Amara realized two very important things at the exact same time.
One—she was no longer standing in the school parking lot.
Two—she was sitting in the backseat of a very fashionable, very expensive, very 2004 car that absolutely did not belong to her.
She blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then she slowly turned her head, eyes dragging across the interior of the vehicle like it might eventually offer an explanation for this crime against her autonomy.
Leather seats. Immaculate. Not a single crumb. Not a speck of dust. The kind of car that smelled faintly of money, control, and very expensive patience.
The dashboard looked like it belonged in a luxury magazine. The kind you weren't allowed to touch without permission.
"…How," Amara said weakly, her voice sounding far away even to herself, "did this happen?"
Rosalie, sitting beside her in the backseat, casually adjusted her sunglasses and smiled like a woman who had just executed a flawless heist and felt zero remorse about it.
From the front passenger seat, Alice's voice chimed in instantly—bright, cheerful, and far too pleased.
"We talked," Alice said.
Jasper, driving with calm, steady hands like this was a perfectly normal afternoon activity, smiled faintly.
"You blinked," he added helpfully.
Amara's mouth opened.
Then closed.
She stared down at her own hands.
Still there. Not restrained. Not tied up. No duct tape. No ropes. No ominous chanting.
Which somehow made this worse.
"One second," Amara said slowly, carefully, like she was explaining something to herself, "I was standing in school. Talking. Breathing. Existing freely."
Rosalie nodded, completely unfazed. "Mm-hmm."
"And the next second," Amara continued, her voice rising with each word, "I'm in your car. Moving. At speed."
Alice twisted around in her seat to beam at her, the seatbelt clicking as she did, eyes sparkling with delight.
"We're going shopping!"
Amara stared at her.
Long.
Hard.
"…I was kidnapped."
"No," Alice corrected cheerfully, waving a hand. "You were adopted for the day."
Rosalie laughed quietly under her breath, clearly enjoying herself.
Amara turned slowly to Rosalie, disbelief written all over her face.
"You took my car keys."
Rosalie didn't deny it. In fact, she looked proud.
"You weren't using them."
"I would never," Amara gasped dramatically, "let Bella touch my car."
Rosalie smirked, lifting one perfectly shaped eyebrow.
"Well," she said smoothly, "I am not Bella."
Amara opened her mouth.
Closed it.
Fair point. Terrifying, but fair.
"And you," Amara said, pointing accusingly through the gap between the seats toward the driver, "gave my keys to Emmett."
"Yes," Jasper said calmly. "He's driving your Audi back to your house."
Something inside Amara broke free and ascended.
Her soul visibly left her body.
"You—" she swallowed. "You handed my baby to Emmett?"
Jasper shrugged like this was a minor inconvenience at best.
"Relax. He likes fast cars."
Amara pressed a hand to her chest.
"That," she said hoarsely, "is exactly the problem."
From the front seat, Alice giggled.
Jasper's smile widened just a little.
And Amara leaned back against the leather seat, staring at the ceiling, realizing with horrifying clarity that she had been outmatched.
Outnumbered.
And absolutely, unquestionably—
Outplayed.
Alice clapped her hands excitedly, the sound sharp and decisive—like a judge sealing a verdict.
"Okay so!" she announced, vibrating in her seat. "Port Angeles first—there's this adorable new shop with the cutest collection, and I have to go today, because if I don't go today then in three weeks the red jacket you need won't be there anymore, and also—"
She twisted fully around in her seat, ignoring the seatbelt entirely, eyes sparkling with barely contained chaos.
"—from now on, every time you go shopping, you'll go with me and Rose."
Amara froze.
Her brain stalled.
Her soul buffered.
"…What."
Rosalie nodded, serious as a contract lawyer. "Seattle too. Eventually."
"SEATTLE?" Amara squeaked, voice cracking like she'd just been personally threatened.
"Yes," Rosalie replied calmly. "Obviously."
Alice leaned closer, tilting her head, smile sweet enough to be illegal.
"You're agreeing, right?"
Amara slowly looked around the car.
Alice—smiling like a pixie who had already seen the outcome and enjoyed it. Rosalie—smiling like she owned her soul now. Jasper—smiling quietly, peaceful, like this was the least chaotic thing he'd experienced all decade.
Amara felt it then.
This wasn't spontaneous.
This was a setup.
A trap.
A beautifully coordinated, supernatural ambush.
"…Did I just get tricked," Amara asked faintly, "into a lifelong shopping contract?"
Alice clapped again. "Yay! She noticed!"
Amara groaned and slumped back against the seat, staring at the ceiling.
"How," she whispered, "did I not see this coming?"
"You're very trusting," Jasper said gently from the driver's seat.
"That's a polite way of saying stupid," Amara muttered.
Suddenly, she jolted upright.
"BELLA—oh shit!"
Everyone blinked.
Amara looked around wildly, panic finally setting in.
"I didn't tell her we're going to Port Angeles!"
She ran a hand through her hair, frowning.
"Do we really have to leave so fast? I didn't even warn her."
Rosalie's expression darkened instantly at the mention of Bella. Her jaw tightened, and she turned her face toward the window with a soft, irritated huff—like Bella's name alone had personally offended her.
Alice waved a hand dismissively, completely unbothered.
"Oh, it's fine. We have to leave fast anyway."
"Why?" Amara asked cautiously.
"So we can shop more," Alice said, like this was basic math.
Amara stared at her.
"That's not—" she stopped herself, exhaling.
"Never mind. I don't even know why I ask."
She paused, then frowned again.
"…Do we really have to leave Emmett behind? He looked like a wounded puppy when we left."
Rosalie burst out laughing, full and unapologetic. "Someone had to drive your car back. And it was either Jasper or Emmett."
"And Jasper's driving this one," Alice added helpfully.
"So by default," Rosalie finished smugly, "Emmett lost."
From the front seat, Alice and Jasper laughed.
Amara shook her head, smiling despite herself.
"…Poor guy."
Alice suddenly straightened, serious for exactly three seconds.
"Oh! Also—Jasper is very new at animal diet, and he's an empath, so being around humans is hard for him."
Amara nodded thoughtfully.
Then tilted her head.
"…Then why is he okay around me?"
The car went quiet.
Not awkward quiet.
Thinking quiet.
Jasper's grip on the steering wheel loosened slightly.
Rosalie frowned faintly, eyes narrowing as if replaying memories.
Alice's smile softened, gaze drifting as realization settled in.
They hadn't noticed it before.
But now that the thought existed—it made sense.
Around Amara, everything felt… calmer.
Less sharp.
More human.
Jasper broke the silence first.
"I feel steady around you," he said honestly.
"Peaceful."
Amara blinked. "…Oh."
Alice snapped back into pixie mode immediately, clapping her hands with glee.
"SEE? Isn't that perfect?"
She leaned back, grinning like she'd just won something.
"We can all hang out forever!"
Rosalie laughed. "I'm not opposed."
Jasper smiled softly.
Amara laughed too, shaking her head, warmth settling into her chest.
Somehow—somewhere along the drive—
Bella. Edward. Even poor Emmett—
They'd all been forgotten.
For now.
Somewhere on the open road, with Alice planning outfits three shops ahead, Rosalie listing cities like shopping was a strategic operation, and Jasper driving with monk-like calm, Amara leaned back into the leather seat and laughed softly.
She had been abducted.
Politely.
With seatbelts.
And a very aggressive fashion itinerary.
Meanwhile—
Back at school.
Bella Swan stood in the hallway, completely still.
Her posture was calm. Too calm.
The kind of calm that came after something had gone deeply, personally wrong.
Her eyes were fixed on the empty space beside her—where Amara had been standing not long ago earlier.
"…She left," Bella said quietly.
Edward stood next to her, pale as ever, wearing that familiar expression—intense, conflicted, and faintly constipated, like he was wrestling with several lifetimes of regret and a very complicated poem.
"She… went out," Edward replied.
Bella turned slowly.
"Out," she repeated.
Edward hesitated. "…Shopping."
A beat.
Bella stared at him.
"Shopping," she said again, flat and disbelieving.
"With your family."
Edward did not argue.
Did not correct her.
Did not defend himself.
Bella's jaw tightened.
So her cousin—who had spent the entire morning trying to keep her safe—had disappeared.
Not into danger.
Not into chaos.
But into fun.
With them.
Bella crossed her arms, eyes narrowing slightly as she looked in the direction Amara had vanished, her expression sharp with something that looked suspiciously like betrayal.
"…She didn't even tell me," Bella muttered.
Edward shifted uncomfortably.
"This wasn't… intentional," he said carefully.
Bella glanced at him.
Then at his face.
Then understanding settled in.
Slowly.
"It was your family," she said.
Edward said nothing.
Which, unfortunately, was an answer.
Bella turned away, lips pressed into a thin line.
"Unbelievable," she murmured. "I get stress, and she gets a day out."
Edward remained silent, staring after her, wondering—briefly—how exactly his family had managed to steal her cousin.
And far away—
Emmett Cullen pressed the accelerator of Amara's Audi A4 with wild enthusiasm.
"Oh, this thing moves," he laughed, taking a corner far too smoothly to be normal.
The engine purred.
The car responded like it had been waiting for this moment.
Jasper's voice crackled faintly through a phone call.
"Emmett," he said calmly, "drive like a human."
Emmett grinned, eyes bright.
"I am. A very confident one."
And somewhere between boutiques, highways, and very questionable life choices—
Amara sneezed.
She frowned slightly.
"…Why do I feel like someone just judged me?"
Alice smiled, eyes gleaming.
The road stretched ahead.
The day was far from over.
And the chaos?
Just getting started.
Hey guys 👋
✨ If you enjoy my story and want to support me, you can leave a tip here 👉 https:// Streamelements.Com / z1ref/tip