Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"Can I help you dear?" a woman spoke from behind me as I ducked away from the door.
"Uh, yea…yes." I stuttered. "May I borrow your phone? I need to call a tow truck."
"Sure thing dear." She said, turning and leading me towards the check out counter.
The petite, salt and pepper haired woman picked up a cordless phone from its dock and handed it to me over the glass counter top separating customers from employees. She turned to busy herself with some paperwork on the back counter offering me some privacy as I typed in the number for dads cell phone.
It only rang twice before I was forced to duck down and disconnect the call, hiding myself as the bells above the door clanged. I placed the phone on the counter top and wildly glanced around the store looking for a place to hide. Crawling beside the rows of hiking boots I spotted a camp site display case. Feeling like I was caught in a Saved by the Bell episode, I dove into the vinyl tent securing the zipper closed and backing away to the far corner.
"Can I help you?" I heard the woman say.
"Just looking." Edward said. I heard his footsteps grow more pronounced as he made his way around the store.
The echoing of the phone rang out through the store covering up the sound of Edwards footsteps as he roamed the aisles of outdoor gear. I pulled my hand to my mouth hoping to mask any sounds of my breathing as a shadow appeared on the front of the tent.
The 'viiippp' sounded amplified in the confines of the tent as Edward ran his fingers across the front of my vinyl hiding place. Goosebumps broke out from my neck to my finger tips as I desperately wished for Edward to just go away.
"Bella?" I heard the woman say into the phone. Edward's hand paused its movement on the tent. "No I think you have the wrong number, this is Nancy." The woman said.
Edwards hand disappeared as his footsteps receded towards where Nancy stood.
"Excuse me, have you by any chance seen a woman in here?" Edward asked, "Long brown hair, brown eyes, about 5'7."
Pulling the flap of the tent aside a fraction I was able to see the exchange between Nancy and Edward. Her eyes zeroed in on the tent I was hiding in before she turned to Edward casually saying "no, haven't seen anyone matching that description."
I exhaled the breath I was holding as Nancy's eyes met mine once again. Edward walked a few feet away from the counter pulling out a cell phone from his back pocket. After dialing a number he raised it to his ear before speaking quickly to someone on the other end.
"Yes sir, I lost her after exiting the school. No, I will find her, don't worry. There aren't too many places to hide. Ok, I will update you as soon as anything new develops." Snapping the phone shut, he slid it back into his pocket surveying the store once more as he made his way back to the front doors.
Once the bells range out, my shoulders relaxed and I took a few deep breaths before leaving the sanctuary of the tent.
Nancy stood at the counter with her hands on her hips and her eyes trained on mine.
"If you go out the back it puts you around the corner of the parking garage." She said, jutting her chin in the direction of the 'Employees Only' door at the back of the store. I nodded my head making my way to the door as she yelled out "Your welcome!"
"Thanks." I called out, as I slipped into the back hallway leading to the exit she had mentioned.
The phone call to dad I'm sure set him off and he was probably making his way to our meet up location any second. I scanned the street before quickly leaving the stores back door and making my way to the parking garage stairwell. I climbed the stairs as quickly and quietly as possible until I was finally on the third floor. I pulled the metal door open and looked around the deserted parking level, I noticed that the SUVs were still parked on either side of my truck.
I made my way over to the truck pulling the key from my front pocket. I slid it into the lock and turned it as I pulled the door towards me. I screamed out as the door slammed shut, a hand on the window directly in front of me.
"We have some things to discuss." Edward said, repeating his words from earlier as he moved his hand from the truck window to my hang pulling my keys from my grasp.
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