The phone buzzed in my hand like it had been possessed by some very determined poltergeist. I sat up like someone had just dumped ice water over me, hair sticking out in wild directions.
"Oh, for crying out loud," I muttered, clutching the phone like it was radioactive. Because apparently, this night wasn't cursed enough the first time around.
Hesitantly, I pressed the answer button and lifted it to my ear.
"Hello, Amara."
My spine straightened. That voice. Smooth, low, and velvety, like honey stirred into dark wine. Lucien.
"Uh..hi," I blurted, way too quickly, my tone sharp with nerves. Smooth, Amara. Very smooth. Ten out of ten for sounding like a startled squirrel.
"Did I disturb you?" he asked, the faintest smile curling in his voice. "I hope I didn't drag you away from… something important."
"No, no," I rushed out, then immediately cringed. "I was just… doing nothing. Nothing important at all."
There was a pause, then a soft chuckle, low and warm enough to seep right through my chest. My stupid heart betrayed me, thudding faster like it had a mind of its own.
Lucien's voice gentled. "Good. Then I don't feel so guilty for stealing your attention."
Stealing? More like hijacking. But I swallowed the retort because my vocal cords were too busy staging a mutiny.
After a beat, he said, quieter, "I wanted to apologize. About the hospital, that day. If I gave you the impression that I doubted you… that wasn't my intent. I don't—" He broke off, exhaling, sounding almost… uncertain. "I don't always explain myself well."
"Oh." My grip on the phone loosened a little. "You don't have to apologize. Really. I'm fine. Perfectly fine. Like nothing even happened." My voice pitched higher in frustration, and I winced at how kittenish I sounded.
Lucien laughed, deep and smooth, like velvet over glass. "That tone… you sound like you're pouting."
"I am not!" I shot back too quickly, cheeks burning.
"Mm." He hummed, clearly unconvinced. "Still alive, still stubborn. Good."
"It's fine," I said quickly, maybe a little too quickly. "Really. Nothing happened. I'm fine. Perfectly fine".
I sounded like a frustrated kitten swatting at shadows, and that realization only made me flush harder.
Lucien's laugh rolled down the line, smooth and unhurried, the kind of laugh that could probably melt steel. "You're adorable when you're trying to sound fierce, did you know that?"
I stiffened. "I am not.."
"Of course not," he interrupted silkily, obviously entertained. "You're formidable. Terrifying, even."
I groaned softly, burying my face in the pillow even though he couldn't see me. "You're impossible."
"That's been said about me once or twice," he admitted with mock gravity.
I rolled my eyes at the ceiling, though he couldn't see me. Why was I still on the line? I should've hung up the second his voice hit my ears. Instead, here I was, clutching the phone tighter like it was oxygen.
"Truly though," Lucien pressed, "are you certain you're all right?"
"Yes," I said firmly. "Literally nothing happened. I'm fine."
"Good. I'd hate to think I owe some grim reaper an apology for mishandling you."
That startled a laugh out of me before I could stop it. "Mishandling me? Wow. Do you talk to everyone like they're priceless porcelain?"
"Only to those who are," he replied smoothly, not missing a beat.
I froze, heat crawling up my neck. What was I supposed to do with that? My brain short-circuited, all my comebacks scattering like pigeons in a thunderstorm.
He let the silence stretch....long enough for me to squirm before dropping his voice, playful now. "You know, you owe me something."
Alarm bells went off in my head. "Excuse me?"
"Coffee," he said simply. "You promised me coffee, remember?"
I blinked. "Promised? When?"
"At the grocery store," he answered, smug as sin. "You said: 'maybe in the future.' I consider that a promise."
I nearly dropped the phone. "That's not how promises work!"
"Oh, but that's how mine do," Lucien countered, amused. "And I intend to collect. This weekend."
"This weekend?" I echoed, panicked. "I...I have work. School. Things." My brain was frantically digging trenches for excuses.
"It won't take long," he soothed, his tone dipping into silkier depths that curled around my spine. "Just an hour. Surely the world won't end if you indulge me."
Heat crawled up my neck. "Lucien…"
"Before you protest again," he interrupted gently, his voice dripping with charm, "it won't take much of your time. Just a cup. Thirty minutes. Surely you can spare that?"
I bit my lip, glaring at the ceiling like it had answers. He made it sound so easy, so harmless. But every instinct screamed that nothing about him was harmless.
"I really do have a lot of work," I tried one last time, the excuse weak even to my own ears.
"Work will always be there," he countered smoothly. "Opportunities, however…" His voice dropped to a low, dangerous murmur. "Those vanish if you hesitate too long."
Why did he have to sound like temptation itself?
My sigh was long and defeated. "Fine. Coffee. This weekend."
His satisfaction was almost palpable through the phone. "Wonderful. Saturday, then."
I muttered under my breath, "How did I let you talk me into this?"
"I have a talent for persuasion," he said lightly. "You'll find I rarely hear the word no."
I rolled my eyes, even though my face was hot enough to fry an egg. "You're insufferable."
"Charming," he corrected, clearly grinning. "But I'll let you decide after Saturday."
"You're insufferable."
Lucien laughed again, that rich, low sound that made my skin prickle. "I'll take that as a yes. Saturday, then."
I groaned into the receiver. "You're impossible."
"Flattery will get you everywhere, darling."
My heart tripped at the way he said it darling like it belonged to me and me alone. I pressed the phone harder against my ear, as if that could steady me.
Lucien seemed content with my stunned silence, then softened his tone. "You should sleep. It's late, and you have school tomorrow. I wouldn't want to be responsible for you dozing off mid-lecture."
"I don't doze off," I muttered, defensive.
"Mm. If you say so."
"Hey!" I protested.
"Goodnight, Amara," he said, velvet wrapping around every syllable.
"…Goodnight, Lucien."
The call clicked off, leaving me in silence.
For a long moment, I just stared at the ceiling, phone still clutched against my ear like it hadn't disconnected. Then I flopped backward onto my pillow with a dramatic groan. My face was on fire, my chest a knot of warmth and giddy frustration.
What was wrong with me?
I buried my face in the pillow, muffling the sound of my own half-laugh, half-groan. "Get it together," I scolded myself. But the blush refused to fade, and the smile tugging at my lips refused to die.
Somewhere between flustered and floating, I realized I wasn't going to fall asleep easily tonight. Not with his voice still echoing in my head.
Could vampires even drink coffee?
Groaning, I sat up again, forcing myself back into routine. I stacked my homework neatly, slid the books I'd need for tomorrow into my bag, and placed it by the door. The normalcy steadied me a little.
Then, almost without thinking, I wandered to the window. The forest stretched beyond, dark and endless. Usually, it loomed like a warning, its shadows whispering dangers I couldn't name.
But tonight… it didn't feel scary.
The moon hung above, silver and soft, veiled by drifting clouds. The treetops swayed gently in the breeze, and for the first time since I arrived in Forks, the forest didn't look threatening. It looked almost… welcoming.
I rested my hand against the cool glass, my lips quirking into a small, involuntary smile.
Maybe Saturday wouldn't be so bad after all.
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