A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry that I haven't uploaded for over a week but I have been stuck doing course work and rehearsing and running lines for my drama performance exam on Friday, well here it is!
House of Jara CHAPTER 27
Mara and Jerome walked up to her bedroom so they could be as far away from the others as possible.
"You've been acting really weird ever since you came back from being with Rufus and I know it must have been hard but-"Mara began but Jerome whispered an interruption.
"Can we talk about this in the bathroom?" Jerome asked, Mara would have thought he was being extremely inappropriate but there wasn't a flirty hint in his expression so she went with it.
"Why are we in the bathroom?"
"So there is no way that Rufus can overhear us, I need to explain to you what is going on," Jerome asked as he sat on the side of the bath with Mara across from his leaning on the wall with her arms crossed against her chest.
"Ok then, what's been going on?" Mara asked when he didn't continue.
"When I was with Rufus he kept asking me to spy on Sibuna for him but I kept refusing, I told him he was completely mental and so he kept beating me. Punches and kicks to the stomach and face, it was all too much and on the day you guys came to get me I agreed. I didn't think there was any other way out of there alive. I had completely lost all hope, the next day when I left early for school I met up with him and told him I wouldn't do it but then he didn't threaten my life he threatened Poppy's. I couldn't let him hurt her; she's all I've got. I've tried to get out of it but I don't know what he'll do to her. I wouldn't be able to go on if I lost Poppy," by the end of Jerome's speech he was looking at the floor as tears slipped from his eyes.
"What are you saying Jerome?" Mara asked as she was kind of confused as she tried to process everything he said to her.
"I'm saying I've been spying on Sibuna, I've been texting all the info and stuff to Rufus. What was I supposed to do? Let the maniac hurt Poppy?" Mara was speechless, she knew she should feel betrayed but she also knew that he was only scared and trying to keep his little sister safe and she loved him for that. "Do you hate me? Are you gonna tell the others?" she stared at her boyfriend in disbelief.
"Why would you betray us?"
"If I didn't my worst nightmare would have come true. I can't let anything happen to my sister, she's the only family I have left," Jerome whispered. "I don't understand why he has to do this to me, I have only just managed to get people to trust me," Mara could see he was really beating himself up about it.
"I'm not gonna tell the others, I get it. I know you love Poppy and I know it would kill you if anything happened to her."
"Why would you do that for me? I've been lying to you for two weeks."
"Because I love you, I really do and the reason you did it wasn't selfish, it wasn't for money like it would have been a year ago," Mara explained as she took his hand in hers. She could see the questioning look in his eyes so she put her other hand on his cheek and pulled him down into a kiss.
"How do I get out of it?" he questioned as he pulled a hand through his hair.
"We'll think of something," Mara said as she stood between his legs, rubbing the back of his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist, she played with a couple of strands of his hair. "We should get back downstairs." They were lucky as Trudy was just about to come looking for them, some questions would have risen about why they were in the bathroom if she had.
"Where did you two go?" Trudy asked the pair as she put some more rice onto the table.
"We were just in my room talking about something personal, sorry Trudy but we didn't want to be interrupted," Mara lied with a smile as she and Jerome took their places at the table between Amber and Alfie.
"What was that about?" Amber whispered to her best friend.
"Nothing, I just needed to talk to Jerome," Mara lied again, she had improved and she would need to if she was to keep Jerome's secret.
"Oh ok, can't you tell me?" Amber asked slightly hurt that she was hiding something from her.
"Sorry but its personal just between me and Jerome," Mara replied, she looked away to see Mick making fake gags with his finger; she narrowed her eyes at her ex-boyfriend. Dinner went by casually, no one asking anymore questions about Mara and Jerome's conversation which was a relief as they hadn't come up with a cover story yet, it was just something personal between the pair which drew one conclusion in their housemates heads – the question of sex. After dinner Mara and Jerome sat on the sofa together, both reading separate books yet still finding a way to be wrapped up in each other's arms.
"Next time we need to come up with a cover story before facing everyone," Mara whispered to Jerome as Amber, Alfie and Nina were also sitting in the living room; Amber on Alfie's lap on the armchair whilst Nina was on the arm of the sofa that Mara and Jerome were also on. They were messing around with the cookies that Trudy had baked, Amber was putting the cookie near Alfie's mouth then pulling it away just as he was about to bite down on it.
"Agreed, I don't understand how you don't hate me," Jerome whispered in response.
"If I had a sibling whose life was on the line I would do the exact same thing, it may have taken you two weeks but you still told me," Mara explained and Jerome smiled at his empathetic girlfriend.
"We need a plan to figure out a plan for me to get out of this because we never know when Rufus may be around and listening."
"You mean he could be listening right now?" Mara asked, she was about to look around for any sign of Rufus but stopped when Jerome said,
"Don't look around for him, he'll get suspicious."
"Right… I suppose we could use the girls' bathroom tomorrow at school, we could put an out of order sign on the door?"
"Why in the girls' bathroom?" Jerome questioned in mock disgust.
"You feel comfortable enough in there, I've caught you in there countless times," Mara said in a matter-of-fact tone as she hit him on the shoulder with her book.
"Alright, break tomorrow?" Jerome asked for clarification as he snickered, Mara nodded in response before they both returned to their books. There was only one thing that Jerome left out of his explanation – he and Rufus met up once a week to discuss anything too complicated for text.
"Amber! Let me eat the cookie!" Alfie whined as Nina laughed in amusement at the couple as Alfie glared daggers at her causing another fit of giggles.
"I don't know how you even want to eat anymore, you ate enough at dinner for the whole house," Amber questioned half seriously.
"It's called afters Amber, you eat it after you eat your dinner," Alfie explained as if he was the smartest man on earth causing Amber to scoff.
"I have homework, come on Nina," Amber announced, shoving the cookie in his mouth. "Bye boo!"
"Amber!" he mumbled through the cookie hanging out of his mouth. "What are you two doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Jerome asked his dim-witted friend as he motioned with his book, holding it up.
"Come on Jerome, I'm bored," Alfie announced as he took his friend's book and backed away from the tall blond with it.
"Alfie!"
"Its fine Jerome, I have a drama assignment to work on, you can play with Alfie," Mara said as she got up from her spot on the sofa. "Go on, he's waiting for his walk," Mara joked as Jerome grinned; Alfie did too until he realised what she said – his face dropped into a frown.
"Hey! Mara that was really mean," he called after her pouting as she ascended the stairs.
"Sorry Alfie," she replied, not even looking back.
"She just – she just called me a dog, didn't she?" Alfie said exasperatedly as Jerome laughed out loud.
"You just got owned by Mara Jaffray my friend," he said clapping his hand on his friends back, he took his book back and left an open mouthed Alfie standing in the hall way.
"Alfie close your mouth, you'll catch flies," Trudy told him as she came down the stairs with a basket of the girls laundry, Alfie did as he was told and looked around hoping that no one saw the owning he just got from Mara and then from Trudy.