Stay With Me (Merome)

Chapter 5

Jerome's POV

I shut the door.

I didn't want to see Mitch.

I didn't want to hear him.

I didn't want to smell him.

I didn't want to talk to him.

I didn't want to hurt him.

I did want to kiss him.

I couldn't kiss him. Could I kiss him? Maybe I could. Wait. No. I couldn't.

I sat on the toilet. Lid down. Stared at the mirror. Mitch had kissed me. This was the one thing I had wanted for half my life. The one thing to live for. The one thing which was to heal me, to make me whole again.

Why did it feel so painful? Why did I feel emptier than before?

He didn't mean it. He didn't mean to kiss me. It was just an accident. He didn't love me. I knew it. He didn't love me because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't force Mitch to return my feelings.

Dropping my clean clothes on the ground, I stripped down and hopped into the shower. Steam encircled me, and I took a deep breath, letting the water wash away my thoughts. A safe haven. Warm, and safe.

I had no right to be sad. None at all. Mitch loved Lia, Lia loved Mitch and that was all there was to it.

Or was it? You don't just randomly kiss someone, right? I didn't know. The only person I had ever wanted to kiss was Mitch. I could still remember the feel of his lips on mine. Soft, warm and... I put a hand up to my mouth then froze, the memory having fallen to the ground. Mitch's face when he had walked out the door. He had seemed so upset about what he had done. Not like he enjoyed it at all.

I could still taste Mitch on my lips though. It was such a fleeting kiss. Two seconds at most.

"Jerome?..." Mitch knocked on the door, thrusting me out of my thoughts. I ignored him and he knocked again, harder. "Jerome."

"Go away." I muttered sullenly. He didn't hear me. "Jerome!"

"Go away! I'm showering!" I yelled. "You had a shower like 4 hours ago!"

"Who cares Mitch?!"

"Me! Put down the blade! Don't try lie to me! It wastes water!"

"I. Am. Showering!" I yelled, exasperated. The door jiggled and I heard Mitch curse. Heh. I had locked the door. Purely for privacy. I loved Mitch, but it didn't mean he could see me naked. Yet.

I chuckled as the door handle jiggled more and Mitch started punching on the door. "Open up!"

"No!"

"Jerome... don't make me go in there..." I giggled, suddenly finding this amusing. "Really Mitch? As if you would risk seeing me naked..." Mitch cursed again, and I started laughing, the smoke from the warm shower making it even harder to breathe. Leaning against the wall, I took several deep breaths while Mitch yelled threats at me. "No Mitch... you can't come in..."

"Are you high Jerome?"

"Nope! This is just so funny! Actually, maybe, but only from the euphoria and amusement."

"You jag. You big jag. You are a huge jag. Forget Nooch, you are the JagMaster Admiral. Now. Open up."

"Lemme check the time Mitch... quarter past not happening!"

"Ugh. You are a dirty, stinking Bacca!"

"And?"

"I thought Bacca's didn't have showers!"

"Uh. Well. Uh. Parmesan!"

"Jerome! I promise I'll kill you if you don't open up and let me see the cuts!" By now, Mitch was sounding desperate, and his voice was cracking in worry. Sighing, I ducked my head under the warm shower head one more time, then stopped the water. Someone had to put Mitch out of his worry, and only I could. I grabbed my underwear and put it on, then wrapped a towel around my legs. I unlocked the door and Mitch burst in, his head spinning around, looking for my blade. "It isn't here."

"Hand it over Jerome."

"You wound me."

"I said hand it over."

"I'll forgive you because I know you do it because you care."

"Jerome..." Mitch looked at me, the bin, my wet hair and skin, and then made a grab for my towel, which I dodged. "Hey! There are somethings under here I want to keep private!" I yelped, and Mitch blushed. "Like your blade?"

"Like some other private things. Think of the kids Mitch!"

"You really weren't cutting?"

"No." Mitch eyed me then relaxed, and I grabbed my clothes and followed him out the door. We had taken about three steps when Mitch stopped, and grabbed my towel, this time succeeding. It fell off in Mitch's hands and I was now standing there, virtually naked. I yelped. "Argh! Mitch!"

"Oh god Jerome! I thought you were wearing shorts!"

"Told you I had just taken a shower! Geez!"

"Well... at least I know you didn't cut..."

"Yeah, you just had to strip a Bacca down to know that!" Mitch blushed and looked at the floor shamefully, but a sly smile was creeping onto his lips, tainted with embarrassment. I pulled my towel out of his grasp and ran into my room, laughing madly out of sudden euphoric adrenaline. "Geez Mitch. It's just my underwear. Not like I'm naked." Mitch peeked at me through the blush. He grinned mischievously. "Yet."

Happy Halloween! Have an early chapter in celebration! :D

OMG. Did I really just write a really long chapter where Jerome was naked and wet? Yes I did. Let the fangirls commence (me included) and we shall have a party.

So. Vote, follow and comment stuff! Do we want more awkward Jerome chapters?

Amber