Stay With Me (Merome)

Chapter 17

Mitch's POV

Guess who went to Pennsylvania and New Jersey again? Yep. Me and Jerome.

Heh. Jokes.

We ended up deciding to Skype our families with the news, and we started with Jerome's.

Jerome set up the call, before wrapping his arms tightly around me, and let out a little huff of content. "Just think. We could be married one day..." he sighed wistfully, and I laughed. "Hey, early days."

"Sorry. Just so excited for having a Benja for my own..." He turned his attention back to the screen, then laughed. "Okay. Here goes." He started the call, and bit his lip as it started to ring. "Hey Jerome, Mitch. Lovely to see you both after your cut off break, but... I don't understand what this call is about, and neither does your father, Jerome." Jerome's mom said carefully, and Jerome rolled his eyes. "Don't act like you have no clue, you tease. You know why we called."

"Well, your mom didn't know if you'd told him."

"Well, I did, and it's a happy time for us!" Jerome and I watched as their smiles broke out, and Mrs. Aceti seemed to actually tear up. "Oh Jerome! We are so happy for you! You too Mitch! What happened though. I thought you had a girlfriend?"

"Uh. They broke up Mom... I don't think you should ask." Jerome replied awkwardly, and his mom looked at me. "Hey, what he said. Let's just say that I wasn't the only one in the picture, and now I've walked out of hers, into Jerome's." I told them, and then Jerome's parents looked at me happily. "I knew you'd be good for our boy, and I know you'll be good to him. Take care Mitch, take care of our Jerome just like you did when you were younger." They hung up, and I confidently moved onto my family. "Let's get this over and done with and then we can go get some dinner." I replied while getting my family set up on the line, and Jerome grinned. "Aren't you a little worried?"

"Nope! I'm gonna get the group call going soon. It sucks that Marley is in Hawaii on vacation at this time of year, while we freeze out butts off in winter, but oh well. Let's just say that it doesn't matter, hey?"

"But what if they don't accept it?"

"Oh, my mom said they are totally fine with it. Relax dood! Don't worry that little bacca fish-brain of yours." I scratched his head while he giggled under my touch, then got back into his seat. I started to call my family, spamming their inboxes as well, and was met with an angry huff from Marley. "God Mitch, I knew I'd regret the day I turned on my notifications sound. What do you want?"

"Hey Marley!"

"Marley!"

"Oh. Hi Mom, Dad, Connor and Kayleigh." Toby barked in the background, and Marley laughed. "Hi." Jerome added, and she grinned at us. "So what's this about?"

"Jerome and I are dating."

"MItch! Stop. Trying. To. Waste. My. Time!" Marley immediately huffed, earning a laugh from Jerome. I watched my family's screen, and saw Kayleigh look at me, the smile she'd been wearing gone. "We're not kidding." I repeated forcefully, and I heard a sharp intake of breath from Marley, a happy little squeal from Conner, and saw Kayleigh's face started going red, and she looked around at the family. "Oh, well I'm happy for you then! Good on you guys!" Marley laughed, and my parents joined in with the cheers. "So I guess you're almost like my brother then?" Conner asked excitedly, almost bouncing off the walls. Jerome laughed as I raised my eyebrow carefully. "Hey, you still have one here!"

"And we aren't even married. Yet." Jerome teased, but Kayleigh stayed resolutely silent, glaring at Jerome.

Slowly, everyone started to look at her in the home camera, and it almost looked like Marley was too. "So Kayleigh. How are you?" Jerome asked sheepishly, and that was the final straw. She lashed out what she'd been hiding when looking at me. But not at me. "You. You! You do not just ask how I am after you go and make my brother gay, and then don't have the shame to ask us how we feel about it! You don't get to ask what I feel when you play with emotions! How long will it be until you ditch Mitch? Huh? A week? He deserves not to be hurt! I thought we were friends Jerome, but I can see how wrong I was." She hissed at Jerome, and I saw the shock on his face turn to tears. "I'm so sorry." I whispered to him, and then turned on my parents. "How could you let this happen? I thought everyone was okay with it!" I exclaimed, and they looked just as shocked. "We thought so too..." Confusion encircled the whole call, until Connor sighed. "I'll go talk to her. Be right back." He scarpered off, taking the laptop with him, and we watched as the screen jiggled. "Hey Leigh." He said softly as he entered the room, putting it on the table where we could still see, and we saw her look up. "I'm sorry I ran off like that. It's just... I love him, you know?"

"You're entitled to loving your brother, but he won't want you to worry so much, you know?" Connor reassured, and looked at her slowly, but she shook her head. "No, I love Mitch, but it isn't about that. It's just that..."

"Just what Kayleigh?"

"I think..."

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm in love with Jerome!"

#Ain'tEvenSorry

Who would have guessed? Not that you had any reason to but...

I have a Merome Q&A out, go read it and drop a question!

I also hear Adam and Alesa are engaged, congratulations to them! Now when will Merome announce theirs?... :P

Amber