Friday finally arrived.
Unfortunately, that did not improve Amara's mood.Not even a little.
The entire week had been strange.
Actually—
Strange was too nice a word.Annoying. Frustrating.Confusing.Suspicious.
Those were much better words.
Earlier that afternoon, Edward had arrived at the Swan house exactly as promised.
Bella had practically spent half the day pretending she wasn't nervous.
Which fooled absolutely nobody.Not Charlie. Not Amara.Probably not Edward either.
Then Edward had taken Bella to the Cullen house to officially meet his family as his girlfriend.His actual girlfriend.
And now Bella was gone.
Off to the Cullen house.Probably being stared at by seven vampires.
She have eaten food before going to Cullens, well i tired telling her not to but she followed ed-weirdo advice. Clearly.
Which honestly sounded exhausting.
Leaving Amara alone with her thoughts.
Which was unfortunate.
Because her thoughts had been annoying her all week.
Currently she was driving through the gloomy roads of Forks in her black Audi.
Soft country music played from the radio.Dark clouds stretched across the sky.
The roads were damp from earlier mist, but thankfully it wasn't raining.
Yet.
Forks always looked like it was deciding whether or not to rain.
Amara rested one hand on the steering wheel.Her dark hair flowed freely around her shoulders.
A knee-length dress peeked out beneath her black jacket. Her boots rested comfortably against the pedals.
She looked flawless.She had spent entirely too much time choosing what to wear.
Not because she cared.Obviously.
Not at all just that she want to feel better.
Happy atleast.
Unfortunately her mood was not.Because she was busy being irritated.Very irritated.
"The Cullens are weird."She said it out loud. The empty car offered no argument.
"The entire family is weird."
Pause.
"Especially the tall blond one."
Another pause.
"The very annoying blond one."
Amara tightened her grip on the steering wheel.The whole week they had been acting strange.
Not openly.Not enough for anyone else to notice.But enough for her.
Conversations felt shorter.Interactions felt different.
Alice hadn't called back and in school she was distant.
Rosalie hadn't been are usually as well.
Lucien hadn't called backed.Or texted.Or replied. Nothing.Absolutely nothing.
At first Amara had thought maybe they were busy.
Then maybe something happened.
Then maybe Alice had dragged everyone into some strange Cullen family activity.
Now?
Now she was annoyed.Very annoyed.
Because nobody would tell her anything.
Whenever she asked one of the Cullens a question, they changed the subject.
Whenever she mentioned lucien to Alice...
Subject changed.
Whenever she mentioned Lucien to Rosalie...
Subject changed.
Whenever she asked if something was wrong...
Subject changed.
It was driving her insane."This is why I didn't want to get involved with vampires."
She sighed dramatically."They disappear."
Pause.
"They avoid questions."
Pause.
"They act mysterious for absolutely no reason."
Pause.
"They're all emotionally constipated."A truck passed by. Ignoring her completely.
"And they don't know how to communicate." The steering wheel silently suffered through her complaints.
"If they don't want to talk to me then just say it." She frowned.
"How hard is that?"Her voice became more sarcastic.
''Amara, we don't want to talk to you.''
A shrug.
"Okay."
"Amara, leave us alone.''
Another shrug.
"Okay."
"Amara, we're busy."
Still okay.At least that would be communication.But no.Vampires apparently preferred being confusing.
Why use words when you could create emotional damage?Amara groaned.
"No wonder they're all dramatic."
Immediately she caught herself thinking about Lucien again.Her eye twitched."No."
She pointed at herself."No thinking about him."Absolutely not.Nope.Not happening.
She turned the radio louder.Country music immediately filled the car.
Some singer was talking about trucks.Or heartbreak.Or heartbreak caused by trucks.
Amara wasn't entirely sure.
She started tapping her foot against the floor.
Slowly her attention shifted toward the music.Toward the road.Toward literally anything except blond vampires.
Eventually she reached the meeting point Jessica and Angela had chosen.
A small shopping area.Nothing fancy.
Just a place where they planned to meet before checking out the new shop Jessica had been talking about.
Amara parked her car and stepped outside.
The cool air brushed against her skin.Her boots clicked softly against the pavement as she walked.
At first she smiled slightly.The week had been annoying.But at least she was going out with Jessica and Angela.Human friends.Normal people.No vampires.
No mind games. No mysterious behavior.
Just shopping.
Exactly what she needed.Then she arrived.
And stopped.Nobody was there.Amara blinked."...Huh."
She looked left.Nothing.
She looked right.Nothing.
No Jessica.No Angela.No familiar faces.
"Maybe they're running late."
That was reasonable.So she waited.Five minutes.Then ten.Then fifteen.
Still nothing.
Amara checked her watch.Then checked it again.Then a third time.Because maybe time had broken.It hadn't.
Now she was suspicious.
She pulled out her shiny pink flip phone.
She called Jessica first.No answer.
Amara frowned.
Then she called Angela.No answer.
Her frown deepened.
She looked around again.Still nothing.
No sign of either girl.
At all.
Amara slowly lowered her phone."...Did they forget?"
The possibility hurt more than she wanted to admit.
She started walking around the area.Checking nearby stores.
Looking through windows.Watching passing cars.Nothing.No Jessica.No Angela.No explanation.
The sky somehow became gloomier. Just like her mood.
Amara sighed."Of course."
Why wouldn't this happen?
Meanwhile Bella was probably having a wonderful time.
Meeting the Cullen family.
Being Edward's official girlfriend.
While Amara was standing alone in a parking lot wondering if she'd been abandoned.
Again.
Her shoulders slumped slightly.
Maybe she should just go home.
Then...
Her phone started ringing.Amara immediately looked down.Jessica.
Finally.
She answered so quickly she nearly dropped the phone.
"Where are you guys?"
Jessica laughed.
And in the background—
Angela laughed too.
Immediately suspicious.Very suspicious.
"Sorry!" Jessica said."We can't come."
Amara froze."...What?"
"We have something else."
"What?"
Jessica laughed again.
Amara narrowed her eyes."You told me we were going shopping."
"We were."
"You told me to get ready."
"We did."
"Jessica."
"Yes?"
"I've been standing here waiting."
"I know."
Amara blinked.''You know?"
Jessica sounded entirely too pleased with herself."Well obviously you had to get ready."
Amara frowned."What does that even mean?"
"Otherwise what would happen to our plan?"
Amara stopped moving completely."Our what?"
Angela laughed loudly in the background.
Jessica laughed too.
Now Amara was certain something was wrong."What are you talking about?"
"You'll understand soon."
"I don't understand now."
"You will."
"Jessica...!"
"Bye, Amara have fun!"
"Jessica wait..!"
Click.
The call ended.Silence.
Amara stared at the phone.Then stared at the sky.Then stared back at the phone.
"...What is wrong with everyone?"
Her shoulders dropped.
Looking down at the phone screen.
Feeling suddenly numb.
The frustration she'd been carrying all week twisted painfully in her chest.
First the Cullens.
Then Lucien.
Now Jessica and Angela.
Why was everyone acting weird?
Why couldn't people just say what they meant?
Why was communication apparently illegal?
Amara swallowed.
Feeling uncomfortably close to tears.
Not crying.Definitely not crying.
Just annoyed.Very.Very.Annoyed.
While she was busy having a complete meltdown inside her own head—
She didn't notice someone standing in front of her.
Not until her gaze landed on a pair of polished black shoes.
Expensive shoes.Very expensive shoes.
Amara blinked.Slowly she looked up.
Long legs.Dark coat.Broad shoulders.Blond hair.
Frustratingly perfect blond hair.
And finally—
That stupid smile.
Lucien.
Standing directly in front of her.
Looking entirely too pleased with himself.
For one brief moment—
Relief washed through her.Then instantly disappeared.
Replaced by pure irritation.
Because now she remembered.
An entire week.Awhole week.No calls.No messages.Nothing.
And he had the nerve to stand there smiling.
Smiling.
The audacity.
Then realization struck.Jessica.Angela.
The Cullens.
The weird behavior.The unanswered calls.The secrecy.The setup.
Every single one of them had planned this.
Every.Single.One.
Except Bella.
Because Bella definitely would have accidentally told me.
Amara narrowed her eyes.
Lucien's smile became slightly more cautious.
Good.
Without saying a single word—
Amara turned around. And started walking away.
Immediately.
Behind her she heard Lucien sigh. Then footsteps. Of course he was following her.
"Darling."
Nothing.
"Amara."
Nothing.
"I'm sorry."
Nothing.
"Please stop walking."
Absolutely not.
Amara walked faster.
Lucien matched her effortlessly.Because vampire.
"Just hear me out."
Nothing.
"I can explain."
"Please hear me out."
Nothing.For the first time in over a century—
Lucien was genuinely worried. And honestly?
Watching him suffer was doing wonders for Amara's mood. A tiny smile almost appeared. Almost. Then she remembered she was angry.
And immediately kept walking.
Lucien sighed.
And followed after her like a very handsome golden retriever that had made a series of terrible life choices.
Amara continued walking.
Her boots striking the pavement with determination.
"Darling, wait."
Still nothing.
"Just listen to me."
Nothing.
Lucien continued following beside her.
Looking entirely too calm for someone who was about to spend the next several hours apologizing.
And Amara?
Amara had absolutely no intention of making it easy for him.
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