So This Is Love? {NYSM: J. Daniel Atlas}

Chapter 4

Jack Wilder was a young man with short brown hair that seemed to slightly spike up in the front. His face was round and boyish and he had coffee colored eyes that glinted with mischief.

He sat back in his chair as he caught an Ace of Spades that he had been absentmindedly throwing.

His eyes traveled from Dylan to the door before finally landed on Amber.

"Hi!" She said cheerily with a small wave, "I'm Amber!"

"Hey," Jack said slowly before glancing between her and the grumpy looking Dylan, "I'm Jack."

"We know!" Amber said her smile widening, "You're the youngest horseman right?"

"Y-yeah," Jack said a proud smile of his own appearing.

Amber nodded thoughtfully as she sat down in the uncomfortable metal chair across from him.

"It's a lot to live up to, huh? Performing with three really well know magicians?" Amber asked slowly.

Jack frowned slightly.

"I can hold my own," Jack replied coldly.

Amber's emerald eyes widened in horror.

"Oh I didn't mean it like that!" She said quickly, "I only meant that it must be a lot to handle for someone as young-oh Odin I made it worse. Um, what I really meant was that-"

She was cut off by Jack snickering.

"Are you always this awkward?" He asked smiling slightly.

Amber shrugged.

"Only most of the time."

Jack rolled his eyes towards the ceiling a wide smile revealing his pearly whites.

The way his eyes were sparkling reminded Amber sharply of her own brother.

Jack vanished and in his place was Evan Alexander Journey. He was leaning back in his favorite wooden chair on the front porch of their cozy house. White peeling paint covered the weathered floorboards that were riddled with, bee bee gun holes, animal claw marks, and old knots in the wood.

Evan was laughing his loud warm laugh as he closed his eyes and clutched his chest. An old red and blue colored plaid shirt was unbuttoned revealing a white undershirt beneath.

His curly chocolate brown hair danced in the light of the setting sun and gently grazed the tops of his shoulders. Freckles dotted his sun kissed nose and tanned face.

"Amber!"

The scene drastically changed and Evan was suddenly looking at her, his brown eyes wide with fear.

Hot scalding air blew onto Amber's face and she peered out from behind her hands to see her room engulfed by flames.

"AMBER!" Evan screamed from the door, "RU-"

The floor beneath her brother crumbled to ashes and he was sent flying downwards.

"AMBER!"

Amber jumped and turned to face her partner.

"Yeah?"

"Get out of here," a white-faced Rhodes commanded.

Amber glanced at Jack who was watching her through worried eyes before obeying the man.

As she reached the door, she came back to her senses. The metal door swung wide and she carefully shut it behind her making sure to leave it open just a crack.

"She alright?" Amber heard Jack ask.

"I don't know," Dylan replied slowly.

"Well don't you think you should go find out? Isn't she like your partner or something?"

"She's fine," Dylan snapped, "Don't tell me what to do."

"Hey man, I'm not. I'm just saying that she looked pretty shaken up and she might need some help," Jack replied calmly.

"She's fine, kid."

"Whatever you say, man."

The pair then began talking about the Horsemen's most recent show/robbery. Well, Dylan tried to get Jack to talk about it but he kept avoiding the subject.

About a half hour later, Dylan had enough and stalked out.

Amber straightened up and parked herself beside the water fountain, pretending not to have been spying.

The detective scanned the area quickly before his dark eyes fell on the brunette. He caught her eye and she walked over to him, a flimsy paper cone filled with water in her hand.

"Anything?" She asked, taking a sip of the ice cold drink.

Dylan shook his head and ran a hand through his tangle of curls. Dark bags hung under his eyes and he seemed to be fighting back a yawn.

"Ya know what?" Amber asked decisively, "You need sleep. I need sleep. I say we go home and sleep then come back and tackle this tomorrow. Okay?"

Dylan shook his head.

"No, we have to get this done-"

Amber cut him by handing him the folder on the Four Horsemen.

"If it makes you feel better, take his home and read over it before sleeping. You look terrible."

Dylan stared at her.

She waved at him and turned in her heel towards the exit.

"SINCE WHEN DO YOU CARE?" He yelled.

"SINCE I HAD TO PUT UP WITH YOUR LAZY ARSE! IF THIS IS HOW YOU ARE NORMALLY, I'D HATE TO SEE YOUR SPARKLING PERSONALITY WHEN YOU'RE SLEEP DEPRIVED!" Amber called back before slamming her hands to the spinning glass doors and walking out into the brisk night.