Here is Home • The Pack

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Jerome rolled his eyes as Lachlan hung up on him. Dumbass forgot that Preston had the car, but he guessed Lachlan had a few other things on his mind. Now he needed to figure out the logistics of how he was going to get to wherever Lachlan was with Jess and Ruby while Preston and Alfie had the car.

"Jess!" Jerome called from the couch to Jess in the kitchen. She walked out from the kitchen. She gave him an expectant look. "So Lachlan thinks they have a pretty solid lead on what Calvin did with the pills, but I gotta call Preston so we can get the car back and go pick Lachlan up. I'm thinking that if you want to go see what's up with Mitch in the hospital now would be a good time, since there won't be much room in the car."

"That sounds good, but how do I get to the hospital?" She folded her arms over her chest and Jerome stood up from the couch, ignoring the teen hormones the girl was radiating, and pulled out the phone to call Preston.

"I think Vikk still has his girlfriends car. See if he can come pick you guys up."

Jerome left Jess in the living room as he pulled up Preston's number on the phone.

The phone rang a few times before he answered, "What's up?"

"So we think we know what Calvin did with the pills, but Lachlan needs us to come pick him up. I didn't know if you were done with Ruby's appointment yet."

"Yeah, we actually just got finished up. Let me drop Alfie off at the house and then I'll swing by and get you." Preston sounded exhausted and Jerome was worried about how much he was worrying. He'd talk to him more later.

"Okay, I'll let Lachlan know. See you soon." He hung up the phone and received a text from Lachlan with the address of where he needed to be picked up from.

Preston's on his way. Remember he had the car. We'll be there soon. He replied back to him and then he was left to wait.

"Vikk's going to come pick me up. Apparently they were already heading that way with Rob anyway," Jess said as she strutted back into the kitchen to wash dishes. "You doing alright?"

"I'm fine," Jerome answered, unconvincingly. "Just tired. I haven't been sleeping well."

Jess must have sensed that he didn't want to talk about it. "Good luck with Calvin!" Jess called as she dragged herself out the door to join Vikk, Jen, and Rob

Jerome felt weird being alone in the house. He's been alone in the house many times, but this time it was different. He found himself wandering up the stairs in the living room and drifting over to Lachlan's bedroom. He leaned against the doorway, thinking about that week they spent sleeping in the same bed a few years back. It was an eventful night. Lachlan came home after a fight with Lily, groaning something about aborting the baby while they still had the chance. To make matters worse Alfie was sick and Jess already had Rob staying in her room to get away from Alfie. To put it lightly, sharing a bed was the worst idea ever. The life they had before Preston made the life they had now seem like fucking paradise.

He wondered what would have happened if things would have worked out differently. If Calvin never beat the shit out of Preston so bad he passed out in the grass in front of his house. If Jerome ignored him and took Lachlan home like he had originally planned. If Lachlan didn't forgive Preston for not telling him about the time he was going back to college. Would he and Mitch even be together if Lachlan and Preston didn't force them together all the time? What if Preston swallowed his pills instead of flushing them?

Jerome didn't know how long he had been standing there, but the front door opening and closing alerted him to the fact that he was no longer alone.