Chapter 2: Too Rotten To Love
Jerome's POV:
Days have gone by, but my feelings haven't changed. In fact, I think my feelings have only grown stronger. Every time I see Mara with Mick, a little piece of me dies inside.
Ugh. I am so lame.
Mara's POV:
Today it's been exactly 3 months since I started dating Mick. I'm totally thrilled. Well, for the most part.
Amber, however, is anything but happy for me.
I enter my room and find Amber sitting at the dresser, straightening her hair.
"Umm.. hello, Amber. What are you doing in here?"
Amber gives me a rude glare through the mirror. "My straightener broke so I'm borrowing Patricia's, if that's okay with you," she says in a snotty voice.
"Amber, you seem rather tense lately. Is something the matter?"
Amber turns to face me. "I'll tell you what's the matter. You! You think you can just come waltzing in and steal Mick right out from under me, and I'm just too stupid to care. Well, guess what? I have feelings too! And I can't stand seeing you with Mick. I love him!"
I sigh. I knew this would happen as soon as I agreed to be Mick's girlfriend. But something inside me just didn't care. "Look, Amber, Mick broke up with you because you never paid attention to him. And plus, he asked me out, not the other way around. Sorry, but you can't honestly expect me to break up with him."
"But Mara, you don't even love him!" Amber objects.
My mind reels. Of course I love him, don't I? "I do so!"
Amber shakes her head. "I can see it in your eyes. You love Jerome."
I gasp, and my head spins a hundred miles an hour. Yes, I admit I had some feelings for Jerome ever since he confided his secret past to me a while ago. But how would she know that? And I don't still have those feelings for Jerome, right? Of course not… "No way. He's too much of a jerk. I could never be with someone like that," I defend myself.
"Whatever. But I will get Mick back. Don't worry." And with that, Amber gets up and opens the door, slamming it shut behind her.
Jerome's POV:
I quickly run downstairs as I hear Amber's heels clicking on the hardwood floor as she steps out of Mara's room. I rush to my room and slam the door shut. I don't want them to know I was evesdropping. But I heard everything she said.
And it broke my heart.
"I knew it. I was right. I am too rotten to Mara to ever love me." Tears sting my eyes as I fall onto the bed and sob.
I am such a rotten person. I'm so sorry, Mara.