Love is Like a Playing Card (J. Daniel Atlas) Chapter XX
Sutton sat by the counter, watching fondly as Jack tried to show Lula how to throw a card. She smiled as Lula commented on her “perfect score.” The two bent down to pick up the cards. From what Sutton could tell, they became engaged in a deep conversation.
“Okay, great.” Sutton jumped as she heard Danny respond as he hung up the phone. Danny spun around, clearly surprised to see Sutton sitting so close to him.
“So, was that them?” Sutton asked. Danny sighed as he returned Li’s phone. “Just tell me the truth, Danny.”
Danny puffed out his cheeks. “Yeah,” he huffed, “that was them.”
Sutton sighed. “Do you ever get tired of not trusting people, Danny?”
“Sutton, I’m not doing this to betray the team or Dylan,” Danny explained in a whisper, careful to not let Jack and Lula hear. “I’m doing this so The Eye can fix this and we don’t go to jail, or worse.”
Sutton rolled her eyes. “I know, Danny, but you just need to learn that trusting people doesn't make you vulnerable.”
Danny looked down, shaking his head. “You’re right. I know you are. It’s hard not being in control.”
Sutton chuckled. “As I recall, that’s what made you hard,” she smirked, patting Danny’s reddening cheek, and turned to head over to Jack. Danny shook his head, bewildered by Sutton’s comment.
Lula had just gotten up, a smirk on her face. Sutton scrunched her eyebrows together as she looked at her. Once Danny regained consciousness, he met Jack and Sutton. “Okay, so there’s a marketplace down the street,” Danny explained as Jack stood, “and I’m meeting a man with a blue hat. I’ll give the stick to the right people and get us home.”
“Go grab, Merritt, okay, Jack?” Sutton said. “Oh, and, uh, don’t forget your belt,” she winked.
“Oh, it’s not- she took it off me-” Jack struggled for an answer. Danny and Sutton raised their hands as if to say “not my problem.” “You know damn well if Sutton took your belt off, Danny, you would-” Sutton glared back at Jack as Danny rubbed the back of his neck. “Yep, you’re right. Totally not the right time for that joke.”
~~
Once the Horsemen finally returned to the Sands to stay for the night, they were escorted to a five bedroom suite, courtesy of the lovely Walter Mabry. The living area looked very much like Walter’s, giving Sutton a creepy vibe as she sat on the couch. She swirled her neck, the joints cracking. She gave herself a bear hug, her shoulders popping.
“Damn, I haven’t heard bones crack like that since I lived with my grandfather,” Lula stated, sitting beside Sutton.
Sutton chuckled. “It’s all from stress, trust me. That’s what caring too much does to you.” She glanced back at Danny who was engaged in a conversation with Merritt and Jack.
Lula cleared her throat, drawing Sutton’s attention to her. “So, um, I have a really dumb question to ask you. Totally won’t be offended if you don’t want to answer.”
Sutton smiled. “Dumb questions get you dumb answers, you know?” Lula smiled lightly. “What’s up?”
Lula huffed. “So, back at the magic shop, Jack told me that every girl he gets close to, he takes their trust.”
“And their wallet?” Sutton said. Lula lifted an eyebrow. Sutton chuckled. “Yeah, he’s told me all of that. Jack is my best friend, Lula.”
“Trust me, that’s very clear,” Lula laughed. “I don’t get it, though. The two of you are extremely close. What makes you different?” Sutton scrunched her eyebrows together. “I don’t mean different in a bad way! God, no. I mean, just, you know, different that he trusts you with so much.”
Sutton sighed. “Back when we first went into hiding, I asked Dylan why he left me the Tower as my tarot card.” Lula stared at her, obviously confused. “Sorry, um, when he recruited us to become the Horsemen, Dylan left us each a card. In some ways, the cards reflected on us.”
“Let me guess, Danny was the Lovers?” Lula stated with a smirk.
Sutton chuckled. “Yes, he was, as irony would have it. Henley was the High Priestess, Merritt the Hermit, and Jack was Death.” Lula sucked in a breath. “Trust me, it freaked him out on more than one occasion. Anyway, I asked Dylan why I was chosen to be the Tower. He said to me that I was chosen to be part of the Horsemen because the others needed me for more than my abilities.” Sutton smiled to herself as she recalled Dylan’s words. “Henley needed me because I’m her family, her blood family. Merritt needed someone who he felt responsible for, someone who made him feel like a family again. Jack needed a best friend, someone to call family, someone to trust.”
Lula nodded. “So, Jack never really saw you as someone to fall for?” Sutton shook her head. “And you were never interested in him?” Sutton smiled, nodding her confirmation. “Damn, you’re really dumb for such a brilliant woman.
Sutton laughed. “Thanks a lot.”
Lula smiled. “What about Danny? What was Dylan’s reason for bringing you on for Danny?”
Sutton sighed. “Dylan said that he thinks Danny needed me the most. He needed someone to deflate his head and match him intellectually.” Lula laughed as Sutton side smiled. “But, I needed him just as much. Apparently, we both needed love after never truly feeling it, or after believing it never existed at all.”
Lula sighed. “Not needed, Sutton.” Sutton crinkled her eyebrows. “You said you both “needed” love. You still need it, in the present and future tense. You and Danny were meant to fall in love, not out of it.”
“Lula-”
“Just let me finish, okay?” Lula took Sutton’s hands, wrapping her own around them. “I see the way the two of you still look at each other, Sutton. Ever since we got here, all he has done is try to protect you, in his own weird ways.” Sutton snorted a laugh. “I think his real reason for telling Walter we would do this crazy thing is because of you. Walter’s ultimatum was “do it or be killed.” Danny couldn’t risk that. He couldn’t risk losing you in the actual, physical sense. God, he even held your hand when you were scared on multiple occasions. He truly loves you, Sutton.”
Sutton gave Lula a light smile, then let out a sigh. “I miss him, you know?” She looked back at Danny who was now deep in thought as he looked at his phone, trying to figure out his plan. “So, so much. I miss kissing him whenever I want. I miss our stupid arguments about nothing in particular, and then-” Sutton cut herself off, feeling her face heat up.
Lula laughed. “It’s crazy how much two people can miss each other, even when they still see each other every day.” She stood, pulling Sutton up with her. “He misses you like crazy, Sutton. He loves you more than I think even he knows.” Lula pulled Sutton into a hug. “Promise me you’ll be back together before we leave Macau?”
Sutton sighed. “I hope for that more than anything.”
Lula patted her shoulder. “Get some sleep tonight, okay?”
Sutton smiled as Lula turned, walking toward the room Jack just came out of. “Lula, don’t be me,” she joked.
“Hey, like Chase said- what happens in Macau…” Sutton shook her head, laughing.