I drove in silence, trailing behind the shiny Cullens car like I'd accidentally signed up for the world's weirdest field trip. Bella sat beside me, chewing her bottom lip like it was some kind of stress snack. She stared out the passenger window, quiet as the grave, and honestly it felt like we were both driving straight toward one.
"Why," I muttered under my breath, gripping the steering wheel like it might explain something, "of all people, would the local royalty invite me? I'm not exactly Miss Congeniality, last I checked. There has to be something fishy going on."
Bella didn't respond. Of course she didn't. She was too busy counting tree trunks like they held the answers to the universe. Trees. And more trees. And shockingly more trees. I swear, I'd seen entire Lord of the Rings movies with less forest footage.
If civilization had a line, we'd crossed it about ten minutes ago. There wasn't a single mailbox, no gas station, not even one rogue "For Sale" sign. Just woods. The kind of woods where news anchors said things like "authorities are still searching for the missing hiker."
(Perfect place to hide a dead body. Ten out of ten on the murder mystery scale. Totally safe. Nothing suspicious about this at all. Who wouldn't want to drive into the abyss with a family I barely knew?)
Bella sighed, pressing her forehead against the glass like maybe she could teleport herself out of this nightmare. I glanced at her but didn't bother breaking the silence. Neither of us had the energy for small talk. The whole car ride had the exact same vibe as waiting for a dentist appointment minus the magazines.
Every bump in the road made my brain supply fun new scenarios: ambush, cult initiation, surprise organ harvesting. And yet here I was, voluntarily driving straight into the set of Dateline: Forks Edition.
The Cullen car ahead gleamed through the trees like a beacon, smooth and smug, while I pulled in right behind, my little black Audi looking like it was trying way too hard to fit in.
(Oh sure. Follow the immortal, perfect people deeper into the woods. What could possibly go wrong?)
The Cullens spilled gracefully out of their car like they were stepping off a runway in Milan flawless, poised, and so in sync they could've been choreographed. Their hair gleamed in the gray Forks light, clothes untouched by dust or wrinkles. Honestly, if a fashion magazine ever ran a "Family of the Year" spread, it'd look exactly like this.
Meanwhile, Bella and I clambered out of my car like escaped a hostage situation.Bella nearly tripped over her bag strap, and I untangled myself from my seatbelt with the dignity of someone losing a wrestling match to polyester.
The only thing saving me from looking like a total disaster? My… quirk. No matter how messy the reality, my hair always slid back into place like it had a personal stylist living in each strand. Smooth, shiny, not a flyaway in sight. And my skin? Still glowing like I'd been Photoshopped in real life. I probably looked like I'd had eight hours of sleep and two liters of water, when in reality, I'd had three hours and a questionable amount of caffeine.
Bella, naturally, noticed. She brushed at her own frizz with a frown, muttering something about humidity. I pretended not to hear, straightening my jacket as if nothing had just tried to strangle me in the car.
"Uh," I cleared my throat, gesturing at the neatly paved driveway. "Is it okay if I park here? Or is there, like… a designated guest spot? Don't wanna break your secret parking code."
Alice turned her dazzling smile on me. "It's perfect."
Perfect, sure but Rosalie was already drilling holes into me with her eyes. She looked me up and down, like she was expecting to find something out of place and was mad she couldn't. My smile froze, but inside?(Girl, relax. I didn't even want to come here. Go glare at a tree or something.)
Her eyes bored into my skull so hard I could practically feel the smoke. I forced a smile and pretended not to notice.
Bella hovered close to my side, radiating awkwardness so strongly I could practically feel her aura buffering.
Emmett, bless him, ambled over and grinned. "You two look like you're about to walk into an execution. Chill it's just a house."
Bella laughed nervously. I shot Emmett a look that said 'yeah, thanks for the reassurance that totally didn't reassure anything.'
Alice, unfazed as ever, gestured toward the massive house. "Come on in."
Bella's eyes widened as we stepped forward. "It's… beautiful."
"Yeah," I agreed, though my tone came out halfway between awe and suspicion. "Beautiful house."
Inside, everything gleamed like a catalog spread. Open floor plan, wide windows, rich wood polished to perfection. My reflection in the glass was unfairly perfect hair falling in just the right way, skin like it had a personal lighting crew. I caught Bella sneaking another look at me and quickly pretended to be distracted by the architecture.
(Yep. Totally normal. Just two ordinary girls visiting an extraordinary family in their picture perfect home. Nothing suspicious about this at all. Absolutely nothing.)
The living room looked like something straight out of a luxury design magazine—spacious, full of soft light and clean lines. And there, already waiting with patient smiles, were Doctor Carlisle Cullen and his wife, Esme.
Carlisle rose gracefully, looking every inch the refined gentleman, while Esme's smile was warm enough to thaw glaciers.
"Amara, Bella," Carlisle greeted, his voice smooth as polished marble. "We're glad you could come."
Esme stepped forward, her eyes soft and kind. "Welcome to our home," she said warmly. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you both."
Bella mumbled a polite, "Thank you."
I plastered on my best I'm not panicking at all smile. "Thanks for having us. You've got a… beautiful house."( And terrifying. Don't forget terrifying. Beautiful in the way a palace is beautiful right before the guillotine drops.)
Esme clasped her hands together like a proud hostess. "I even cooked for you girls I hope you haven't eaten yet."
Bella shook her head quickly. "No, we haven't."
I echoed her, forcing a polite smile. "Not yet."
(Oh my god. This exact thing happened in the movie. Esme cooking food no one eats. Except… wait. In the movie, Bella came here with Edward. Now Bella's here with me. Does that mean… no. No, no, no. I am not about to accidentally become the main character in Bella's romance arc. That's—ew. No thanks. Hard pass. She's sweet, but absolutely not.)
Bella, perhaps to save herself from my silence, glanced around. "Um… where's Edward?"
Esme exchanged a quick look with Carlisle, then smiled gently. "Oh, he's away for a few days. Visiting some cousins up in Alaska."
"Yeah," Carlisle added smoothly. "He needed a change of scenery."
( Translation: brooding boy went on a sulky vacation. Honestly, bless. This whole situation is awkward enough without him staring at me like I'm a complicated math equation he can't solve.)
I nodded solemnly. "Alaska, huh? Very… cold choice."
Carlisle's lips quirked politely. Esme chuckled softly, probably out of sheer politeness, which made me feel like a comedian bombing on stage.
"Well," I said, folding my arms, "I'm glad to finally meet you properly. Though I have to say, your house is terrifyingly spotless. Do you guys all share one giant vacuum, or…?"
Esme laughed a little more genuinely that time. "We like to keep things tidy."
( Tidy? Lady, this place looks like IKEA and Architectural Digest had a lovechild. I feel like I should've taken my shoes off at the county line.)
Bella shifted uncomfortably beside me, as if she was unsure whether she should laugh or apologize for existing.
"Anyway," I added, gesturing vaguely. "Thank you for inviting us. Honestly, it's… really nice. Even if it feels a little like I just walked into a fairy-tale mansion."
Carlisle inclined his head. "You're welcome here anytime."
(IAnytime. That's cute. Totally not ominous at all. It's fine. I'm fine. Everything is fine.)
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