Stay With Me (Merome)

Chapter 9

Jerome's POV

"Too close Ash!"

"Hey, not my fault you won't make a move."

"Oi. He has a girlfriend, remember?"

"So? Anyway, can you blame me for trying to make Merome happen faster?" Ashley asked, blinking innocently, and I shrugged. "Maybe?" I asked weakly. She laughed and ignored me, then settled into a seat. We weren't afraid of Mitch overhearing us; he was at Lia's. "Ready to play some Minecraft?" I asked. She nodded, and I started the recording up. "Hey guys, Jerome here, and today I'm joined by... Ashley!"

"Hi everyone!"

"So today we're playing Draw My Thing on the Mineplex server!" Someone started drawing, and I squinted at it. "What the heck?" Ashley thought for a second then typed the word out and got it right. "Jerome, it's something you love." She said, giggling. I stared at it. "But that is not a fish."

"No. Something better."

"Betty is five letters though. This word has four." I stared at it, then got a brainwave after the letter hints. "Poop?! Poop is NOT usually blue!" I exclaimed. We continued the rounds, until it was Ashley's turn. "Oh... heh..." she giggled, before drawing two heads, and making the only link between them their lips. "Kiss!" She wasn't done drawing yet. She gave both heads short brown hair, and I suddenly knew what she was insinuating. I rolled by eyes, knowing people couldn't see it, and started to draw my own word.

Ashley wasn't done.

The next time, she got another four letter word, and instead of drawing, she started to write it out instead. "Sorry Jerome." She said, before she started. She wrote out 'M-E-R-O-M-E" and then I sighed. "Merome is six letters, you know."

"Yes Jerome, I do know."

"But what coul- oh." I typed in the word love. It was right. I was so thankful I didn't have a facecam, and that could be embarrassing. My face had turned a deep red, and my cheeks were burning like fire as a harsh blush erupted across my face. Many more people guessed it, and the round ended with laughter. "Well." I pretended to tell Ashley off, but secretly, I was glad.

When we wrapped up filming, I leaned back and went on Twitter. Oh look. More tweets directed at me. Almost half were about Merome, and a good fifth had some relation to a burrito... ahem, 'incident' I'd had with Mitch years back. Back when he was single. Back when I had a chance. Back when I didn't take it.

I checked the time. "Ash, should we go out for dinner?"

"Weren't you going to cook tonight?"

"Oh yeah. Whoops!" I went to the kitchen and started peeling potatoes, then set them to boil. I'd make some mashed potatoes and venison, as well as a little salad.

I washed an apple and chopped it up, then chucked in some orange and carrot as well. Tossing it into the bowl, I toasted a little bread and drizzled it all with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. "And Mitch says I can't cook." I muttered, laughing to myself. I chucked the venison into a pan and started to fry it, while taking the potatoes off and mashing them. By now, Mitch still wasn't back, and I was getting a little frustrated, mainly from the heat in the kitchen.

I finished up, swearing a little as I did so, when Mitch walked into the house. "Oh, just in time I see..." Mitch said, before digging a spoon into the mashed potato and eating it teasingly, and I whipped him with the tea-towel I was holding. He dodged and stuck his tongue out at me while dropping the spoon. "Okay now Mitch. You asked for it." I said, before lunging at him. His eyes widened in mock panic before he ran up the stairs, and I chased.

Mitch just made it to his bed before I caught him, and I tackled him, both of us landing on the soft surface. He grinned and grabbed my wrists before rolling over and pinning me down, which made me scowl. He dipped his head closer, until I could feel his warm breath on my face. I braced myself, then heaved him off me, making him fall off the bed, before getting in another hit with the towel. He heaved himself up and looked at me. "Stop being a girl and wrestle properly." He jeered teasingly, and I bared my teeth at him. "Fight me, bro." He nodded, then ran at me, but I leapt off his bed at last second and he skidded, and I took the opportunity to run back down the stairs. "You cheater!" He yelled, and I grinned as he flew down to meet me in the living room, before crashing us both into the couch. I wriggled free of his grasp, and as he was face-down on the couch, trying to get back up, I sat on him and pinned him down. "I win?" I asked, my mouth right next to his ear. "Alright." He panted, and I let him up. Ashley then walked in, and rolled her eyes at me. "I took the liberty to take the food somewhere where we can eat it, so I hope you'll actually come eat." I nodded, and we made our way over.

Halfway through, Mitch's phone sounded. "Hey, Lia wants to know when we wrap up filming tomorrow so she knows when we can meet."

"Well. I plan on waking at 10am, and we need to record a good few rounds of Hunger Games, plus I was hoping for some Dragons on the Mineplex, and some Colour Rumner so maybe 1pm. That okay with you Ash?"

"Sounds good." Ashley agreed, and Mitch shrugged. "May as well have lunch then. I'll tell her 2." His fingers flew a quick reply before he put his phone down, then thought things over. "Hey, why don't you come tomorrow Ashley?" She swallowed her food. "Sure. It'd be nice to meet her." I blinked then continued eating. "Oh! How about a horror movie tonight?!" I asked, suddenly excited. I would not let the thought of Lia put me down again. Ashley readily agreed, though Mitch was a bit hesitant, but we managed to convince him and we picked one out. Mitch sat in the middle, and we all shared a blanket.

When it came to the scary part, Mitch had already buried his head in his hands, and I sighed. "Already afraid?" I asked. He only nodded, and I sighed. "Come here then." I ushered him into my arms, and he buried his head fearfully into my chest until it was over, then he lifted it and looked up at me, eyes bright and darting. "Is it over?" I nodded and he got off me and smiled. "Thanks." I shrugged it off, but my chest wasn't quite the same anymore. I could still feel the warm feeling his head had left behind in my chest, and it made me want to smile.