House of Ideas/House of Love

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The next morning, Alfie took the initiative to contact Jerome, even before he met with the others. He called him on his cell phone.

"Hi, Alfie," Jerome answered.

"Jerome, my buddy," Alfie greeted in return, "I need you to get dressed and get your butt down to Nina's place. It's really important."

"I think I'll pass-"

"-don't worry about Amber. She took a flight back to America already, so no sight of her anywhere in the vicinity of Nina's apartment."

"Without saying goodbye?" Jerome mumbled, almost to the point where Alfie couldn't hear him.

"She left a note for you. You have to go to Nina's apartment to see it though," Alfie continued to lie.

"I-I'll be right there."

Alfie hung up. He realized he'd have to get to Nina's apartment before Jerome and explain everything so he kissed Willow and his son goodbye and hurried to Nina's place. When he arrived, Joy and Fabian were already there.

In one short breath, he explained to them all, "Jerome's on his way here because I told him Amber left and went back to America and she left him a note, but of course she really didn't, but he doesn't know that, so when he gets here, it'll all be a surprise to him, but don't be alarmed, it's just a way to help."

Patricia and Eddie just arrived as he finished.

"Explain everything to them," Alfie instructed.

Meanwhile, he went to Amber's room, opening the door which was unlocked, and finding Amber asleep in bed. He tiptoed over and poked her. She stirred but didn't wake and so Alfie poked her harder. Amber opened her eyes with a death glare.

Alfie realized Amber looked like bit of a mess, so he told her, "Fix yourself up for the surprise. It's not like you look bad right now...you just don't look good."

Alfie hurried out, shutting the door before Amber could ask anything.

"Look at me being the brains of Sibuna!" Alfie exclaimed excitedly. "It's a wonderful feeling to have a smart idea. Wish I realized this in high school."

Eventually, Jerome arrived. He knocked on the door. When he did, Alfie mouthed to the others for them to open up Amber's door and tell her when to come out. Nina did so, opening the door to Amber's guest room.

"So, that note?" Jerome asked as he stepped inside.

"Actually..." Alfie frantically waved his hand at Nina to signal for Amber to come out.

Amber did step out in a nice blue dress which was considered pretty casual for her. She spotted Jerome but didn't know how to react. Neither did Jerome.

"You lied to me," Jerome sighed to Alfie.

"Hey, lies are the one thing that can hold family together longer than anything else," Alfie defended. "Right guys?"

"Well, it's not the dumbest thing you've ever said," Joy admitted.

"Yes!" Alfie cheered.

"Doesn't change the fact that it's still dumb," Patricia said.

Alfie pouted.

"Anyway..." Fabian butted-in.

"Right, right," Alfie straightened his posture. "Amber, Jerome...talk."

Alfie backed up out of the way, standing by the others. Jerome and Amber held everyone's attention, including William's. Amber was the first to speak.

"I swear, I had no idea about this," she explained. "But I guess it's still best we confront eachother...I'm really, really sorry, Jerome. I made a big mistake."

"Yeah, because cheating on your boyfriend was an accident," Jerome replied.

"No, no. That was a lie. It was all a lie Jerome."

Jerome hesitated a bit. "So, you never cheated? You never dated William? You lied to me?"

"Technically, she lied to all of us as a whole group, so it makes it less personal," Alfie chimed-in. Joy stomped on his foot. He squealed.

Amber ignored Alfie's interruption as she responded, "I just couldn't tell you the truth, and it was stupid and selfish of me to risk us for my membership in Sibuna. I should've just come out with the truth, or at least have a better lie, and I'm extremely sorry."

Jerome took a deep breath to keep himself as contained as possible. "You know, you wouldn't even have to be apologizing like this if you'd just told the truth."

"I know. I know; that's what I'm saying. And believe it or not, I do love you Jerome. I'd never want to harm you in any way." Amber teared up. "But I did hurt you. And that's the problem. I'm the problem."

"I feel better that it wasn't the truth," Jerome admitted, combing his fingers through his hair, "but that doesn't change the fact that you lied to me and I was devastated."

"I can't tell you how much I regret what I did," Amber swallowed. "You have every right to hate me. I opened the door for it, anyway."

Amber awaited a response.

"That's the thing. No matter how hard I keep trying, I can't hate you for breaking my heart...Because I love you," Jerome admitted, tears welling in his eyes. "I really do still love you...And maybe, for what you did, you don't deserve me...But for some reason, I feel like I still deserve you. Because I loved you so much-I devoted so much of me into you...that it would just seem unfair to walk away with nothing."

Jerome wiped his eyes, and Amber did as well.

"What are you saying?" Amber asked.

"I don't want to be apart from you. I've made mistakes before, and if I walked away right now, that would be the biggest mistake of my life."

"Of your life?" Amber repeated. "You mean, you forgive me? I don't deserve this though."

"We don't deserve a lot of things, but sometimes we just can't let that stop us."

Amber sniffled and went to Jerome for him to embrace her.

"Wait," Eddie thought a bit. "Did Alfie's plan just work?"

"Hidden genius, Eddie," Alfie smiled. "Hidden genius."

~~~~~
End of chapter here! Hope you all enjoyed this reuniting of Jamber. Alfie can be useful when he needs to be.

Are you happy to see them back together?

Stay tuned for more amazing Aristocrats!

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