TORN

Chapter 6

Back at the boys' hotel room, Jacob still held his queen reassuring her everything was ok. How did he find me? "You alright?" he asked holding her by the shoulders and staring into her eyes. She nodded. "Good. He won't get you. Not while I'm here," he said comfortingly hugging her once more. "Your eyes turned didn't they?" he whispered and Zena nodded earning a sigh. "You need to get better control of that."

"Who wants to play hide-and-seek?" Thompson suggested trying to lighten the mood. Everyone agreed except Payton sat on the couch on his phone. "Awesome, who will be the counter?"

"I'll do it," Jacob volunteered walking over to the corner starting to count backward from thirty. Thompson hid on the balcony, Hayden behind the door of the master suite closest to the bathroom, and Malichai hid under the twin bed. Zena walked into the room and Malichai grabbed her leg startling her. She looked under the bed as he made room for her to join him. Stephan, being the spider he is, hid in plain sight, in the hallway on the ceiling between the master suite and bathroom holding himself up between the two walls. "3..2..1. Ready or not, here I come," Jacob said as he began to search for the group. "Found you, Hayden," he said looking behind the door and walking directly under Stephan, not noticing him on the ceiling. He walked past the small room and Malichai looked to Zena with a finger to his mouth. Jacob went to the second floor to find Thompson.

The moment the door closed, Malichai and Zena rushed to the bathroom in enough time to find a hiding spot. Malichai hid behind the bathroom door and Zena hid in the tub behind the black curtain. Good thing this thing isn't see-through. "Found you, Thom," Jacob said as Thompson follows Jacob and Hayden back down the stairs to look for Stephan. As they passed under him again, Thompson looked up and Stephan winked at him. Thompson gave him the okay and continued to search for him. Jacob passed under Stephan again and looked up seeing a smiling Stephan. "What the...how did you get up there?" Jacob asked and Stephan just smiles as he jumps down. He walks into the bathroom and spots Malichai behind the door. "Found you, Chai," Jacob stated and Malichai smiled and rolled his eyes. Jacob then pulled back the curtain, but Zena was nowhere to be found. He walked out as Stephan and Thompson looked at the skylight and spotted the rare breed. She placed a finger to her lips and they both gave a shaky thumbs up while sporting shocked expressions before exiting the bathroom.

"Zena, where are you?" She hopped in the tub waiting to be found. Jacob walked back into the bathroom and checks the tub once more to find her sitting there staring at him. "What? How'd you? Where did you?"

"Took you long enough," she said cutting him off before winking at Stephan and Thompson.

"You're impossible," Jacob states in shock.

"I know, but you love it." Jacob looks up to see the skylight then sighs.

"How'd you disappear like that?" Malichai whispered in Zena's ear sending a chill down her spine.

"Skylight."

"But you didn't make a sound. And the distance from the skylight to the tub is pretty far. How'd you jump that far without a sound? And how did you get back in the tub without a sound?"

"That's classified." Zena smiled high fiving Stephan and Thompson.

"Since Z won the game, she gets to choose the movie we watch," Thompson said and everyone groans.

"She's just going to make us sit through a chick flick," Stephan whined as he rolled his eyes.

"I have the perfect movie. I'll be right back." In her room, Zena quickly dug through her luggage, pulling out one of her favorite movies: Fast and Furious 6. She's watched the movie so many times that she knew every line. Back in the elevator, she smiled thinking about what Jacob said early that day during truth or dare. Exiting the elevator, she found all the guys sitting in a circle around the dining room table talking. They were so deep in their conversation that they hadn't noticed her presence.

"So when are you planning on taking her out?" Stephan asked Jacob who shifted in his seat a bit.

"Saturday night," Jacob says.

"I know a great place you could take her," Hayden said proudly.

"Thanks, but I have a place in mind. I used to go to this place past the London Eye sometimes when I came to visit my aunt and uncle. I think it'll be the perfect place, and knowing her, I know she'll love it," Jacob explained and Hayden nodded.

Stephan spotted Zena standing in the living room and ended the conversation. "Well look who's finally back. Let me guess. We have to sit through The Notebook don't we?" he teased as Zena placed the movie in the DVD player, ignoring him.

"Aye, you guys got any popcorn?" Malichai pulled a box of microwave popcorn from the cabinet in the kitchen and starts popping all the bags.

"So what are we watching?" he asked while tending to the popcorn.

"One of my favorite movies: Fast and Furious 6," Zena stated and all the guys stared at her with huge grins on their faces. "What?" I can't believe I heard their conversation. I love Jacob, but I can't risk our friendship. Ugh, this is going to be a long summer. Malichai announced that the popcorn is ready.

"Bag or bowl?" Hayden and Zena said bag at the same time causing the group to laugh. The rest of the boys chose a bowl, so he made two trips handing out the popcorn requests before switching the lights off and closing the blinds. Jacob and I look at each other then at him confused. "Only weirdos watch movies with the lights on," he joked sitting next to Zena. The order went Thompson, Malichai, Zena, then Jacob on the couch while Stephan, Hayden, and Payton sat on the floor on a pile of pillows and blankets. Hayden started the movie and the room went silent. The only sound heard, besides the movie, was the crunching of popcorn. Malichai sat in his seat, chuckling as he watched Zena mouth all the words. Swatting his arm, she earned the laugh she grew to love. He pulled her close earning a confused look from her, but he ignored both smiling and watching the movie. Zena rested her head on his shoulder, smiling at Stephan who watched the two in confusion before turning his attention back to the screen.

The movie ended and Malichai cleaned the popcorn remains as the rest of the boys slept, all except Thompson. "Should I wake them?" Thompson asked pointing at the boys sprawled on the couch and the floor.

"Let sleeping boys lie," Zena replied with a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Malichai asked. The two ignored him continuing to laugh. Malichai looked very confused before retreating to his room.

"What's his deal?" Thompson shrugged knocking on Malichai's door. "I'll let you know what find out," Thompson whispered to the sleepy girl as the upset lad opened the door. "Can I come in?" Malichai stepped aside letting him in before closing the door again.

"Chai, man, you okay?" Thompson asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing."

"It's obvious you like her. I saw the awestruck look on your face when you first saw her. I saw the worried look on your face when she woke up screaming. And I saw how you held her during the movie tonight," Thompson stated as Malichai stared at the floor embarrassed. "You should tell her how you feel. She'll find out eventually and so will Jacob, so it's best to be upfront and honest with her now."

"She already likes Jacob. I can tell from the way she looks at him and the way they interact with each other. And Jacob' in love with her, he already admitted that," Malichai grumbles.

"You never know. I mean Jacob sees all of us as competition, but I think he sees you as the biggest threat. I saw the way he glared at you two during the movie. Since you're the closest to him, it will be harder, but if you show him you can protect her, you may have a chance," Thompson said before exiting the room, leaving Malichai with his thoughts.

"What was that about?" Zena asked.

"Just guy stuff." Thompson gave Zena a quick hug before retreating to his room.