Chapter 9:When you love

Everyone sat at the table, eating breakfast. No one said a word. Everyone knew about the fight, but most didn't know why it happened.

"Does anyone else sense a romantic tension?"Amber asked. Everyone just looked at her."Sorry for asking."

I thought about Jerome and I. Who all knew? Well, there was me and Jerome, obviously. Then there was Eddie, Joy, Alfie, and Nina. The people who didn't know were Mara, Mick, Fabian, and Amber. Amber was already onto me. I could tell she knew there was something going on between Jerome and I by the way she looked at me. Way more people than i had wanted already knew. At least half the house did.

"Well, Patricia?"someone said.

"Wha...?"I asked.

"I asked if we could talk."Jerome said. Eddie was glaring at him already.

"Sure."I wasn't exactly sure if Eddie was ok with it, but I was still mad at him, too. We both left and went into his room."What!"

"I don't appreciate your boyfriend attacking me for what happened almost a year ago."

"Is this all you wanted to talk about?"I laughed.

"No."I saw that his black eye was gone, and realized Amber must have used her makeup on him. I twas a funny thought, a boy wearing makeup.

"Then what do you want?"

"I believe you."

"About...?"

"The ghosts. Senkhara. Rufus."

"Since when?"

"Since last night. I woke up, and I heard them. They were laughing. And then I saw them. They were in front of my, but it wasn't two people."

"That's not even possible."

"But isn't it? They were on person. Combined."

I thought of a combined Rufus and Senkhara and grimaced.

"I'm sorry about Eddie."

"You told him, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry. I felt really guilty."

"What's with you? Saying you're sorry? Feeling guilty? That's not like you."

"Sorry."

"See? There you go again. And don't be sorry. I'm glad you did. It's a bruden off my back."He started to smile.

"Ok."

"I think we should tell the others."

"No way! Too many people already know what happened!"

"I don't care what people think of me, Trixie."

"Well I do!"

"What would people think of you, if I did this?"Jerome leaned in and kissed me. I pulled back immediately.

"Jerome!"I smacked him."People would think we're both cheaters! What if someone saw that!"

"I wouldn't care."

"What if it was Mara? What would you do?"

"Admit to what I did. See if she'd understand. If she didn't, we didn't belong together."

"You are such a jerk."I headed for the door."Obviously she wouldn't understand why you would kiss me when you're dating her."I grimaced at him and walked out the door.

"Would she understand that I'm not in love with her?"

I stopped in my tracks and turned around.

"What?"

"I think you heard me."He grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him"I'm not in love with her. I'm in love with someone else."His breath felt warm on my neck.

"What the hell are you doing, Jerome!"I tried to pull away, but his grip was iron."You're with Mara, not me!"

"Maybe I don't want to be with her. Maybe I made a mistake. Maybe we both did."

The next thing I knew, his leps were pressed hard against mine. Again I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let me. He had me up against the wall, too. It was impossible to escape him now. I had to let things happen how they did.

I heard a gasp from behind Jerome. He finally let go of me and I saw Amber standing in shock.

"Amber, I can explain."Jerome said.

"You'd better."I replied.

Amber's shock transformed into anger.

"Nice talk."she said."I can't believe you didn't tell me. And how long have we known each other? Since we were five?"

"Amber..."She was already running out of the room.

"You don't think she'd tell, do you?"he asked.

"You'd better hope not. If she does, and we go down, I will never fogive you."

I rna into Amber on my way back to the house.

"Amber!"I yelled.

"Patricia."she muttered.

"You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"No. I might be mad at you, but I'm your friend."

"I would have told you. It just happened today, though. I don't know why he did that."

"I figured he made the move on you."

"Why?"

"I don't know. He used to have a huge crush on you and Mara still hasn't quite moved on from Mick."

"Oh."

"Yeah."I had to tell her the whole story, including the kiss from the year before.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."We hugged.

"How do I fix it?"

"I may be the master of love, but...I don't think there is a way to fix it."

"What?"

"I think...you're in love."

"Obviously."

"With two people."I almost choked on the air."You're going to have to..."

"Have to what?"

"Do you see that?"Amber was seriously terrified. I turned to where she was looking and saw why. There was the figure Jerome talked about. The combination of Rufus and Senkhara. It laughed at us, and I was petrified.

"Run!"