Haunted

Unable to shake the feeling of unease that lingered, Lily stayed in the car until the sun rose and climbed out as the guys emerged.

“How’re you feeling?” Zak asked as he pulled her into a hug.

“Exhausted,” Lily admitted quietly, stepping back and shrugging, “It comes with the territory.”

“Let’s get back to the hotel,” Jay added, earning nods of agreement from everyone, “I can’t wait to review our footage.”

The drive back to the hotel was quiet and Lily retreated to her room, agreeing to meet the group for a late lunch in the hotel restaurant. Laid on her bed a while later, she stared at the ceiling and sighed.

Fear kept her shackled in the nightmare of that day and knowing that she wouldn’t be able to sleep alone, she hesitantly made her way to Zak’s room. With a deep breath, she knocked on the door and bit her lip anxiously as she waited for him to answer it.

“Hey,” he greeted as he opened it, “Can’t sleep?”

“I can’t turn off,” Lily told him quietly, stepping passed him as he moved aside and standing awkwardly in the center of the room.

“I’m just reviewing some footage,” Zak told her as he sat down on the sofa in front of his laptop, “Why don’t you grab some sleep and I’ll wake you up when it’s time to meet the guys?”

With a nod, Lily curled up beside him and closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure how long she’d slept for, but she soon awoke to Zak gently shaking her and smiled at him as she sat up.

“How long was I out?” she asked, standing up and stretching as Zak put his laptop in its case.

“A couple of hours,” Zak told her, standing up straight as he glanced at her and reached out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear, “Do you feel better?”

“Much,” Lily replied as Zak stepped closer, cupping her cheek and kissing her.

His lips against hers felt natural, like it was something they’d always done, and yet, only in her dreams had it ever happened. She soon pulled back and smiled, resting her forehead against his.

“I’ve wanted to do that for so long,” Zak admitted quietly, “Maybe not quite like this...”

“Better late than never.”

“Let’s go meet the others,” Zak told her, grabbing his phone off the side and holding out his hand for her to take.

Lily hesitated momentarily, before taking it and smiling as Zak entwined their fingers. The others were already seated at a table when they entered the hotel restaurant and Lily took a seat, ignoring the knowing look that Jay was sending her way.