Love Is Only an Illusion

The next morning, Sutton found herself not needing an alarm to wake her. The sun was shining brightly through the curtains and the birds were chirping loudly. Sutton silently thanked Henley for finding this apartment. It was just far enough away from the noisy crowds of New York to make her feel at home.

Grabbing her phone from her bedside table, Sutton made her way to the bathroom. She was taken aback by the closed door she was faced with. It was 7:30 am. Henley was never awake before 8:00, and even that was very rare for her to be up by.

The sound of the toilet flushing knocked Sutton back to reality, and a face emerged. She gasped a little at the sight.

“We really need to stop meeting here,” Danny’s groggy voice spoke as he leaned against the door frame.

Sutton gave him a weak smile, which was only to cover up how she was really feeling. It had been a long time since she had seen a guy in the morning, and hearing Danny’s morning voice sparked an interest deep inside her that she was not willing to admit.

“Oh, by the way,” Danny stuttered, giving Sutton access to the bathroom, “you don’t happen to have a tooth brush, do you? I kind of left mine, and I’m sure those snorers forgot one as well.”

A loud snore erupted from the living room as Sutton reassured Danny’s latest worry. He smiled at her before letting her continue with the all too familiar morning routine.

~~

Sutton danced to Every Time I Hear That Song by Blake Shelton as she flipped the m&m pancakes, thankful that Danny wasn’t in the kitchen. She swayed her hips to the voice of one of her favorite artist. As she did so, she ate a pancake for “taste testing.”

“That’s attractive,” a voice mumbled, making her jump. Sutton turned on her heel. Jack smiled at her as he scratched the back of his neck. “Oh, pancakes!”

“What’s attractive?” questioned Danny, coming into the kitchen and heading toward the fridge.

“Sutton was shaking it,” Jack told him, over exaggerating Sutton swaying her hips.

“I do not dance like that!” Sutton laughed loudly.

“Will you people please shut up?” Merritt yelled from the couch as he threw the blanket over his head.

“I need my beauty sleep!” Henley added from her room, slamming the door.

“Geez, they’re grouchy in the morning,” Jack analyzed, carrying the plate of pancakes to the dining room table, followed by Danny with the pitcher of orange juice.

“Henley always complained about needing “beauty sleep” when she was my assistant,” Danny said as Sutton handed each boy a plate.

“More pancakes for us,” Sutton commented, taking three for herself.

~~

After breakfast, Sutton decided she should get dressed before Henley wakes up. When they moved in together, Henley constantly complained about Sutton wearing the same clothes she slept in for the rest of the day. Sutton pulled off her clothing and replaced it with a faded maroon sweatshirt and jean shorts. After sticking in her contacts, she twisted her hair at the back of her head slightly.

When Sutton emerged into the living space once more, Henley was already dressed and washing the dishes. Merritt was holding his stomach as he made his way back to the couch.

“What do you put in your food?” Merritt asked. “Bricks? I feel like I weigh three times my normal weight.” Sutton giggled.

“Alright, can we please get started on this project?” Danny asked, rushing over to the table. Sutton noticed the blueprints were on his laptop screen.

“I just ate! I need a nap!” Merritt exclaimed.

“Fine, you do whatever,” Danny stuttered, “but the rest of us are going to get started.”

“Danny, relax,” Henley told him. “We have plenty of time.”

“I don’t care how much time there is, we need to start this,” he retorted.

Jack and Sutton stared at the two as they begun to bicker. It hasn’t even been a day of them reuniting and already Henley and Danny were at each other’s throats. Merritt came into the mix, threatening to tie them up.

“Guys,” Sutton started, only to realize her voice didn’t really matter.

“Come on,” Jack said, elbowing her in the ribs, “let’s take a walk.”

Sutton smiled lightly at him and quickly followed him out the door. The two stood silently for a moment, hoping to hear the bickering end, but it only increased. Sighing, the two walked out of the building.

“Tell me about yourself, Reeves,” the boy smiled at her.

“What do you want to know?” Sutton asked, slipping her hands into the pocket of her sweatshirt as the warm sun hit her face.

“Let’s start easy; how old are you?”

“23, you?”

“24,” he smiled. “At least I’m not the youngest.”

Sutton smiled. “Henley is five years older than I am.”

“You aren’t serious,” Jack laughed, but Sutton confirmed it with a nod. “Did you and Henley grow up together?”

“Not really,” Sutton admitted, kicking a pebble across the sidewalk. “She grew up traveling with her parents. They were magicians as well, before they were in an accident.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. They survived. They spend their days on a sunny beach in California. The accident made them stop and think about their lives, that’s what Henley said.”

Sutton took a look at Jack who nodded to reassure her that he was paying attention. “I was born and raised in New York,” Jack said. “My dad left my mom the minute he found out she was pregnant. She raised me all on her own, up until I was about 18. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer, so we moved in with her sister. She passed away five days after my high school graduation.”

Sutton looked over at Jack once more. She could see the hurt in his eyes and grabbed his hand, squeezing it slightly. The action made Jack stop. “Why did you do that?”

“My mom would do it for me whenever I was upset,” Sutton smiled. “Don’t take it too personally, Wilder.”

Jack smiled wide, wiping his eyes with his freehand. “Thank you, Sutton.”

“Of course. After all, I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time together.” The pair laughed as the wind picked up, causing Sutton to shiver slightly.

“We better head back,” Jack told her, pulling her into a side hug and walking back to the bickering threesome.