The gray sky was heavy with the promise of rain, casting a dull light over the parking lot of Forks High. Students were trickling out, some heading to their cars, others lingering in groups, chatting before heading home. The Cullen family stood out as usual, casually leaning against their sleek, black vehicles, their ethereal beauty and presence drawing subtle but constant glances from the crowd.

Emmett had his arms crossed, laughing about something Jasper had said, when Bella’s beat-up red truck rumbled into the lot. His attention snapped to the sound of it, mostly out of habit, but he did a double-take when he saw them step out of the passenger side.

Emmett blinked, then straightened. His smirk faded into something of genuine surprise.

“Who’s that?” Jasper murmured, noticing his brother’s sudden change in demeanor.

“Dunno,” Emmett muttered, his eyes locked on Bella’s friend. They were tall, with an effortlessly cool aura. Something about their stride as they walked with Bella, laughing at some shared joke, caught his attention. They looked… well, stunning. Not in the otherworldly, vampire sense, but real, raw beauty that felt magnetic.

As they got closer, Emmett noticed everything—the way their eyes sparkled when they laughed, the subtle sway in their walk, the confidence in how they carried themselves. Suddenly, he felt like every human and vampire in the parking lot had vanished, and it was just them.

Bella waved at the Cullens, then gestured to her friend. “Hey, guys! This is—” she introduced them casually, but Emmett barely heard the name as he quickly stepped forward, his grin widening.

“Hey! I’m Emmett.” His voice boomed, but there was an unmistakable undertone of eagerness in it. He stuck his hand out before Bella could even finish the introduction.