I Found You • DanHowellxReader

Chapter 25 • After Hours

Dan parked the car in the Target parking lot, and the three of you got out of the car.  The parking lot was almost empty other than Lori's car and a few others.  Dan held his hand in yours and Phil walked alongside you as you went toward the building.  You couldn't help but notice how Dan kept looking around the parking lot so cautiously. Each time you got anywhere near a car, he studied it carefully.

"You feeling okay?"

"Ya, I'm just checking,"he mumbled.

You looked around the empty parking lot, and then cocked your head at him.  "Checking what?"

"Just the..the um-"he stuttered"-oh, nothing really."

It didn't sound like nothing, but you still shrugged it off anyway.  Looking over at Phil, you noticed he seemed to have the jitters too.  What could possibly be bothering him?

The automatic doors slid open, and you all walked inside together.  Lori was waiting for you just outside the entrance.

"Hey guys!"she cheered with relief. 

"Hey!"the three of you responded happily in unison.

She kissed Phil on the cheek and gave him a hug. "I actually just finished all of the stuff I had to do, but I was thinking.."she said,"Since we have the whole store too ourselves, why not hang out here for a while?"

The three of you looked at eachother awkwardly shrugging and nodding your heads in agreement.

"Sure," Dan and Phil said. 

"Why not?" you added innocently.

Everyone eventually split up throughout the store so that it was just you and Dan while Phil and Lori were in some other area of the store together. Dan had his arm securely wrapped around you as you both walked down the aisles of the store aimlessly. You turned a corner and stood infront of different arrangements of furniture.

"Do you wanna sit around in here for a bit?" Dan suggested.

"Sure."

You both layed down on a comfy leather couch that was part of this nice living room furniture arrangement, and you curled up in his embrace.  He caressed your cheek with his thumb as his deep brown eyes gazed into yours.

"Need something, love?"he whispered softly.

You felt heat rise to your cheeks.  Did he just call you love?  You shook your head and giggled at yourself, and he chuckled.

"What?" he asked cluelessly.

You shook your head and said,"Sorry, I guess I wasn't expecting you to call me that."

"Call you what? -Wait, do you mean when I called you 'love'?" he teased with a smile as he watched your cheeks flush bright pink. Your nose scrunched up and you hit his arm playfully.

"Hey!" You both laughed. His dark chocolate eyes gazed into yours. He slowly leaned in and kissed your lips. Your arms came up and wrapped around his back.  You pulled him in closer to you as he held the back of your head in his hands. Once he parted your lips, he smiled at you devilishly.

"Love,"he teased once more before booping your nose is with his finger.

"Oh, shut up," you laughed before kissing him again,"Now I'll be right back, I've just got to go use the restroom really quick."

"Okay, are you sure you don't want me to walk with you?"

"I think I'll be fine, but thanks." 

He smiled weakly before letting go of you.  You smiled back, although you were unsure why he seemed so upset.  You'd be right back anyway, right?  You began walking away toward the front of the store where the bathrooms were. 

It was eerily quiet.  So quiet you could hear your own breathing.  The echo of each step you took reminding you of your isolation from everyone else.  Well, almost everyone. Maybe it was just your imagination.  You were sure it was.  It had to be.  No one was watching you, you were just being paranoid. Yet, you couldn't help but notice how each and every sales rack and display all seemed like great hiding spots.

Once you finally made it to the front of the store you could see the bathroom, and you felt like running to it.  Before you could, all of the lights went out. Everything was pitch black, and you couldn't see anything.  Did the power just go out? You felt a wave of panic wash over you. You felt trapped. Right when you thought it couldn't get any worse, you felt a cold hand clamp over your mouth.

"I'm so so sorry.."