By the time we cleaned up the mess we had caused in Ryan's room it was almost 7 in the evening and we were all starving. We walked out into the hallway still talking and laughing. Sophia and Mia were walking ahead of us while I was helping Jenny with her large bags when I stopped in front of the locked room.

Looking at it brought back the memory of Ryan's reaction when I had asked him what was in there. I hated the fact that he was hurting inside too. He put up a strong front for everyone else, fooling everyone easily with his goofiness, but I saw that he was hiding so much pain in his heart. It took one to see one, after all. It broke my heart to think that Ryan didn't trust me enough to open up to me yet.

Give him time, Evelyn. This was becoming a mantra for me!

Jenny snapped her fingers in front of me to pull me out of my trance. "What are you looking at? " She asked curiously. I shook my head and smiled at her, " Nothing, let's go. " "Are you sure? " She asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I nodded with a forced smile. She shrugged her shoulders and walked in front of me down the stairs. With a last look at the door, I walked down after her.

We entered the living room to see that the boys had done a great job at cleaning the room. They had removed the damaged rug and repaired the couch at the place of it's tear. All the broken glass pieces, that we had moved to the side of the room earlier, were gone. The place looked decent again.

We heard the boys in the kitchen and so made our way to them. As I entered the kitchen all the boys turned to look at my new self. Ryan choked on his beer and his eyes widened at my appearance.

Evan laughed at his reaction, looking amusedly between me and Ryan. Noah looked impressed too and smiled sweetly at me. "You look good, Eve! " he said and I beamed at him. "Yeah, you look new, Evie, " Evan chuckled and I laughed at his words.

Ryan put down his beer at the counter and cleared his throat, " You look.... beautiful, Sunflower, " he said smiling, his eyes roaming all over me. My cheeks flushed at his heated gaze and I cleared my own throat before saying, "Thank you, but the girls did all the work. " I gestured over to them as they made a dramatic gesture of taking a bow. We all laughed.

"Now Eve, you want to tell them all something?" Ryan said in a serious tone and I frowned a little but then realised he was talking about Jack.

I sighed deeply, " Guys, Jack escaped last night. We don't know where he is now." Everyone's expressions changed to ones of worry and panic. "Shit, so what do we do now? " Evan asked and I looked over at Ryan for help. " Wait a second, who is Jack and what is happening? " Mia asked. Oh, so they hadn't told her everything after all. This means I was right in trusting them with my secret. I smiled internally at the thought.

Before I could have said anything, Aiden jumped in, " Don't worry guys, I'll fill her in on everything. C'mon Mia." He held Mia's hand and led her out of the kitchen. I looked up at Ryan, " What's up with the two of them? " I asked. He shrugged his shoulders, " They're in love with each other but are too hard headed to admit it. " I gaped at him. Aiden and Mia? " Why not? " I asked clearly confused. " Eh, Aiden is too much of a pussy to admit it to her and she's too proud to say it first, " He chuckled and everyone nodded and snickered.

I looked over to where I could see them standing near the window in the living room talking to each other. Mia was a beautiful girl with a free-living nature and a bit of a freaky side and Aiden, well he was Aiden. But they looked good together. Hmm, looks like it's time to play some cupid here.

I looked over at Jenny and Sophia and grinned mischievously. They returned it with their own and winked at me. Game matchmaker on! 

" Okay, I ordered food, it'll be here in twenty. Beer anybody? " Noah said jumping down from the counter and throwing an arm around Sophia. We all grabbed a beer or two and headed over to the living room.

Evan and Jenny sat down on one end of the couch with Jenny practically on Evan's lap. Noah and Sophia were sitting on the other end busy looking at something in Noah's phone and laughing to themselves. Aiden and Mia came in and sat down on the recliner. Me and Ryan took the floor.

I looked around at each one of them while sipping my beer and something tugged at my heart at the sudden thought that I would have to leave these amazing people someday. Even if I somehow came out alive and safe from all of this shit, I still would have to go back to New York at the end.

I looked at my hands in my lap as my mood soured. I didn't want to leave. Ryan shifted beside me and slung his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his side. I looked up at him and he winked down at me. A small smile took over my features. How does he always know when to hold me?

"So people, I'm bored!  Why don't we do something good this weekend? " Mia said all of a sudden. I looked over at her and cocked my head to side, " Like what? " I asked skeptically. I didn't like where this was going.

" Why don't we go out somewhere maybe to a club, get shit faced and enjoy ourselves, " Aiden suggested. I was shaking my head even before he finished. " Nope, we're not going anywhere. At least I'm not, it's too fucking dangerous. " I said looking over at Ryan for support but he was frowning back at me. Huh?

"Oh c'mon Eve! It'll be fun, and with your new look no one will even recognize you, " Ryan said. I gaped at him. He was saying this? He was supposed to back me up. " Are you for real right now? " I asked him.

He sighed, " Yes Evelyn, you can't just keep hiding in here, you're stronger than that, and you need to loosen up a little, " He said calmly but I was still looking at him with an incredulous look. " You think I'm being weak by trying to be safe? What part of them wanting to kill me do you not understand, Ryan? " I didn't want to make this about me, but it was true. I wasn't hiding because I was a coward. I was hiding because I knew what they were capable of. And seeing that Jack had escaped, it would be even more risky.

" I'm just saying that you can't hide all the time, Eve. They'll never know where you are and they'll never recognize you, " Ryan said looking a little frustrated. Was I being a burden on him? I looked away from him and at the others to see that they were all looking at me with the same expectant look on their faces.

You're a burden for everyone, Evelyn. You should've died with your parents!

Stella's voice rang in my ears. She always said that. She always tried to make me feel as if I was a burden. Was is true? Was I being a burden for these people too?

I brought my eyes back to my hands in my lap. Maybe I was just being selfish and stupid. I sighed and looked up again.

"Fine we'll....we'll go, " I said. Everyone cheered loudly and Ryan smiled at me. And even though my heart was thumping in my chest because I felt like I was putting them all in danger, I did what I was best at doing. I plastered a fake smile on my face. A fake smile that was so real that nobody ever suspected.

I stood up and walked over to the window, and stared outside at the stars in the dark sky, trying to tune out the cheerful voices of everyone making plans for the weekend in the background.

What have I done?

**********

• Author's note •

What do you think, is going out for a Saturday night a good decision on their part?  

QOTD :- What do you like to do on your weekend?

I just like to sleep in! Yeah I'm that lazy. Oh and I love to eat and read a good book!

Much love

M :)