I would like to dedicate this chapter aaysha__ Welcome back to the story!

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Daniel's POV:

My heartbeat increased as I laid there with her by my side. It felt warm again, just like all the times we had slept beside each other, but I still couldn't bring myself to sleep. What if this moment was a dream, and I had to wake up soon to the reality of what we were to each other? Would she still trust me enough to give us a chance?

We didn't deserve that end - more like an intrusion - but whatever the hell it was we deserved more time. If it were up to me, I would choose eternity, but it seems that the system would consider my option to be invalid. It didn't matter what options were pressed. The answer would be a blaring invalid error unless the cursor was in Sam's hand, and I hoped to God she would press the right one.

I looked down at her and sighed. I should stop going through Nathan's files when he isn't around. I sound like a damn software engineer, and I hated that.

I trailed my hand down on the hair that fell on her face, covering the sight from my view. I took the time to let my hand feel the softness of her skin as I slowly pulled the curtain of hair from her face. Who knew when I would get the chance again!

Sam muttered something incoherent as she adjusted her position beside me and tightened the arms that were surrounding my own. It was probably going to hurt in a while due to lack of blood supply, but I would take any of the pain just so I could be beside her for a little while.

I closed my eyes, hoping to catch some well-needed sleep, but every time I did I could only see her tear-filled eyes, and it bothered me that I didn't even know the reason. Why the hell was she crying? Why was she at the club? And what was she doing sleeping here?

This was her house, but I knew something pretty big must have happened if she decided to leave Cath at her home and pack her bags to her home. Not to mention she was afraid of loneliness, and yet chose to stay in this empty house that hadn't been inhabited in years to being in the house next door that was brimming with too many people in one room.

I jerked up at the sound of a song blaring next to us. It must have been her phone since I was not going to set a catchy ringtone when I was in the pursuit of finding a stalking psycho.

I felt my hand around the couch and finally managed to find and silenced the cell phone that had been cramped in the space between us. She still remained unmoved like the song just didn't rip my ears out. I chuckled at the sight of her open mouth.

The phone began vibrating in my hand and I peeked at the screen to find who the hell would call her incessantly at this hour.

Do Not Answer.

I frowned at the name. Why would she save someone by a name like that? What if that stalker had been contacting her as well, and she hadn't told us about it just like how we didn't tell her about him harassing Cath? Could he be the reason Sam was in this distraught state of mind?

I cursed under my breath, and my heart started beating louder, but for all the wrong reasons. Who knew what he wanted to do with her? I peeked at her once again to make sure that she was still sleeping before I slowly withdrew my hand from her hold.

There was a door at the far end of the hall, and I opened it to find a bedroom. I decided this would be a better place to talk in so that Sam wouldn't know what I am doing, and at the same time, I could keep an eye on her if something were to happen.

Once inside, I answered the phone and placed it on my ear, but didn't dare utter a word. Let him do the talking first, and I shall get to know what the hell he wants with Sam.

"Hellooo.." His deep, husky voice whispered onto the phone, and I clutched onto the device tighter. I remained silent, hoping he would keep talking.

"Hello? Hello?" He sounded more urgent this time. "Why the hell are you not talking? Cat got your tongue or what?"

I didn't like the way he spoke to her. "I would be careful if I were you. I do not like people throwing brash words on people I care about."

The line went silent, but I could still hear his breathing. "Who is this?"

His voice had an edge to it this time as if he was angry. Good. He needed to know that he just can't threaten everyone to do as he pleases.

"I think I should be the one asking you that. WHO THE HELL ARE YOU? Answer this right now, and maybe I will think about leaving you alive for a while." I didn't know if I could ever kill anyone, but I was definitely feeling murderous right now, and it was becoming increasingly hard to keep the volume of my voice down.

He chuckled, and it began to grate on my nerves. "How naive do you think I am to let you know who I am? HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET THIS PHONE? WHERE IS SHE? GIVE IT TO HER RIGHT THIS MINUTE OR I'LL...."

"OR YOU'LL WHAT?" I paced around in the room. I hope I wouldn't thrash anything and wake up Sam if my voice didn't do it already. "THREATEN TO KILL ME? I AM SURE THAT'S ALL YOU CAN EVER DO!"

"YOU WOULDN'T BE SAYING THAT WHEN I HAVE MY HANDS AROUND YOUR NECK IF YOU DON'T GIVE THE DAMN PHONE TO HER RIGHT NOW, AND LET HER GO!"

"I  SHOULD LET HER GO?" I laughed at the audacity he had to tell me to do something like that. "TO HELL IF I WILL!" I banged my fist on the window frame and held back the groan as the pain shot up my knuckles.

"I AM CALLING THE POLICE RIGHT NOW!"

I laughed. "Yeah, you should. DIdn't think you would be so eager to go to prison on your own."

"Let's see who would be laughing when I have you well settled behind the bars." He continued to talk, but my vision got distracted by a movement outside the window.

"HELLO? HELLO?" He screamed, but my eyes stayed still on the outside. "Damn it!" He hissed, and the line went dead.

I placed Sam's phone on the bed and opened the window to get a closer look. Someone walked to and fro on the other side of the wall that separated Sam and Cath's house. I felt a vibration in my jean pocket and pulled out my phone.

Michael.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you? You need to get home right now!"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Sam's been kidnapped!"

"What?" Before I could complete the word I found myself rush out the door and reach the hall. I let out a sigh in relief at the sight of Sam snuggling the couch in exactly the place I had left her in.

"Thank God!"

"THANK GOD?!" He screeched and I had to take the phone away from my eye to stop it from being damaged. "I SAY THAT YOUR GIRLFRIEND HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED AND THAT'S ALL YOU CAN SAY? THANK GOD?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to contain the irritation of this conversation taking a toll on me. "No idiot. She is here with me. I thanked God that nothing of the sort happened to her."

"I don't believe you. Put me on video call."

I rolled my eyes. "Are you being serious right now?"

"More than anything in my life.  Now turn that damn video call on."

The line ended and I received an invitation for the video call the very next second. I accepted it and a dark silhouette of what I assumed was Michael. "Where is she? I can't see her."

I rolled my eyes. "I can't see you either."

"I am outside the house." He sounded breathy, and his video moved around a while before it stopped somewhere with light. I could finally see his face. The background looked like he stood somewhere in the garden, and the street light fell on his face, illuminating it. "I didn't want to scare anyone by listening to me talk on the call. So I got outside as soon as I knew something was not right with Sam."

"Wait a minute." I frowned and walked toward the large ceiling to floor window on the hall. I peeked outside, and sure enough, I could see Michael standing next to Cath's house, with his phone in his hand. "Turn to the left."

He did as said, and his eyes widened. "What are you doing there?"

I sighed. "It's a long story."

"I don't want to know what that is, because you still haven't shown me where Sam is."

"Fine." I chuckled and changed the video to the back camera. Sam's sleeping body came into view.

Michael's face still looked concerned as he kept his eyes straight on the screen. "Did you do anything to her besides the dirty stuff you guys do all the time? If you did the deed, spare me the details."

I changed the video to front camera so that he could see the glare I was giving him. "Yeah, we were in the middle of a really hot make-out session when you called and interrupted us. Now she is passed out and rejuvenating her energy for the next session."

"Dreams." He chuckled. "Keep dreaming, and maybe it will happen one day."

"It will; sooner than it would happen for you."

He scowled before he frowned in confusion. "Wait if Sam is with you, who did I talk with?"

"What happened?"

"I called  Sam's phone, and some guy answered it. He wouldn't let me speak with Sam and threatened to kill me. I thought he had kidnapped her but seems like he only stole her phone. No wonder he didn't agree to let Sam talk with me." He chuckled. "He then stopped talking completely. Maybe I scared him off."

That's when it clicked on who he was talking about, and immediately all the built-up tension got released from my body. "So you're the 'Do not answer'?"

"What?" He frowned.

I shook my head. "I didn't know I was the police you said you would be calling."

He chuckled. "Yeah, me neither, but who else could I call? Besides, I couldn't call the police even if I wanted to. I do not know the emergency number used here, and-" He then stopped mid-sentence. "How did you know I told him that I'll call the police? I don't think I mentioned that to you."

"You did." I grinned. "When you were threatening to choke me to death, and laugh at me when I am thrown to prison."

He let off a laugh, finally relaxing as well. "Wait, that was you? Why didn't you just tell me it was you messing around with me? You didn't have to give me such a heart attack. No matter how much she insults or physically violates me, she is my best friend. And it is my duty to look after her."

"She pretends to be all strong and mighty, but she is just as weak, and vulnerable as the rest of us. She just doesn't let anyone else see that, and if anything were to happen to her, I would be the one to be broken the most."

I smiled at him. "She is lucky to have you, but trust me, I didn't want to worry you, or anything. Your name was saved as 'Do Not Answer' on her phone, and I thought it was the psy-"

"SHE SAVED MY NUMBER AS WHAT?!"

"Uh, Do Not Answer? I thought you knew that already."

He scowled. "I take it back. She is not my best friend. You can have her for yourself all you want, and don't bring her face in front of mine ever again." With that, the screen went black, indicating that the video call had ended.

"uh, bye." I tucked the phone back into my jean pocket and resumed my position on the couch before I left for the phone call. As if sensing my presence, Sam scooted closer and wrapped her arms around mine with her eyes still closed. I smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

Suddenly, I could feel all the tiredness from earlier seep into my body, and I could find myself drifting off to sleep. That's one way to end the night.

**********

I woke up with a startle and the sudden blinding of lights didn't let me open my eyes. Where the hell was I? I blinked back a couple of times, and my eyes finally adjusted to the light. Everything around me felt oddly strange, yet familiar.

I felt a heavyweight on my arm and turned in the direction. Sam had her head leant on my shoulder just the way she had slept in last night. The vision of the previous night made way onto my mind, and I chuckled at where my mind had gone too quickly.

Thank god that it had been Michael, and nobody else. I don't know what I would have done if it were. I wrapped my arm around her body, hoping to sink at this moment just a bit longer before reality hits me on the face.

I didn't know where we stood with each other, and last night might have just been a slip in Sam's carefully constructed demeanour. Knowing her, she might even pretend that she didn't know me at all, let alone admit she still felt a connection with me.

I bet it was all the alcohol making her vulnerable yesterday. I sighed and leaned into her, hoping she wouldn't have to turn towards alcohol the next time something bothered her. That's why she has me.

Sam moved under my touch, grumbling something under her breath. Her eyelids opened slowly and I smiled at her. Her eyes widened and she sat up straight so fast that it felt painful for me to even watch.

"Shit!" She hit her palm against her forehead. "It's morning already! My phone!" Her face brightened and she checked her jean pockets, only to frown. "Where the hell did it go?"

I was about to open my mouth, but she got up from the couch before I could. She searched about the contents of the empty table before she walked around the couch, completely ignoring my presence.

Okay, I did expect her to pretend like she didn't know me, but not that she would completely ignore my presence like I didn't exist at all.

I swiftly got up from the couch and realised that I must have left her phone in that room after I spoke with Michael. I jogged to the room, and sure enough, the phone was just where I left it, on top of the bed.

Once I reached back to the hall, I realised that she was not there. "Sam?" I called out, but there was no answered. I walked into another doorway and it led me into what looked like an empty kitchen. Still no Sam, and it was giving me an uneasy feeling.

Just when I was about to leave, I heard her voice. "Where the hell are you goddamn it!" She hissed in frustration.

Frowning, I bent down to the source from where I heard her voice. Sam laid on the floor, with more than half of her body under the dining table, looking for the phone that happily rested in my hand.

"What are you doing here?"

"AAH!" Her body jerked, and the back of her head smashed against the underside of the wooden table. "OW!" She groaned in pain and rubbed her hand furiously on the place where I assume it hurts.

I crawled under the table to get closer to her and tried to remove her hand from her hand. She swatted my hand away, throwing me a glare.

I lifted my hands in surrender. "I am only trying to help."

She still looked at me suspiciously, but finally decided that I was harmless enough, and removed her hand from her head. I seated myself beside her under the table, and luckily I didn't have to crane my head too much to fit in.

I then placed her head on my lap, and her whole body stiffened. I smiled at the effect I still had on her and slowly dragged my fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp as my fingers came in contact with the skin.

Sam seemed tensed at first, but then she slowly sighed in relaxation before she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of my fingers on her hair. I smiled at her one more time before I started humming a tune I hadn't heard before. And that's how we spent the next few minutes, under the table, with her lying on the floor with her head on my lap while my fingers played a rhythm and my mouth played a tune.

***********

"Why did you stop?" Sam asked once I stopped humming.

"Oh so now you know of my existence?"

She still had her eyes closed, but I could the faint reddening of her cheeks that I would have missed if I weren't so close to her.

"O-Of c-course I do! How can anyone ignore a 6 ft man such as yourself?"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "You sure didn't have a problem with that when we woke up."

She got up immediately, and all I could see was the back of her dress. "I was not ignoring you."

"Then why did you run away?"

She sighed. "I didn't run away. I just wanted my phone, and it wasn't there. So I wanted to search for it."

"You never made me jealous of a cell phone before."

She laughed and turned around to finally look at me. "Were you seriously jealous of a piece of technology?"

I shrugged. "It had your attention more than I did, and you sure can make me feel jealous of literally anything in this world."

"I know." She grinned before she realised what she just said, and looked away. She then cleared her throat. "Where did you find it anyway? I remember having it in my jean yesterday, but couldn't find it anywhere near where I had been to."

"Oh, that's because Michael had called you last night. I didn't want to disturb your sleep. So I went to the other room and answered the call. I guess I just forgot to bring it back after that."

She simply stared at me with no emotions of happiness, or the smile that she had worn a few seconds back. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" I asked.

"W-Which room did you go to?"

"The one at the end of the hall."

Almost immediately crawled out from under the table, and rushed out of the kitchen.

"Sam!" I called out, but she didn't stop. So I followed her out and found her in front of the room. She stood a few feet away from the door as if contemplating what to do. She took tentative steps towards the door, and her shaky hands lifted the handle of what I suppose was a lock.

"It's not locked." She mumbled before her eyes fell on me. Her gaze hardened as she strode towards me. "Did you break the lock?"

"What?" I frowned. "NO! There was no lock on the door. It was simply open."

"DO NOT LIE TO ME!" She screamed before her voice completely lowered in pitch. "Tell me the truth. This door has been locked for so many years, and nobody has opened it ever since it had been locked. The first day I come home and you're already going in and out of it must mean something."

"It means that the door was already open. Where would I get the key to open the lock, or why would I even break it? I don't even know what's inside the room."

Her senses finally began to kick in her brain and she slumped down to the couch, exhausted as she was yesterday. "You're right. But who could have opened it? Nobody has entered the house since we came here."

"What about Brian?"

"What?"

"He was here all the while you girls were gone, and he had access to the property. What if he had opened it?"

She shook her head. "He wouldn't do that. He knows just how important that room is to me. He wouldn't dare open it no matter what the reason is."

It kind of stung that she blindly trusts him so much when she doesn't place a pinch of that trust in me. Maybe she was right. Mr Perfect wouldn't do such ungentlemanly things. Even though it was irrational to feel bad that he knows more about this part of her life than I do, I couldn't ignore the feeling completely.

"What about his mother then?"

She chuckled without humour. "I am sure she would have been too busy celebrating my departure to actually care enough to come inside this house."

I knew she and Cath's mother didn't exactly eye to eye, but I didn't know she was feeling this bitter about her either. The two of us remained silent before I decided to break it.

"So who else could it be?"

"I don't know, but I sure as hell do not want you to go anywhere near it."

"I won't."

She stared at me for a few seconds before she got up from the seat, and walked towards the front door. "Where are you?"

"To the departmental store. Might as well seal this whole place with tape than just lock the room door with a lock."

*********
So what do you think could possibly be in that room?

How did feel about the moment between Sam and Dan? I loved the scene under the table. *sighs dreamily*

And what did you think of the conversation between Michael and Dan?

How should Michael retaliate for his broken ego?

Keep commenting and let me know!

Vote for this chapter!

Until next time,

- Love, S!