I looked at him suspiciously. He smiled at me and kept drinking from his glass.
"Drinking away your sorrows?" He smiled and shook his head.
"Water is a fine beverage." He said.
"I do hope you enjoy your time here in Amsterdam. I am sure Hazel would have wanted that." I opened my mouth to say something but Van Houten held up his hand and that silenced me.
"Maybe drop by my home tomorrow. We can have a chat. I am sure you have questions." Van Houten stood up and fixed his jacket.
"You can find me at this address." He handed me a piece of paper with his home address on it.
"Good night Miss Lancaster." And he walked away. I stared after him. Kaitlyn came to my side.
"What did he want?" She asked. I shrugged my shoulders.
"I don't know but I am going to find out."
I stayed up most of the night thinking of what questions I could possibly want answered by Peter Van Houten. Was he referring to An Imperial Affliction? Of course I wanted answers to that book but he wouldn't give those up. He never told my parents so why would answer them for me? Was it about my parents? About what my mom left for me here in Amsterdam?
I woke and got dressed early. Kaitlyn stirred in her sleep.
"You're going to see him aren't you?" She mumbled.
"Yes." Kaitlyn groaned and then threw the cover off.
"You don't have to come. I'm fine with going on my own." I said.
"I'm not letting my best friend's sixteen year old daughter go out on her own in a city she doesn't know." I smiled. Once we had gotten dressed and eaten breakfast we headed down to Van Houten's place. Turns out it wasn't too far from our hotel. Just a few blocks down. Once we were outside his door I sucked in a deep breath and knocked on the door. It was opened by a young guy. My age or maybe a year older. He had dark black hair and stormy grey eyes. He was taller than me and pretty muscular. He was gorgeous. My jaw almost dropped. I was at a loss for words. He looked at both of us.
"Can I help you?" He asked with a slight dutch accent.
"I- I- uhh..." Wow. Real intelligent. I wanted to slap myself.
"Does Peter Van Houten live here?" Kaitlyn asked.
"Ah you have come to see Peter." The boy smiled. I nodded.
"Come in." He stepped aside so we could enter. It was spacious town house. The walls were a pale blue. Picture hung on the wall. There was a picture of Van Houten and woman. In between was a small smiling girl with a bald head and cannula in her nostrils. I was painfully reminded of my mom.
"Who is that?" I asked. Pointing to the girl.
"My daughter." Peter Van Houten slowly walked down the stairs. He was wearing leather shoes, tan coloured pants and a blue button down shirt. He looked at the picture sadly.
"Her name was Anna. She died of Leukaemia when she was eight." My heart was pounding in my chest.
"Anna?"
"Yes. Like An Imperial Affliction." He said. Peter looked at me.
"Like you." He said. He looked me up and down.
"You remind me of her." He said.
"I remind people of a lot of people."
"No. You remind me of Hazel." I closed my mouth. The boy looked back and forth between me and Van Houten. Kaitlyn stayed quiet.
"Where are my manners? This is my assistant, Liam." The boy held out his hand and I shook it. His and was warm and big, it almost enveloped my own hand. I smiled at him.
"I'm Anna. Anna Haven Lancaster." I said.
"A pretty name." Liam said. Kaitlyn shook his hand.
"What is your ex-assistant up to?" Kaitlyn asked. Peter lead us into the kitchen.
"Ahh you mean Lidewij? She is living in Paris now with her husband and children. Seems to be very happy and has now moved on." Peter said. He gestured for us to sit down.
"You have heard of my new book yes?" I nodded.
"What's it about?" I asked. Peter smiled.
"You will find out soon enough." He said.
"Is it a sequel to An Imperial Affliction?" I asked, getting my hopes. Van Houten smiled.
"Something like that." He said.
"So, why are we here?" I asked.
"I was curious. When I saw you in the restaurant I saw young Hazel. You are very much like her you know." I frowned.
"So that's all you wanted to do? To meet me?" I said.
"Well and something else." He said. He pulled an envelope out of his pants pocket. It had my name on it and it was in my mom's handwriting. I reached for it but he pulled it away.
"She said to give it to you on the day you leave Amsterdam." He said.
"What is?" I asked.
"A gift from your mother." Peter said.
"Why ask me to come here and see something my mom left me and not even give it to me." Peter smiled.
"Your mother gave me specific instructions."
"Now, I am sure you can be a good girl and wait patiently until the end of the week. For now, I am sure you have another letter to open." I sighed and pulled out my mom's next letter. I saw Peter eyeing it. I read it.
Dear Anna,
One of the worst things I had to do was leave you. I didn't want to do it but I knew the only way you could be in this world was for me to leave it. It was my greatest sacrifice. I am so sorry I had to leave. I just want to be remembered by you.
The Rijksmuseum has many works of art there. Maybe you'll find something you'll like there. A little something that you can remember us by. And while you're at it maybe take a walk on a few bridges. Maybe you'll find a little memento there.
Love,
Mom
"She's sending me to a museum." Kaitlyn smiled.
"Oh yeah I remember that."
"Well come on then." I jumped off the seat.
"I'm actually going to stay here and talk to Van Houten here." Kaitlyn said.
"What?" I said.
"You go ahead." Kaitlyn said. I stared at her.
"Liam can go with you." Van Houten said. I looked at Liam and Liam looked at me.
"Mr. Van Houten-?"
"Go on Liam. Go have some fun." Van Houten said with a smile. Liam broke out in a small smile.
"Shall we?" He asked me. I lead the way out of the house. Once we were outside I realized I had no idea where we had to go in order to get to the museum and also I was with a complete stranger. Liam appeared at my side. I folded up my arms.
"I am sorry you are stuck with me." I rolled my eyes.
"Whatever. Let's just go." I said.
"Lead the way?" He nodded. I couldn't help but admire his good looks. I mean he was really hot and I rarely ever talk or think about guys like this. Kylie always thought I had a problem.
"So, what is your story Anna Haven?" Liam asked. I frowned at him.
"It's just Anna." I said. He smiled at me.
"Okay, just Anna."
"Well, I am following a bunch of letters my late mother left for me." I said.
"And what is your story Liam?" I asked.
"Assistant to the great Peter Van Houten the author of An Imperial Affliction." He said.
"You read it?" I asked. He nodded.
"Such an honest and touching story." He said.
"You don't have a heavy Dutch accent." I said.
"I was not raised here. I come to visit my father for spring break. I live with my mother in Ohio." He said.
"Not far from I am." I said.
"Really?" I nodded.
"I live in Indianapolis." I said.
"Hmm interesting." He said.
"What?"
"Nothing." We continued our walk to the museum.
"So what else is there to know about you?" Liam asked.
"Are you talking about like weird fetishes and flaws and all that?" I asked. Liam smiled. He has a really nice smile.
"I suppose so." He said.
"Okay well I like video games." Liam laughed.
"What?"
"Anna Haven Lancaster you are the first girl I have ever met who actually likes video games." He said. I laughed.
"Okay your turn. Weird fetish." I said.
"Hmm... I dislike living in Amsterdam." He said.
"What? Why?"
"It's cramped and crowded." He complained.
"And Ohio is not?" I asked.
"Not really." He said. We finally reached a building with museum signs everywhere. Liam took out his wallet.
"I will pay." He said. I thanked him. While I waited for Liam to get the tickets I sat and thought about what my could have possibly left for me in the museum. I was also wondering what she had given to Van Houten.
"Ready?" Liam asked. He offered me his arm. I smiled and took it. Okay, yes I just met him and it was a little weird. He could be an axe murderer or something but I don't know. It was hard to explain. I felt... normal with Liam. That's weird. Okay I'll stop. We walked around looking at all the Vermeer paintings. I am not a big fan of art. Yes I can appreciate it like any other person but it just doesn't interest me. I was looking at some paintings. They were in odd places. One was of a bloody gruesome battle with lots of bodies. Kind of like The 300 movie I watched on the plane. The painting right next to it was of a lake with sunshine and flowers. It looked so calm and peaceful and I was wondering why these two picture were right next to each other and then I looked up. I pulled on Liam sleeve and pointed upwards.
"What is that?" I asked and he looked up. He squinted.
"It looks like a peace of paper." I almost laughed.
"Lift me up!" I said. He grabbed me by the hips and lifted me up as if I weighed nothing. I plucked the paper from the wall and he set me down. I sat on a bench and looked at the paper. It was sad looking stick figure drawing. One was a boy with one leg holding hands with a girl with an oxygen tank and in between them was a small little girl. At the top of the page written in my mother's hand writing was the words 'Their Little Infinity'. I put my hand on my mouth and laughed. Liam sat beside me and looked at the picture.
"From your mother?" I nodded. I laughed. Happy tears pooling in my eyes. To other people it's a stupid stick figure drawing with meaningless word on the page but to me it was a gift from my mother. I hugged the paper to my chest.
Liam had taken to me every bridge he knew of with locks on it. We've been out for hours. After the museum Liam had taken me to a small cafe with amazing desserts.
"Let's make this the last one and then we'll call it a day." Liam said. I nodded. This bridge wasn't far from the Anne Frank house. Liam looked at one side of the bridge while I looked at the other.
"Anna!" Liam called. I rushed over to his side. There was a small lock in the middle with two names on it. In cursive it read Augustus & Hazel'. I smiled.
"Those are my parents." I said. Liam nodded.
"They must have been good people." Liam said. I nodded.
"The best." Liam held out his arm and we walked away, heading back to Van Houten's.
Is there a little something going on between Anna and Van Houten's assistant? Hmmm... we shall find out! and what does Van Houten have from Hazel? so many questions! Hope you liked this one. Comment and review please:) see you next chapter!
~Wallflower95