Stay With Me (Merome)

Chapter 11

Mitch's POV

We sat in uncomfortable silence. Lia was driving Jerome and I to the airport, where we'd first board a flight from California to Pennsylvania, and then a flight from Pennsylvania to New Jersey a few days later. Jerome sat on his own in the back, a sad look on his face. I think I knew what it was about.

Ashley had left about three weeks ago, having stayed for about a week. Jerome had seemed pretty upset when she'd left, and I was wondering whether it was because they were really great friends or my sneaking suspicion of something more. They had spent hours talking quietly, and would stop abruptly whenever I entered the room, whether it be the living room, Jerome's room or the spare room Ashley was in. Take walks around, but never inviting me to tag along. I guess it was a good thing that Jerome was getting a girlfriend, especially Ashley. She was friends with both of us, and knew Jerome well enough so that she'd know how not to hurt him, and wouldn't leave hard feelings if they broke up.

It still bothered me.

There was something about their relationship I didn't like. Maybe it was that they'd never announced it, like they didn't trust me, or that they could still hurt each other, and the friendship would be ruined. This is what I told myself, but neither excuse seemed to be the whole problem, only some of it. There was something else that bothered me, and I didn't know what it was. Maybe it was that I would lose them slowly.

I didn't talk to Jerome nearly as much as I used to. My time was now with Lia, trying to make up for the kiss. I'd organise time to be with Lia, then record in the time she wasn't free, usually the same time the past weeks, since she wouldn't always be free anymore. I would trawl through supermarkets, shops, looking for things to show I still cared, show I still loved her, but I still felt her slipping from my grasp. We were slowly falling apart, even though we were so close.

I hoped the time apart could save us.

She hadn't been too upset with me leaving, if anything, she was glad. I guess she thought of it the same way I did. Time apart to see what we really meant to each other. She was a little busy with work, and I knew we wouldn't be able to talk as much as we used to, due to slight time differences, and the fact that I would be occupied, and so would she. I would use this time as an apology to Jerome, for neglecting him. I would help make him see that it was being used for the long run, so that I could get Lia onside. I also knew he was cutting again, he didn't need to tell me. Maybe I should have stopped him, but the last thing I wanted was to get even more offside with him, while trying to quietly convince Lia nothing was his fault. She still didn't know how things had happened, just that they had. It wasn't my place to tell her about Jerome.

We hopped off the car, grabbed my luggage, and I gave Lia a long kiss in goodbye, which she half-heartedly returned. Was she really going to quietly resent me this long? I broke off, to Jerome's unreadable gaze, and hugged Lia before we took off with our stuff.

"I can't wait to go home." Jerome sighed longingly, and I smiled in reply. " I miss Connor, and he'll be so busy soon. Have to study and stuff, and I wish I could be there to help him."

"Does that mean you'll move back to Pennsylvania?"

"No, just means I may possibly fly back a whole lot more when I wanna support him." Jerome exhaled loudly, and we stepped in line to check in. "You know, I'm really looking forward to going home to Shadow again." He chirped, and I smiled. "Boy, I am too. Haven't seen the girl in ages." Jerome looked at me. "Why have we never gotten a dog? I feel like we should, like you have Toby at home, I have Shadow at my parent's house, but we don't have anything at our place!"

"We have you." I replied, causing Jerome to scowl at me. "Okay, new topic. Are we gonna go to Disney?"

"Mickey Mouse in the house!" I sang, and then blushed as people looked at me funny. "That may have been a little too loud Mitch." Jerome scalded teasingly, and I raised my eyebrows. "Like you've never done anything like that before!"

"Not today."

"But you've still done it."

"Not today." Jerome repeated pointedly, and I rolled my eyes, too frustrated to reply. Instead, I got to the counter and sorted out checking in, before looking around. A very busy place, full of life. "Seriously. Disney?" Jerome asked. I looked at him and shrugged. "If you want? We have Disney in Cali though, so I really don't know..." Jerome thought for a second, then smiled. "Let's go anyway. I have a great idea!" We walked towards the gate, now free of our luggage, before I grabbed Jerome's hand. He looked down at it, before looking back up at me. "What the?"

"Relax dood." I looked at him, grinning, and then took off, running to the gate. Jerome followed, stumbling due to my speed, and I laughed as he tripped. "Mitch. Can I ask you questions?" He said, when he finally got up. I nodded, and he bit his lip. "Do you hate gay people, or would you ever consider being gay?"

"What?"

"Oh, just uh, random questions."

"Okay? I don't hate them because that would be unfair bias, but I don't think I would ever be gay either. Not that I'm against it, it's just not really a thing I think that suits me." I said, and Jerome nodded, but his eyes suddenly couldn't meet mine, and his hand slipped out of my grasp, before he ran off again, blinking rapidly. I stood there watching, waiting for him to come back, but he didn't even turn to look at me.