A Rose By Any Other Name (Jack Wilder/ Now You See Me)

En Pointe

This chapter is dedicated to thelosernextdoor. Thank you for such kind words about this story. Enjoy!! - xx

Renovations had begun around the apartment, morphing the broken and run down building into a sanctuary. On further examination, the apartment consisted of four small rooms, each bare save for the broken light fixtures dangling from the ceiling. There was a small kitchen and sitting area, with large windows that looked out onto the busy street below.

The first couple of days mainly consisted of each of us trying not to step on each other's toes in what I now labeled the "jail cell." Though spacious, the apartment clearly wasn't made to house five grown adults with attitudes and personalities that take up as much space as they do. We were all still getting acquainted and trying to learn about each other, so as to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the group.

Daniel was planted on the floor of the sitting area, stacks of paper towering him. He stared intently at the words on the pages before him, a crease etched between his brows. Merritt, who had lucidly called declaration on one of the largest bedrooms, was busy flipping through a recent issue of Better Homes and Gardens. Daniel and Henley also had demanded the bedrooms, which had left Jack and I to face off for the last.

"Wanna thumb wrestle for it?" I'd asked jokingly. He had laughed, but shook his head. "Nah, just take it. I'm used to sleeping on couches." He had said it so casually; it made me wonder what he had been doing before we'd all been thrown together.

Henley was dancing around the apartment, tending to half finished jobs: dirty windows, broken lights, Daniel's playing cards that now lay unattended on the floor. Daniel had ordered Jack into one of the bathrooms, and I into the kitchen, to tidy up any imperfections.

I was busy scrubbing away on the countertops when Jack sauntered out of the bathroom, a look of relief on his face. His tousled brown hair was pieced together with sweat, showing signs of hard work. Jack's dark grey henley was pushed up past his elbows, where canary yellow latex gloves covered his forearms. He threw his hands in the air. "It's finished. You're welcome for my contribution to society."

I suppressed a laugh, and returned my focus to the countertop. I realized I had been scrubbing the same spot and quickly moved on.

Daniel looked up from his files. "Well don't just stand there. Help Amber, she's been scrubbing those counters for over an hour." I scoffed at his comment, my nose still close to the counter, scrubbing away. Jack stiffled a laugh directed at me, for sure. He came my way, and sat in a chair that faced me. He propped his boots up on a small table adjacent to the kitchen and crossed his ankles.

So much for helping me, I think. A loud pop made me look up from my work. Jack had removed one of his rubber gloves and was now removing the other, one finger at a time. Pop.

I rolled my eyes at his foolishness, and continued to clean. Once I had finished, I looked up to see that my groupie had fallen asleep, his head slung behind the back of the chair and arms crossed over his chest.

Henley wandered into the kitchen, admiring my work. "It looks great Amber!" she praised. I thanked her as she ran her manicured fingers over the countertops. "We had a kitchen just like this at my dad's house growing up," she commented, remising in her memories of childhood. My heart clenched at the mention of dads, and the image of mine invaded my head.

I hadn't seen him since I'd first come to the apartment, and I worried about him. Was he getting into trouble? Drinking, or possibly getting into fights? Horrible images danced through my mind causing me not to hear Henley. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that please?" I asked her.

"He can sleep just about anywhere can't he?" Henley joked, motioning toward Jack. His chest had a steady rise and fall with his breathing and he looked peaceful. I nodded. Henley began to walk away, but I wiped my hands nervously on my jeans and called out to her. "Henley?"