The car rolled to a smooth stop outside a quaint little café in Port Angeles, its windows glowing warm against the gray drizzle of the morning. Amara leaned forward in her seat, already unbuckling. Finally, caffeine. Normal. Safe. Predictable.
But before she could reach for the door handle, Lucien glanced at her with that maddeningly confident smile.
"Sit still, darling. I'll be right back."
Her brows knit. "Wait...aren't we supposed to, you know, sit inside and drink coffee like normal people?"
Lucien didn't bother answering. He just smirked, raised one perfect eyebrow, and slipped out of the car like he had just stepped out of a magazine ad. He leaned casually on the door for half a second, tipped his head toward her with that infuriating grin, then closed it behind him.
Amara blinked, heat prickling at her cheeks. Great. Amazing. Now I'm blushing because a vampire just raised an eyebrow at me. What's next, swooning when he breathes? But he doesn't breathes . Yep he doesn't.
She sank back against the seat, crossing her arms even though her pulse had gone traitorously fast. What could he possibly be planning? He said coffee. Not...whatever eyebrow gymnastics he's pulling here.
Minutes later, Lucien strolled back out of the café, but instead of two steaming mugs, he carried a woven basket tucked neatly under his arm. He opened the back door, placed it carefully on the seat, and then slid into the driver's seat with a look that said yes, I know I'm being mysterious, and yes, I enjoy it.
Amara eyed the basket suspiciously. "Okay, what's in the basket? And where are we going? Because you..." she pointed at him, narrowing her eyes, "..specifically said coffee. That's the only reason I agreed to this madness."
Lucien's lips curved, maddeningly smooth. "And we're still having coffee. I never said it had to be in a café, did I?"
Amara groaned, pressing her forehead to the cool window. Why does he have to smile like that? Like he's both plotting something and already winning at it?
"And where exactly are we going now?" she tried again.
"It's a surprise," Lucien said, voice light, teasing. He flicked her a sidelong glance, as if daring her to push further.
"I know what surprise means," she muttered.
That only made him chuckle, low and amused. "Do you? Because most people hear 'surprise' and instantly ask questions you're asking right now. Which, in turn, ruins the very definition of the word. Quite tragic, really."
Amara dragged a hand down her face. "I didn't ask you to give me the literal dictionary meaning, Lucien."
"Ah," he said smoothly, turning the wheel with one hand, "but you listened, darling. That's enough for me."
She clamped her lips shut, staring out the window with cheeks warm again, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her flustered. It's coffee, Amara. Just coffee. Except apparently it's also a basket and a surprise, and maybe a heart attack, courtesy of him.
The car hummed along the winding road, the basket sitting like a secret in the backseat, Lucien's smile lingering in the air between them.
And for the first time, she wondered if this so-called coffee was about to change a lot more than just her caffeine levels.
The car wound through narrow turns, trees growing denser, shadows shifting like a living curtain around them. Amara pressed her forehead lightly against the cool window, realizing with a start that she had no idea where they were anymore. Forks roads she knew well enough. Even Port Angeles wasn't that confusing. But here? With the forest swallowing the road and Lucien humming softly beside her like this was a casual Sunday drive.. .she was officially lost.
"You're awfully quiet, darling," Lucien teased, flicking her a sideways glance. "Have I finally managed to steal your words?"
"More like you've kidnapped them," Amara muttered. "I have no clue where we even are."
"That's the point." His smirk deepened.
She narrowed her eyes. "Mysterious. Playful. Smug. You do realize this is exactly how villains in crime shows lure girls to their doom, right? Remote location, no witnesses…"
Lucien chuckled under his breath, clearly entertained. "If I intended to kill you, darling, I would hardly bring a picnic basket, would I?"
Her eyes flicked to the basket in the backseat. "Maybe it's your disguise. First, coffee and sandwiches. Then, surprise murder."
His laughter spilled out freely this time, rich and unbothered. "You think me so uncreative?"
"I think you suspiciously creative," she shot back, but her lips twitched despite herself.
The car finally slowed, pulling off onto a narrow dirt path. The trees parted just enough to reveal a small hill bathed in golden light, the kind of place that looked like it belonged on a postcard. Alone. Quiet. Beautiful.
Lucien cut the engine, then slipped out with easy grace. Before Amara could reach for the door handle, it swung open. Lucien stood there, framed by sunlight and leaves, one hand extended with old-world elegance.
She laughed softly. "Still being a gentleman, I see."
His smile softened, just a little. "I plan to be one forever. For you."
Amara blinked, warmth crawling up her neck. Forever. Did he mean that literally? He probably did. Oh god. She ducked her head quickly, hoping the blush didn't give her away.
Lucien retrieved the basket from the backseat, then tilted his head toward the trail leading upward. "Come along, darling. It's worth the walk."
With a resigned sigh and a muttered, "This better not end in axe murder," Amara followed.
They began their little hike, the forest alive with the crunch of leaves underfoot and birdsong overhead. Amara, of course, couldn't resist filling the silence.
"So," she started, waving a hand at the endless trees, "do you bring all your victims here? Nice and secluded. No one to hear me scream. Textbook serial killer location."
Lucien's chuckle echoed through the trees. "Darling, the only crime I plan today is stealing your breath. And perhaps your smile...if you'll let me."
Her steps faltered just a bit, cheeks heating again. "That's… so cheesy."
"And yet," he murmured, his voice like velvet, "you're smiling."
She was. She hated that he was right.
They continued upward, her babbling filling the air, his smooth laughter chasing after it. Somehow, despite the teasing, despite the secrecy, Amara realized something strange
...her heart wasn't just racing from nerves. It was excitement.
And maybe, just maybe, Lucien knew it.
They walked for a while, Amara still tossing out dramatic theories like confetti.
"So, this is the part where you push me off a cliff, right? Very poetic. The basket goes tumbling after me, tragic music plays in the background..."
"Beautiful." Lucien's amused sigh cut through her ramble. "You do have a flair for the dramatic. I'd almost be offended if you weren't so delightfully entertaining."
"Delightfully entertaining?" she scoffed, brushing a stray branch out of her way. "That's code for annoying but tolerable."
He glanced over his shoulder, eyes gleaming with mischief. "On the contrary. I could listen to you all day."
She almost tripped over a root at that, muttering under her breath, "Flirt. Shameless flirt."
Lucien's laugh rolled through the trees, low and rich, curling around her like warm smoke.
Finally, they broke through the line of trees and came to a stop. The hill sloped down before them, opening to a breathtaking view...patches of sunlight scattered across the valley below, shifting between drifting clouds. The forest stretched endlessly, painted in shades of green and gold, with the sky yawning wide above it all.
Amara stopped beside Lucien, her breath caught in her chest. "Okay… wow. I'll admit, this is… something."
Lucien set the basket down and glanced at her with a knowing smile, as though he'd been waiting for that exact reaction. "Worth the walk?"
She shrugged, trying to hide the way her pulse quickened. "I mean… maybe. I'll let you know after I see what's in the basket."
He chuckled softly, shaking his head, but her eyes weren't on him anymore.
Because down there...in the pockets of sunlight something flickered strangely against the green. She knew what it would do to him. What it meant. He hadn't stepped into it, carefully choosing their spot in the shade. But she saw it. And for just a moment, the thought pressed against her mind like a secret no one else could hear.
Sunlight. And him. I wonder…
She swallowed, forcing her gaze back to the scenery, lips tugging at a small smile.
It was ridiculous. Dangerous. Unbelievable.
But standing there with him, with clouds drifting lazily and the valley glowing under the sun, Amara realized the forest didn't feel frightening anymore. Not with him.
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