"This is D'logiram. Rebma D'logiram," Amber says into the phone.

I stare at the stranger. Gone is the gold. Gone is the paint. Gone is the wind- I mean gone are the oceans.

Yet, why am I still here?

I'm here because I made a promise. I failed, but I'm not giving up. Even if I'd have to mine my own damn gold to sprinkle over her or go back into my brother's room to get her some paint on her outfit or even dry the oceans to get them in her eyes, I am not giving up on this girl.

Rebma is a good leader, but Amber has my heart. 

I clench my fists when Rebma walks off to discus the details with whoever's on the phone. A Gareth something. When she's gone, Owen and I share a look. It's time for another meeting. I follow my new-found friend to my old study and close the door once we're inside.

Owen turns to me with a worried look: "Who the hell is Rebma?" he asks.

"It's Amber spelled backwards," I point out with an eye-roll.

"How the hell didn't I see that?"

"All muscle, no brain," I sigh.

"Hey, you can insult my intelligence, but don't insult my brain. Wait, no, that's not right..."

"Is the bet still on?" I ask, because everything is so screwed up. Never would I have guessed the girl that talked back all those months ago would make everything so confusing. Turn the whole town upside down.

"I want to say the bet is off, because even with our past, I kind of see you as a friend now... The only problem is, I don't think whoever loses would just let it go," Owen explains.

I nod my head, because he's right. If there's even a chance I can get the old Amber back, I can't bare seeing her with Owen and not me. Even if Owen is a friend now, it doesn't mean I'll bless their relationship or anything. The only way I'd be fine with Owen getting Amber is if...

"Then the bet is still on, but the rules are changing," I announce.

"What are the rules?" Owen asks.

"Whoever can get her back. The old Amber, gets to keep her. The loser is allowed to stay in town, but be fine with the results," I say.

Owen thinks about it for a few seconds. "Seems fair," he says.

Personally, I think I have an advantage over here, seeing as I know where Amber is and Owen has no idea. The guy is bound to lose, but I'm not complaining. I just want to get the golden girl back. Once and for all.

"Then may the best guy win," I say.

"May the best guy win," Owen echoes. He has a warm smile, but then drops it before saying: "What about Xavier?"

"What about him?" I ask.

"Is he part of the bet as well?"

"Why would you ask that?" I ask with a scowl. Just thinking about that suit-wearing devil makes me mad. Even if the North turns put to be right and the South is revealed as the true enemy, it doesn't excuse all that Xavier has already done. He's the reason three of my inner-gang members are gone...

"Well, you saw him after he accidentally shot Amber the night we attacked Isabella... I've never seen the Northern leader like that... Plus, with his explanation at the docks... About not being the enemy... Maybe he has his eyes on Goldy more than we think... Not just to merge the gangs, but to... to have her..." Owen says.

I let out a frustrated breath. There's no way that guy could have a speck of compassion for anyone. He's evil no matter what he says. He manipulated everyone into the shithole we're all in now.

"There's no way he's part of the bet. He shot Amber," I point out.

"What about what happened after he shot her? He left to-"

"No matter what happens, Xavier is the last person that gets Amber," I interrupt Owen.

Owen sends me a quick glare, because being an ex-gang leader means respect at all times. Even if he's not at the top of the ranks anymore, he's still not used to people interrupting him. It's exactly how I felt after my mother kept interrupting me during our phone call. The witch was beyond furious after learning I've pledged my gang to Sterling. Fortunately she's still in Paris until everything is sorted out.

I can still hear my mother's scorning words echo through me: 'You have officially doomed our fortune. For what? A good fuck? Making that girl your leader was the worst mistake you ever made.'

But I can't take it back. As much as it hurts me to see Rebma killing Amber, I can't deny that she's a damn good leader. Much better than I could ever be. And even though this town, Tygerwell, isn't even a real town, but rather a fake set-up to disguise the gangs that rule here, Rebma D'logiram can still save it. Save the people in this town from themselves.

"Then we better make sure Amber doesn't know about what happened after Xavier shot her..." Owen finally says.

I nod a couple of times. He's right.

If Amber finds out about what happened after she got shot, she might see Xavier in a different light, and we can't have that. I'd rather see Amber with Owen than Xavier, and that says a lot since I'd probably find a way to murder Owen in his sleep if he ever ends up with Amber.

There's a knock on the door and I send Owen a look before opening the door. It's just Lynch and I actually feel relieved to see the kid. He's the last one left of my inner-gang. The last person that hasn't completely left me yet.

"Amby says you guys need to be packed soon. You leave at sun set..." Lynch sighs.

"Hey, you have a very important job here in Tygerwell," I tell the kid when his wild hair looks a little down.

Lynch immediately light up like his usual self. "Really? What?" he asks. He's always complaining about being left behind because he's the young one. Since he's turning sixteen really soon, maybe he hopes it'll mean more responsibilities for him.

"Yes, you have to threaten the school to make sure we all graduate with A's. I'm guessing we've missed a ton of tests and tasks," I chuckle.

Lynch turns grumpy again. "Oh," the curly haired kid says.

I aim to rub his hair, but Lynch quickly karate chops my hand away and we share a smile before I walk out of my old study. Owen is right behind and we part to go pack our bags. I make sure to take three sets of clean clothes and four leather jackets, because I can never be too prepared. When I'm done, I walk over to Amber's room.

I feel a little empty when the room is empty. 

So, I follow my instincts and then eventually the sound of a punching bag all the way to the training room. Sure enough, Amber, or Rebma, is hitting the punching bag like there's no tomorrow. I look over at the far corner and manage a small smile at my pile of broken punching bags. 

Realizing that Rebma hasn't noticed my presence yet, I take a moment to look her over.

She's been in the sun a lot more this last month and eating was never a problem for the girl, yet, her limbs are still deadly pale and thin. Her hair is faded down to a platinum blonde. Like all the color is sucked out of her.

I curse at myself for wearing a red shirt.

Rebma sends a power kick to the punching bag and I feel the floor rattle in response. Thin or not, I can still spot the hard-earned muscles in her legs and arms. She's wearing short tights and a sports bra - exposing her solid, yet skinny stomach. She has her hair tied up and beads of sweat are rolling down her face and back.

She looks hot despite everything.

"What did the poor boxing bag do to you?" I eventually find myself asking. I have to try and get Amber back.

"It looked at me funny," Rebma responds.

I can't help the chuckle when I walk over. "It looked at you funny?" I repeat. Being an emotionless bitch apparently doesn't mean no humor. She can throw a punch line as well as any of her punches. But she won't cry if I died right here in front of her.  

There's a small smile on Rebma's lips. I can't recognize it from all the full, bright smiles Amber always had, but at least it's there. It's something I can work with.

"We haven't talked about what happened that night, yet," I say slowly.

Rebma keeps hammering at the boxing bag - not even blinking when she says: "Sure we have. We know who died; we realized Xavier played us; I died; my uncle gave his heart for me to live-"

"I'm talking about before that," I interrupt her. Still, Rebma's blows to the bowing bag doesn't falter. "You were willing to let Xavier kill me... Even if you eventually sacrificed yourself for me, there was a moment where you figured the world would be fine without Blake Bowmen," I whisper.

Rebma's blows finally slow down, but she doesn't look at me. "One of the many things on my list of why I can't forgive Amber," Rebma says.

It's a fucked up sentence when you realize Rebma is literally holding Amber hostage inside herself, because she can't deal with all the guilt and grief.

It's even more fucked up that I have no clue how to help. I've been where she was, yet I know nothing.

I suddenly get a flash of something. A memory of what Amber once said to me.

'People came into our house and when my Dad tried to stop them, they shot him eight times. My mother got shot twice while I was hiding under her bed. Her blood splattered onto me. There's a reason I don't paint with red. And sometimes my mind goes so dark it feels like I'm going to drown.'

I suddenly remember how sorry I felt for Amber. How I felt myself feel for the first time. It was only for a second, but that night was the first time Amber gave me a tug to the light. Perhaps getting Amber out of the darkness isn't about catching her or pulling her out.

Like love, perhaps it's all about the little tugs.

"Want to go on a date with me after the Sterling meeting this weekend?" I ask Rebma - hoping Amber will hear.

Rebma finally stops boxing and looks at me while raising both eyebrows. "No," she says coldly.

In stead of letting my expression show how I'm feeling at the harsh syllable, I put on one of my best smirks - a comfort after years of being in the darkness. "Let's make a deal-"

"You guys and your deals," Rebma interrupts with a chuckle and an eyeroll.

My smirk only grows when I say: "Whoever breaks the punching bag first, wins. I win, and I get to go in a date with you. You win, and... and..."

"And I get to have you as my personal punching bag while we're away for the Sterling meeting," Rebma says with a scary smile.

"Deal," I say and we shake on it.

Little does Rebma know, I'd be honored to be Amber's punching bag. If I close my eyes while she's punching me, I can imagine her fists to be soft caresses. I guess loving someone does that to you.

Hey goldies!

This chapter was for the Blamber shippers, since there are like a million of y'all. Don't worry Amwen shippers (the few that are still here), y'all will get a chapter as well some time. 

Love y'all with all my heart!

PS: Shout out to xxRXLxx who made the awesome video that's above. It's a second trailer for TGAASS. Please go follow this super talented person!

~ Holly Shmit